First-time voter cast last vote at one polling site
On Tuesday, security guard Ron Vanacker made his way to the end of the line of 150 or so voters outside the Tempe History Museum.
At exactly 7 p.m., he would step into the line. Anyone not there could not vote.
At 6:55 p.m., Vanacker was joined by a poll worker who would officially call the poll closed.
Three minutes later, Kim Hansen took a big step into line. She left work at 6:45 p.m., finishing up a musical theater class she teaches at Kaleidoscope Dance in Mesa.
A minute later, Nadege Lindor slid into line behind her. She had rushed from her work at a dental clinic in Queen Creek.
The poll worker called out the time: 7 p.m. Vanacker got into line behind Lindor.
She would be the last voter. At 39, it would also be her first time.
Lindor came to the United States from Haiti at 15.
Although she registered to vote when she was old enough, she never did. She’s not sure why not. But she was ready this time.
“This year, I want my voice to be heard, and voting is the only way to do that,” she said.
Hansen, 31, agreed.
“We need to take the steps to make this country more positive, and the only way I can do that is not by arguing with people but by taking action,” she said.
Hansen and Lindor talked as the line moved forward. It took an hour to reach the door.
“What do I do?” Lindor whispered. “They’ll tell us,” Hansen assured her. Hansen was done first, in a hurry to get home to her kids. The women had exchanged numbers.
Lindor was the last of more than 3,500 people to vote there. Poll workers gave her a paper plate with three slices of pizza.
“It was easier than I thought,” she said.
Lindor is a voter now, and will be “always,” she said.