Elderly, disabled experience long wait

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Election officials at College Park Elementary School in Virginia Beach told WAVY.com the long and complicated Virginia Beach ballot held up lines at polling locations Tuesday evening.

They say they tried to accommodate the elderly and disabled, but voters say it wasn't enough.

Some voters sat in wheelchairs, others clutching oxygen tanks and some tried to stay balanced with canes.

"Some of us have been out here four hours," Mary Atkinson said. "I've been out here three and half hours.  I had knee surgery and my knee is killing me."'

With nowhere to sit or keep warm, some simply voters gave up.

"I can't tell you how many people I've counted leaving, and saying, 'The heck with it. I'm not going to vote,
cause they can't get in there,'" said voter Robin Marohl.

Election officials say they couldn't let people in because of stringent rules in designated voter areas. They say voters were only allowed outside the school, inside of the gym or outside on the basketball courts.

Some elderly and disabled voters were allowed to wait in their cars, but even that process was slow-moving.

"They said they would come to the car for my husband him to vote, but they haven't done that," said Atkinson.

The chief election officer of the College Park Elementary precinct was not allowed to talk on camera with WAVY.com, but said she had her hands full inside. Along with the long lines, one of the electronic voting machines broke at the same place.

However, following WAVY's interview attempts with the chief election officer, polling officials opened the doors to let some people wait inside.

"I'm so glad to see y'all out here I don't know what to do. Thank you for coming to rescue us," said Essa Small.

10 On Your Side tried to get some answers from the Virginia Beach registrar. The registrar said she was
too busy with the electoral board to speak with WAVY.com.