Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, Saundra Wilson, and Ryan Randazzo

The Republic | azcentral.com

Early voting brought long lines Friday night

Sheriffs deputies were called to Cave Creek to disperse voters turned away

Some people waited more than three hours

Voters who came out to vote ahead of Tuesday's election were angered by three-hour lines in Maricopa County on Friday night.

At some polling stations, including Glendale, more than 100 people remained in line after the 5 p.m. closing time. Election officials in Carefree called Maricopa County sheriff's deputies when a small group of voters was turned away after the polls closed there at 4:30, an official said.

Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, said about 10 voters who were turned away in Carefree were angry at the town and prompted a call to the office, which responded but didn't make any arrests.

"They were under the impression they could vote until 5 p.m., but they were turned down at 4:30 p.m.," he said at about 5:30. "They have calmed down and are not upset with us."

The Tempe Public Library also had long lines, which followed long waits earlier in the week that prompted some voters to leave with plans to return Friday.

On Thursday, County officials urged voters to visit less popular early voting sites to avoid lines. They also said they would send extra equipment to early voting sites to avoid the lines that plagued the sites earlier in the week.

It didn't work.

"I'm exhausted, and the thing that bothers me is for the handicapped people who cannot see, they are making them wait in a long line," said Katie Delacruz, 43, of Tempe, who waited for three hours with her husband to vote at the Tempe Library. "They need more help. They need more volunteers or something."

Her husband, Brian, said he thought some of the machines were not working.

"It was just not a good experience," he said. "Hopefully Tuesday they have everything together because there will be a lot more people."

Across town in Glendale, voters also saw three-hour lines.

Phoenix resident Brett Summers said the polling station only had three workers on computers and one walking around "advising."

The line wrapped around the back of the building and into the front by 5 p.m.

"They had plenty of more room in there," Summers said. "It wasn't this bad at the primary even."

At the end of the line, a sign said that early voting had ended and no more voters could join the line.

Glendale residents Klara, 60, and Istvan Miletics, 60, were last in line. They spend part of their time in Dallas for work and won't be around for Election Day, so, after landing in Phoenix on Friday, they headed to their local polling station.

"We had heard there were two-hour waits, but three is a bit much," Klara Miletics said.

The couple, who emigrated from Hungary, have been U.S. citizens for 15 years. Istvan Miletics was voting in a presidential election for the first time.

They were the last out the door Friday at 8:20 p.m. The couple waited three hours and 25 minutes, according to Istvan Miletics' calculations.

Klara Miletics said the experience embodied what she values most about the United States.

"It was a big line with lots of people waiting but everyone was friendly," she said. "No one was complaining, but they were laughing and joking. This is why I love America. I really like being here."

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Alberta Verla, 55, of Glendale, got in line at around 4:35 p.m. and didn't vote until 7:50 p.m. He emerged from the polling station by throwing his hands above his head with a triumphant grin on his face.

"It was worth it," he said. "Every vote counts."

Others in the line said the only time they saw election officials was when they put up the end-of-the-line sign.

"There has been no communication," said 52-year-old Phoenix resident Brenda Garrett, who had voted early already but came with her daughter to the polling station.

Garrett took it upon herself to tell others in the line they could drop off their early ballots inside and not have to wait in line.

"I knew because I was here Monday," she said, adding that the same station had an hour wait earlier in the week. Garrett said only two officials were working and one was in training when she voted.

They're back! Long waits dog early-voting sites in metro Phoenix