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Social Media Helps Some Voters Avoid Long Lines

by KREX News Room
by Jordan Sherman

Story Created: Nov 6, 2012 at 5:47 PM MDT

Story Updated: Nov 6, 2012 at 7:54 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- Lines at the polls gave some a headache Tuesday, but others found themselves in and out faster than they expected.

Some folks in Mesa County spent the day updating Twitter and Facebook users about the wait times at the 10 different polling locations.

Two of the locations with the shortest wait times were the Mesa County Fairgrounds and the Fruita Civic Center, where wait times averaged less than 15 minutes all day.

"The lines have been moving very efficiently and very smoothly all morning. There was an initial rush from 7 until a little after 8 o' clock, as you would expect, but even then, the wait times for people were inside 10 minutes," said Scott Aker, election monitor at the fairgrounds.

People at other areas weren't so lucky; voters at the Goodwill Retail Center on 24 1/2 Road and Colorado Mesa University waited more than an hour to cast their ballots.

Mesa County officials alerted voters via Facebook and Twitter to start heading to locations with shorter wait times.

"It's just 5 or 10 minutes from downtown Grand Junction, and there's a ton of parking. It's just an easy place for people to get in and out of," said Jessica Peterson, spokesperson for Mesa County.

Colby McFarlin, who voted at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, said, "It took us 5 minutes to vote. It was nice, quick, easy and easy. We rolled right in and right out."



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