Voter turnout looking promising on Rhode Island primary day
By Bianca Buono
@BBuonoABC6
There was a promising start for voter turnout Tuesday morning as lines formed early for those looking to cast ballots. Fewer polling places are open than on a general election day with about a third of locations available to voters.
There are hundreds of thousands of unaffiliated voters that are up for grabs here in Rhode Island and we are the only state voting Tuesday where independent voters can select either the democratic or republican ballot.
"It’s my civic duty,” said voter Elisa Glubok Gonzalez.
"I think this primary is more important than ever,” said Natalie Hogan of Providence.
This race to the White House has been tighter than ever so all eyes are on Rhode Island.
"I mean I think it makes it more important. It makes it more exciting to be a part of it,” said William O’Neil of Providence.
Four of the five remaining candidates fought for votes in the Ocean State over the weekend as delegates are on the line. On the Democratic side, nine superdelegates have already backed party front-runner Hillary Clinton, but 24 more are at stake. On the other side of the aisle, 19 delegates are at stake.
"Rhode Island is actually the smallest state but it has a lot of powerful people that live here,” said Providence voter Jacque Fleurissaint.
A recent Brown University poll shows that one in six Rhode Islanders were undecided before heading to the polls Tuesday and they could end up being the deciding factor.
"They’ve been certainly underestimating Bernie all the way through, right, and so if you look at the places where he has surprised people like in Michigan there was the same dynamic where there were a lot of undecided voters that swung his way,” said Providence voter Jon Green.
"They do have the opportunity to sway in one direction or another,” said Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea.
Lines to vote were out the door all morning at Temple Beth-El in Providence. It’s possibly because only one-third of the usual polling locations are open, but it could be a sign of high voter turnout.
"I know that the Board of Elections which actually controls today’s activities along with local Board of Canvassers have deployed more voting booths, more voting machines, more poll workers,” said Gorbea.
"I’ve lived here for almost ten years and I think it’s really exciting. I always come out to vote it’s just important to me but like I said it matters now more than ever,” Hogan said.
Polling places close Tuesday at 8 p.m.
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