Voters Slowly Make Their Way to the Polls on Election Day

Updated at 12:30 p.m. About 13% of the City Hall precinct's registered voters had stopped by to select candidates for state Senate, clerk of the Circuit Court and state representative.

Republican Chris Marston, who is running for clerk, greeted voters outside of City Hall around lunchtime.

"I'm pleased to offer voters a choice this election and a chance to make some technology improvements" to the office, he told Old Town Alexandria Patch.

Around 10:30 a.m. about 289 voters had made their choices at the City Hall station along with 93 absentee ballots. That's out of a registered 2,828 for that polling station.

"It's about a 10% turn out right now," said Chief Election Officer Jeff Herre, who added that he doesn't expect the polling station to get busy, but voters were coming in at a slow and steady pace.

Republican volunteer Cathy Hill worked a table at the  Agudas Achim voting station.

"It's good to be involved," she said. "It's important to do your part and to try and make a difference."

Paul Friedman, the precinct captain for the Alexandria Democratic Committee at Precinct Station 203, or Agudas Achim, said turn out has been low. "It's always more difficult to get people out in a year where there is no statewide or national election," he said. "Nevertheless, we're confident that Democrats will turn out to support our excellent candidates."

Democratic Party volunteer Laura Mandala greeted voters with her eight-year-old dog Pawley, who she rescued from a shelter in South Carolina.

"She always works the polls with me," she said of Pawley, a literal yellow dog Democrat.

Voters are casting ballots for Democrat Adam Ebbin or Republican Tim McGhee for state Senate, Republican Chris Marston or Democrat Ed Semonian for Clerk of the Circuit Court and for Democratic Del. David Englin, who is running uncontested.