Signs like these could be seen at every precinct in Lehigh. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Voting began at 7 a.m. in Lehigh Acre’s many precincts and those who are showing up at the polls say it has been a pleasure not to stand in line. Many of elections clerks who stand outside the doors of the polling places said that voting has been steady and there have been no long lines.

“I ask them if they have a photo ID and open the door for them,” said a clerk who said he couldn’t give out his name. Another clerk in another precinct in Lehigh said voting was steady there, too, but he also said he couldn’t give out his name.

Campaign signs have been erected at all the precincts and are allowed to stay there unless they are within 100 feet of the voting place.

Frank and Juliet Kennedy voted around 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church on Leeland Heights Blvd.

“We first went to the wrong precinct, the church up the road, but they sent us here and said this is where we are registered to vote,” said Juliet Kennedy. The couple said they vote at every election and have lived in Lehigh for the past 11 years.

George Unverzagt who voted this afternoon at Precinct 121 said he thought that the Early voting throughout the county has made it easy for people to vote in their precincts.

“There are no lines. I just went in and voted. Two years ago, I had to stand in line,” he said.

“Steady but no waits,” was the same message at other precincts like 78 and 154 where the clerk at Sweatlock Fellowship Hall at the Faith Lutheran Church said voting “was steady throughout the day.”

Another voter, Charles Matheny, in his 90s, made sure he voted.

“I always vote,” he said and this was very easy, no problems and no lines,” he said.

“I just went right in and voted,” he said.

Sharon Harrington, the board of elections supervisor for Lee County has been quoted in the media saying the Early Voting was a huge success this year, that more people voted around the county than in the past. Early voting began in Lee County on Oct. 18.

Polls remain open until 7 p.m. tonight.

You can get election results tonight on Lehighacrescitizen.com.

Candidate Mike Bonacolta said that early this morning sometime after 1 a.m., both his and David Deetscreek’s signs were being removed by those representing their own candidates.

He said he and some of his supporters chased them down to Richmond Ave., by a few hours later, it was all over. He said he knew the culprits, but declined to contact the Sheriff’s Office.

Each precinct site was loaded with campaign signs and at one precinct, a man was sitting in a lawn chair waving a sign urging people to vote for his candidate. He was well within the 100 feet limit.

Bonacolta and his supporters worked hard early Monday night, too. They stood in a drenching downpour at the Leeland Heights and Lee Blvd. intersection waiving their signs to motorists. Bonacolta and Deetscreek are running for local boards in Lehigh.