County backs McCain, Rogers in big turnout

By Dale Liesch | Dadeville Record

Originally published 11:08 a.m., November 6, 2008
Updated 11:08 a.m., November 6, 2008

Alabama is far from being considered a traditional battle ground state when it comes to the race for president, but don’t tell that to the hundreds upon hundreds of Tallapoosa County voters who flooded local polling places early Tuesday.

Precincts throughout the county had experienced larger than normal voter participation through the early parts of the day, with some voters having to wait nearly two hours to fill out a ballot.

“The lines are ridiculous. I expected a high turnout but I didn’t think the lines would be this long,” Rick Parker said of his one hour wait at the Cooper Recreation voting location in Alexander City.

“This election is important enough to tough it out,” Darlene Willis of Alexander City said. She waited 30 minutes to cast a ballot. “I expected the lines would be long. You just got to wait,” she said.

As for county officials, the early heavy turnout was being reported by precincts across the county.

“It has been a very heavy turnout thus far,” Tallapoosa County Probate Judge Gloria Sinclair. “We have seen heavy turnout in Dadeville, Alexander City, Tallassee, Camp Hill, everywhere.”

Sinclair said although the turnout was heavy it was a turnout that was expected.

“We were expecting a heavy turnout and we were ready for it,” Sinclair said.

Final tallies show that 67 percent of the registered voters in Tallapoosa County cast a ballot Tuesday.

County supports McCain; Country supports Obama

While a majority of states within the Electoral College fell in the win column for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) making him the next President of the United States, Tallapoosa County and the rest of Alabama fell the other way.

The county’s choice for president was Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) with almost 68 percent of the vote. Obama, on the other hand, received just over 31 percent of the county’s 18,568 votes.

While Janis Canham, vice-chairman of the county’s Democratic Party, was excited by the National numbers, she said the party would just have to continue to work to gain support in the heavily Republican county.

“Its just the way the flow goes,” Canham said. “We just have to keep plugging along.” Canham was also encouraged by the heavy turnout of voters for Tuesday’s election and said it speaks to her party’s efforts to get out the vote.

“I was very proud of the turnout,” Canham said. “The turnout shows that all of the hard work paid off.”

Leon Archer, chairman of the county’s Republican Party was not surprised the county fell for McCain.

“I was not surprised by that percentage at all,” Archer said. “Across the board you are going to see more conservative voters here.”

Archer said he had concerns about the Republican Party during this election cycle and thinks the struggles of the party nationally could lead to a change back to the basics.

“It may be a wake up call,” Archer said. “Nationally we need to get back to the basics of conservatism and I think that’s what Tallapoosa County voters want as well.”