'Biggest turnout I've seen in 51 years'

Gulf Shores precinct inspector awed by crowds of voters

BY JOHN MULLEN johnm@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 11/8/16

GULF SHORES, AL - Rain didn't stop 'em. Nor did gloom of night.

"They were lined up when we got here at 6 a.m.," poll inspector Evelyn Sanders said. "We couldn't let 'em vote until 7, …

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'Biggest turnout I've seen in 51 years'

Gulf Shores precinct inspector awed by crowds of voters

Posted

GULF SHORES, AL - Rain didn't stop 'em. Nor did gloom of night.

"They were lined up when we got here at 6 a.m.," poll inspector Evelyn Sanders said. "We couldn't let 'em vote until 7, though."

They were lined up at 6, again at 10:45 and even still hordes of voters were waiting outside at about noon on Nov. 8.

By noon 2,288 people had cast ballots at the Erie Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores. It was the first time the balloting took place in the civic center since moving from the adjacent Activities Center due south.

"I've been working the polls for 51 years and this is the biggest turnout I've ever seen," Sanders said. "I'm glad we moved it over here from the other place because I don't know if we could have handled it in the smaller building."

In Orange Beach, poll workers were greeted with a line before polls could open as well. By 8:45 a.m. nearly 500 had voted and hundreds were still in line.

According to Baldwin County voter registration rolls there are about 8,000 registered voters in Gulf Shores and about 7,200 in Orange Beach.