HARVEY, La. — For as long as the early voting line at the Odom Building in Harvey seemed Monday, Rose Sanzone decided to give it another go after giving up on it Friday because of the first-day lines.
“The line was much too long (Friday),” Sanzone said. “So, we passed today and we thought, we can bear this.”
Others like Corey Coleman tried earlier in the day and gave it a second shot after lunch.
"I left and I came back again. Two hours,” he said as he stood in line again.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State, 16,880 people cast a ballot Friday and Saturday in Jefferson Parish during the first two days of a 10-day window for early voting.
A total of 36,314 people voted early in Jefferson Parish before the 2016 election.
Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters Dennis Dimarco said the number of early voters will only grow because of concerns about the mail service, so more voting machines are on the way to West Jefferson to relieve the pressure there.
By Tuesday there should be 14 in place at the Odom Building, up from 10, but Dimarco said he has rules to follow this year about social distancing.
"The perfect storm for us is the coronavirus which means social distancing. We're mandated to have all machines six feet apart,” he said.
With high interest in this election, voting advocates say there should have been more of a push for more or larger locations in Jefferson Parish to avoid long waits.
"What we've been telling folks is be prepared. Be prepared to stand in line, bring water, bring snacks, bring a chair,” said Ashley Shelton, executive director of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, a nonprofit voting rights group.
Barbara Rogers is one of the many who brought a chair Monday to the Odom Building.
She said she would wait as long as necessary to vote.
"I could've mailed it (a ballot) in. No. It's too dangerous, it's too stupid right now. I'm coming out to vote. My life depends on it,” she said.
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