SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

There were no lines to vote Tuesday morning at the Jefferson County Courthouse, save for the voters who turned up at the wrong precinct and were waiting for election officials to tell them where to go.

One polling official told the Record that from 7 to 9 a.m. only 15 people had voted at the courthouse, but at least 40 people who lived outside the precinct mistakenly showed up to cast their ballots.

She also said people get confused because they can vote at the courthouse during early voting but do not realize they must report to their precinct on Election Day.The courthouse is the polling location for Precinct 11 residents.

From 9 to 10 a.m., this reporter counted at least 20 people who were turned away because they came to the wrong precinct. Also, only four people actually voted during that time period.

One African American male who had arrived at the wrong precinct, told polling officials it was "okay to let him vote because" he was not going to vote for any "Democrats."

One election official told the man his vote was "between him and God," and that he could indeed vote, so long as he was in the correct precinct.

Most people polled at the courthouse said they voted straight Democrat ticket.

First time voter George Carter told the Record he came to the courthouse to vote only for one man, Barrack Obama � electing not to participate in any judicial contests.

See Jefferson County Precinct Voting Locations for a complete list of polling places.