After Work, Voters Race to Polls in Gaithersburg

Just hours before polls closed at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, volunteers from both parties huddled under umbrellas as they handed out sample ballots and other information to voters.

After long lines this morning, a steady stream of voters came through the polling place through the afternoon and into the evening, poll workers said.

"People around here like to get up early and get things done," said Patrick Twomey, 54, who voted with his wife, Lisa, after work.

The Twomeys both voted for Sen. Barack Obama because he represents "hope and a change," said Lisa Twomey, 51.

"He's the first politician who has inspired me since I was a kid," Patrick Twomey.

The couple also both voted against the slots referendum because of the social repercussions of gambling and the profits machine owners would make.

"I don't like gambling," Lisa Twomey said. "I guess I just don't see a point in having it."

Douet Lyn, 45, said she "raced along the Beltway" to get to the polls from her job in North Virginia. A native of Jamaica, she said she voted for Sen. John McCain because of his campaign's anti-abortion stance.

"I'm not from here, so I value freedom and justice, because I did not have that in Jamaica," Lyn said. "When I vote, I look for someone who feels the way I do."

-- Jenna Johnson