Despite the dreary weather, 555 voters from Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and the Providence community cast their votes in Salomon Center's foyer on Tuesday.
The polling center, which was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., saw 537 Democrat and 18 Republican ballots cast, said Warden Jennifer Storch. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., received 416 votes at the booth, while his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., received 114.
Storch said though she was hoping to see more people come out to vote, she thinks that many probably couldn't find the booth. District 9 used to have other polling stations, both at the corner of Brook and Power streets and on Governor Street, but those were closed in order to cut costs, precinct volunteers said.
Approximately 40 minutes before the polls closed, the ballot counting machine broke down when a voter tried to insert both the ballot and its sleeve into it. But a technician arrived before 9 p.m. to fix it, and the counting was completed successfully.
Zachary Marcus '10, who volunteered to be one of the four supervisors at the polling place, said he didn't mind committing time to it because he enjoys being involved in the political process.
He said the day went by without "much drama," with a fairly constant flow of people coming in to vote. The numbers increased at the end of classes and during lunch, he said, adding that though he brought homework with him, he didn't find time to "sit down and read."
Marcus said he had to help several people with their ballots throughout the day. The mistake voters made most often was over-voting, or choosing more than the required number of delegates - six Democrats and eight Republicans.
"People chose more delegates multiple, multiple, multiple times," Marcus said.
A few voters were turned away because they were not registered to vote in Providence. Some were asked to go to other polling stations, though it is unclear if they did so, Storch said.
David Hahn MD'08 said though he is not registered to vote in Rhode Island, he went to the booth hoping he might be able to cast his ballot there.
Hahn, who would have voted for Obama, said he was disappointed he wasn't allowed to vote. But, Hahn said, he thinks Obama has a "strong foothold" in the state and is fairly popular among Brown's medical and graduate students.
Robin Davis '10, a California resident, said she decided to vote in Rhode Island because she feels her vote will carry more weight in the Ocean State.
In a state that is "overwhelmingly for Hillary, my vote for Barack Obama will go further," she said.
But Carey Degenaro '08 said though Obama has rallied young voters behind him, she voted for Clinton, whom she sees as "firmer" and more likely to bring about change effectively.
Ethan Kirsch, who voted for Obama, said the Illinois senator is most likely to end the war in Iraq and "raise the stature of the United States in the world."
"He's inspiring," Kirsch said. "After seven years of demoralization under the heinous George Bush, the country needs some inspiration."
Though Obama is Christian, his father's Muslim background might make him less divisive, Kirsch said.
Julia Van De Walle '08, who was the last to cast her vote at Salomon, said she was "really glad" to have made it to the booth just in time.
Van De Walle, who voted for Obama, said she would not have come if her friends had not urged her at the last minute.
"Now I can say 'I did my part,'" she said, proudly showing her "I Voted" sticker.
