Final Day Of Early Voting Saw Long Lines In Boston

Hundreds of Boston voters waited in long lines to cast ballots Friday — the final day of the state's first ever early voting period.

Officials opened the polls at Boston City Hall at 8 a.m. Friday morning — an hour earlier than originally planned. By Friday afternoon, the line of residents waiting to vote filled the lobby, spilled out onto City Hall Plaza, and wrapped around the building.

Some voters reported waiting a couple of hours to get inside.

"I don't care how long we have to stand in line," Boston resident Marjorie Clapprood, a former state representative, said while standing in line. "I'm impressed by the early vote. I'm impressed by all the people around me."

Patrice Kish showed up to cast an early ballot but decided not to wait in line.

"I wish I could vote today because I'd like to get this over with, but the line is way too long," Kish said. "They told me about an hour and a half, an hour and 40 minute wait just to get into City Hall. So I think I'll just vote on Tuesday."

Election Commissioner Dion Irish said long lines were also reported at the three other early voting locations open in the city on Friday — in Mission Hill, Brighton and Jamaica Plain.

"They all have lines," Irish said. "The lines are moving pretty quickly and they're averaging about 200 voters an hour."

Irish said anyone still in line at 5 p.m. — the scheduled end of voting for the day — will still be allowed to vote. He predicts that when all is said and done, some 50,000 Boston voters will have cast a ballot over the course of the two-week-long early voting period.

"It's been busy all week long," Irish said. "Every day we seem to set a new high in terms of daily totals."

As of midday Friday, state officials said more than one million Massachusetts residents had cast either early or absentee ballots.

While Friday was the last day to vote early, if you didn't make to the polls — or chose not to wait in line — you can of course still cast your ballot on Election Day Tuesday.