Politics & Government
Bedford Election Officials Predict Record Turnout
Most voters say they waited 10-20 minutes to cast their ballots.
The line wrapped through the halls and corridors of Bedford High School.
Bedford Town Councilor Chris Bandazian said he and fellow election officials estimate close to 1,000 residents an hour are casting ballots this General Election.
In fact, as of noon, nearly 4,900 Bedford residents had voted, and that's not including absentee ballots. And dozens of locals have sounded off on our Facebook page about a generally positive experience getting through the roughly 10-20 minute wait.
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"The turnout's been pretty incredible," said Bandazian. "People started showing up and lining up to get in before 6:30 (a.m.), so we opened the doors with long lines to begin with and they really haven't let up since.
"I think this is unprecedented, even in this town, when we've had heavy elections," he added. "I think at the end of the day this will be the most we've seen."
Find out what's happening in Bedfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bandazian said he is unaware of any issues with Voter ID today, despite some residents protesting the new law during September's Primary Election.
"I think that has gone very smoothly. Very few people people have not brought their IDs or wanted to sign an affidavit, so that has not been a bottleneck, it's just a huge turnout, which is great to see," he said. "I think people have just been very good about the fact that there's long lines and traffic to get in here, but it's nice to see everyone coming out and exercising their civic duty."
Haven't voted yet? Get all information, including candidate profiles, Voter ID details and a sample ballot by clicking here, and check back later today for full election results here.
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