Photo Gallery: Centreville Residents Head to the Polls

Centreville residents headed to the polls early Tuesday morning to cast their votes in the 10th and 11th district races. 

Thirty-degree weather didn't dissuade the voters who lined up at Stone Middle School in the 10th district, starting at 5:30 a.m. Nearly 350 residents had cast their ballots as of 9:20 a.m. Ann Fraser, chief election officer, said that the turnout was "steady, a little heavier then what we normally have." 

At Deer Park Elementary, also in the 10th district, 326 voters had cast their ballots as of 8:50 a.m. 

Paul Royal, who came to the polls wearing a Navy veteran baseball cap, was one of them. "I never fail to vote," he said. "I spent 25 years in the Navy defending the right to vote." 

Officials at Deer Park said that turnout was slow but steady, although not quite as busy in the early morning hours as in previous years. "Usually at 6 a.m. we have a line all the way outside, with people going to work afterward. Today we didn't have that," said Pat Mallon, chief election officer at the poll. 

Across town at Colin Powell Elementary school, in the 11th district, chief election officer Mary Brett said that the turnout was "brisk." About nine percent of active registrants had voted by around 9:40 a.m.

George Davis, 45, stopped by Mountain View High School on his way to work to cast his ballot. "Honestly, I'm pretty worn out from all the negative campaigning," he said. "I'd rather just hear what they're going to do. I don't want to hear what Gerry Connolly didn't do, what Keith Fimian can't do. I want to hear what you [the candidates] are going to do." 

Davis said he had just made up his mind yesterday who to vote for, but preferred not to say which candidate. 

Mountain View experienced heavy turnout in the early morning. Chief elections officer Alan Bilodeau said that while the polling place was normally fairly quiet, as of 10 a.m. over 500 people had cast their ballots.

Be sure to check Patch for breaking election news throughout the day, or follow us on Twitter: @CentrePatch.