Evening star., 1928-11-06
ThrongsLineUp
to Cast Their
Ballots.
FINE WEATHER
AIDS TURNOUT
Indications Point to
Greater Numbers
Than 4 Years Ago.

Approximately 800 qualified
voters in Arlington County, Va,
will be unable to cast their bal
lots in the presidential election to-
day because of inadequate voting
facilities, it was indicated early
this afternoon.
The voters who are destined to
lose their opportunity to ballot are
in the Del Ray and Clarendon pre-
cincts, which have been unable to
move the long lines at a faster
rate than about 100 an hour
When the polls are closed at sun
set a number of them are ex-
pected to be still in line.
There is only one set of election
clerks and judges at each of these
precincts. Clarendon has 1900
registered voters and Del Ray
1,700. With only about 10 voting
hours and the voters casting their
ballots at the average rate of 100
an hour, political leaders declare
that it will be impossible for all
registered voters in these two pre-
cincts to participate in the elec-
ton.
A tremendous vote, which un-
doubtedly will Shatter all previous
records in a presidential election,
is being cast in both of Maryland
and Virginia.
Reports from every voting pre-
cinct in Montgomery and Prince
Georges counties of Maryland
and Arlington and Fairfax coun-
ties of Virginia lying contiguous
to the District told of unprece-
dented early balloting, which
showed no sign of a let-up before
the polls are closed.
The heavy vote is attributed largely
to the women, who were equal in num-
ber to the men at many of the polling
places. The Indian Summer weather
and the epoch-making development of
the suburban sections of these coun-
ties, which has increased their popula-
ton greatly since the last presidential
election in 1924, also share in the re-
sponSibility for the large vote.
Crowds Lined Up.
Crowds were lined up at all of the
voting precincts in the four counties
before they opened, and when the voters
started their slow march to the ballot
boxes, the lines had extended in length.
A majority of the early voters were
men and women who earn their liveli-
hood in the District.
No disorder was reported at any of
the polls, although friendly arguments
were engaged in by many of the voters.
Republican and Democratic campaign
workers made last-minute solicitations,
while Hoover and Smith SympathizerS
went about replacing posters appealing
for votes for the two candidates which
had been removed from telephone and
electric poles in the vicinity of the
voting places.
The polls in Maryland opened at
o'clock, 40 minutes earlier than those
in Virginia, which has a shorter voting
day because of a State law which pre-
scribes that the ballot boxes shall open
at sunrise and close at sunset. The
Maryland polls will close at o'clock
this evening and those In Virginia at
4:53. All Maryland voters in line at
o'clock will be allowed to cast their
ballots, however, as result OF a re-
cent ruling by Thomas N. Robinson,
attorney general of the State.
Vote Ahead of 1924.
At least 95 per cent of the 1888
registered voters in Montgomery County
are expected to vote, according to polit-
ical leaders. Approximately $4,000 votes
we're cast in the State and county elec-
ton in 1926.
Indications of the large vote being
polled in this county were shown at
Chevy Chase, where AIT ballots had
been cast at $3.50 o'clock. This vote is
about 2 to l over the vote cast at this
hour four years ago. Nearly half Of the
voters were women. There was such
big crowd the election staff divided
the alphabet in two sections from A to
and from to z to handle the voters.
Somebody hung brown derby over the
entrance, which caused lot of merri-
ment outside the polls.
The 40 polling booths in the Mont
gomery County Building at Bethesda
also were crowded, as were those at
Silver Spring. Bethesda alone expects
to add l,700 votes to the countys total,
which, is was pointed out, means that
the voters will have to ballot at the
rate OF two minute.
The rush of early balloting in Prince
Georges County caused political lead
ers there to predict that fully 80 per
cent of the $4,000 registered voters
would go to the polls. In one of the
precincts in the Hyattsville district.
one-third of the total vote had been
cast at 1890 o'clock, which has set O
precendent in this section.
Heavy COIOred Vote.
Prince Georges County also reports q
heavy colored vote as well as an un-
usually large vote in the lower or farm
ing sections.
The counting of the ballots in the
Maryland communities is not expected
to get under way until about 8 o'clock
because of number of preliminaries
| required by law. The election officials
also are allowed time off for dinner,
which will delay the beginning of the
count. However, when it actually gets
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