Just after filling out her ballot Tuesday morning, a Norman woman took a fall and hit her head on the ground at Precinct 11, Grace Church of the Nazarene. She had to be taken to the hospital, but before she was carried away, she assured the Norman firefighters that her ballot was complete.
"I didn't know how, but we were going to make sure she voted," J. Rogers of the Norman Fire Department said. "But she said she did."
That is just one example of the intensity that surfaced in the 2008 General Election. With the first black presidential candidate heading one party and a war hero at the front of other, this election has left a high standard for others to follow.
Regardless of whom they checked off on their ballot, voters in Cleveland County also were swept up into the emotions and intensity of this election. Nearly 6,000 voters cast early, in-person absentee ballots Friday, Saturday and Monday in Cleveland County.
"First of all, this one is much more exciting," Shannon Brown said after voting at Precinct 15. "I didn't vote in the last election. I was old enough and really didn't care. I didn't feel involved. I didn't feel there was a candidate that represented me personally. So I chose not to vote. But this time I felt it was imperative, especially as a youth of America, I do vote and do my part."
With Norman being a college town, many of the local poll sites were filled with young, first-time voters.
"Hopefully it will be voter turnout," Taylor Sherrod said. "I hope that all of the young people and new voters actually get out and vote if they registered. This is a very big election and I think it's going to have an impact for the next four years, no matter which way it goes."
While Sherrod and other were concerned about their futures, it was the historical relevance of the election that had voters waiting in lines up to three hours just to vote. The majority of them fell in the category of those looking for a change.
"I think it's a big election," said John Cox. "First possible black president. It just seems like a big one. They really hyped it up for a long time. It has all come down to today. It was an easy decision for me. I think I felt like one candidate was ahead the whole time. I felt pretty good about it. The nation is divided too much, I believe, over issues. There is a lot of racism involved here and that's sad. But I think it's a good thing we are going to get past it."
Since September, the economy has been front and center on the minds of voters. The problems on Wall Street put the issues back on the table instead of the cultural divide.
"I think the fact I'm older, and I have a full-size family has me into the election," said 34-year-old Wayne Williams. "I pay my insurance through my job. That weighs a lot on me. The issues really pertain to me in what the candidates are talking about. As well as the economy."
For others, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were important factors on why and how they voted.
"I think Barack Obama's stance on not going into the war in the first place," Roxxann Murphy said. "Mainly it's that he had the wherewithal to vote the right way the first time. He seems to be a very thoughtful person, not just reactive. I think with John McCain, though I liked him in the past, he seems to have flushed that thinking down the drain for the opportunity to be president."
Between 130 million and 160 million Americans were expected to vote this election. The exact numbers may not be known for several days.
But, regardless of the final tally, those who decided to participate in the election will be able to say they witnessed history and were part of it.
"Just the excitement of change to come," Brown said. "No matter who wins or loses, I feel like the whole world is going to be different. America has really shown its true colors. I say that meaning that no other country, no other place, can something this profound be possible. I think its definitely good for the world view of America."
Michael Kinney 366-3537 mkinney@normantranscript.com
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Local voters caught up in historic election
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