Early Voters Are Sleepless in Cincinnati

by Erick Sanchez  |  October 04, 2012

OCSEA’s Emerald Hernandez talks to CBS News reporter Dean Reynolds (CBSNews.com)

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Early voting kicked off in the state Tuesday, with local election boards opening their doors at 8 a.m. to folks eager to cast their votes for candidates fighting for working families.

Lines were out the door at the Hamilton County Board of Elections in Cincinnati at 7 p.m. the night before. That line included AFSCME member Carol Bird, a member of Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA)/AFSCME Local 11, who stood in the rain.

“Early voting ensures that we each have the opportunity to get our voices heard,” Bird told TV station WXIX-TV. “We avoid long lines on Election Day and get the flexibility we need given our work schedules.”

In Columbus, OCSEA Director of Government Affairs Emerald Hernandez joined the campout outside of the Franklin County Board of Elections.

“For me it's a convenience. I can come in and get it done," Hernandez told CBS News. "I can say once in my life I've camped out to vote.”

Controversy has surrounded the ability for Ohioans to vote early, but thankfully a federal judge ordered that early voting be extended up through the days leading up to Election Day.