For some voters, long lines on the last day of early voting

VIRGINIA BEACH — When Sofia Gloria arrived at the Kempsville Treasurer’s Office before 4:15 a.m., there were only a handful of people sitting outside.

By 5 a.m., there were about 50 people, she estimated. By 9 a.m., when the office opened to voters for the last day of in-person early voting, there were over 400 people waiting.

The line stretched over a third of a mile through Fairfield Shopping Center, wrapping all the way around the structure. Some voters arriving close to 9 a.m. found themselves standing among the dumpsters behind an Italian restaurant on the far end of the strip mall.

Next time, some of the voters at the front of the line suggested, the city should bring in food trucks.

“They would make plenty of money,” Gloria said.

Saturday was the last day of in-person early voting in

Virginia in a year that has seen record-breaking numbers voting before Election Day. Across the state, more than 1.6 million in-person early votes had been cast as of Friday.

In some Hampton Roads cities, the day meant long lines as people cast votes. Virginia Beach’s early voting website estimated wait times of 2 ½ hours at the Municipal Center on Saturday afternoon. At satellite locations, wait times ranged from a little under 1

½ hours at Great Neck Recreation Center to over five hours at the Kempsville location.

Annette Morgan had made it near the front of the line at the Municipal Center around 10 a.m. She arrived around 7:30 a.m. Her brother was in line in Kempsville and had made similar progress.

Saturday was one of three weekend voting days Virginia Beach offered in October at the Municipal Center. She wanted to vote before election day because she