Evening star., 1952-11-04


were expected before polls close at
z pm. In the first three hours, at
least three nearby precincts al
ready had cast one-third Of their
registered voting strength. One
North Baltimore precinct had
passed the halfway mark at that
time and one in Silver Spring had
10 so per cent vote after four hours.
The thermometer stood at 40
degrees when voting booths
opened, but rose to the SOS during
the day.
Election officials were unani-
nous in stating that never before
had so many turned out so early.
Despite the nippy morning, sub
urban precincts reported from Is
to 600 persons standing in line
when voting booths were opened.
Prince Georges Activity High.
The previous high vote for
Maryland as a whole was in the
Roosevelt Willkie contest Of 1910
when 1000 or nearly 70 per cent
|of those registered turned out.
In the first three hours officials
lat the j. Enos Ray School, Ia
koma Park, had voted 900 out of
a total of 1000 registered there.
At a beauty shop in Kentland, 44e
out Of 1900 had been accounted
for. officials at the County Serv-
ice Building, Hyattsville, counted
225 out Of 900 in the first three
hours and at the same point, $40
out of 1900 had voted in the Silver
Hill Firehouse.
Baltimore County election su-
pervisors estimated rs per cent
had voted there before polls had
been open two hours.
Gov. McKeldin followed his own
advice to vote early and was No.
154 to vote in his Annapolis pre-
|cinct at 8:15 am, the Associated
Press reported.
montgomery Voting Heavy.
Voting in the Bethesda Chevy
Chase area was heavy at three
different precincts. At the Be-
thesda- Chevy Chase High School.
for instance, GIT of the precincts
approximately 1000 voters had
been to the polls by 10:30 am.
At two other precincts, both To-
Gated across the street from each
other, similar high PERCENTAGES
were reported. One of these was
at the Chevy Chase Firehouse
where 315 out Of 712 registered
voters had cast ballots before 10
am.
In the Women's Club Of Chevy
Chase. 436 of the precincts l,146
voters had made their choices.
At Langley Park Elementary
School, polling place for the larg-.
est precinct in Prince Georges
County, 769 persons had voted
one hour and 40 minutes after
the poll opened, At 9 o'clock, 500
to 600 persons were lined up out
side the school waiting their turn
to vote. The polling place has
nine voting machines for its total
OF about 4.300 registered voters.
Cars Parked for Blocks.
In the first hour alone. 3O6 had
voted at the Glenmont Elementary
School and an estimated 500 per-
sons were standing in line on
Georgia avenue there. At 1O:45
am, the halfway mark was
reached at Grace Church, Silver
Spring.
The crowd was so large at the
Viers Mill Elementary School that
a reporter checking the area found
1t impossible to get in without
taking his place In the long queue
of voters. Cars were parked for a
block in all directions.
Campaign workers there said a
special effort was being made to
get voters out early so they would
not lose their chance to ballot in
a last-minute rush before the
booths close this evening.
At the County Service Building,
Hyattsville, voting was delayed
about 10 minutes when chagrined
(See MARYLAND. page As,