Amid minor hiccups at polling sites, RI voters cast their ballots

With many high stakes elections on the ballot this midterm election, a few early hiccups at the polls Tuesday did not keep hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders from casting their ballot.

The RI Board of Elections said there was a bit of delay at some polling sites in the morning. Several polls opened up late because of workers not showing up, issues with entering complex passwords for the machines, and even reports of paper jams.

Eventually, replacement workers were found and technicians were dispatched to take care of the technical difficulties.

But Rhode Islanders still came out in droves, including Warwick’s Selina Cirelli who brought her daughter to the polls to teach her a valuable lesson.

“We all matter. Every one of us. Everybody needs to know they have a piece in the decision making,” Cirelli said. 

Other residents like Raymond Duggan is a regular at the ballot box who said he cast his first vote in 1960 for John F. Kennedy.

“This is a privilege. I can’t skip Election Day,” Duggan said. “All elections are important but this election is bringing more people out because of the divisions we have in the country.”

Moderator Guy Clark was working his fifth Election Day and said he’s never seen it so busy.

“Early this morning it peaked and then it slowed down for a little bit but it’s been pretty consistent throughout the day,” he said. “Not too many hiccups at all. People have been flowing in. It’s been a very nice experience.”