People in southeast Atlanta who came out to cast an early vote Monday clearly don’t need to see the third and final presidential debate Wednesday to know who they’re voting for. They’ve seen and heard enough to make up their minds.
Beyond that, voters had different reasons for voting early. One man, who ended up at the new Southeast Atlanta Library location after unsuccessfully trying two other polling spots, was leaving for Amsterdam tomorrow.
One woman attributed the weather, saying she didn't want to get stuck standing in a line when it's still hot outside.
But for many people, it was simply out of convenience.
That was the case for Ormewood Park resident Douglas Ohlstrom.
The 36-year-old Salesforce technology consultant fell in the category of being sure about his decision; his mind has been made up since June of last year.
Ohlstrom said he had multiple reasons for voting for Hillary Clinton, but there was one major driving force.
“I am terrified of Donald Trump,” he said.
A security guard at the library branch watched a slow but steady stream of people file in once his shift began at 9 a.m.
It is one of multiple south Atlanta locations offering early voting, so there wasn't much of a wait for voters Monday afternoon, the first day of early voting.
That was not the case in the rest of the city.
Midtown resident Matt Westmoreland, 29, came to south Atlanta after he drove past a Buckhead precinct and saw a long line winding outside.
When people see lines, he advises: “Don’t give up.”
The Atlanta Board of Education District 3 representative wanted to vote early as a “thank you” to the county for providing many voting opportunities.
The Clinton supporter said while the presidential vote is important, so are all four proposed constitutional amendments involving trauma care funding, judicial oversight, help for victims of sex trafficking and failing schools (Gov. Nathan Deal's Opportunity School District).
“I encourage people to read up on those,” Westmoreland said.
It’s good advice. Grant Park resident Elizabeth Schultz, 54, almost left after she realized she forgot to do her homework.
But she, like the other people a reporter spoke to at this one location, was there to vote for Clinton.
“I’ve been happy with her before and after the email debacle,” Schultz said.
RELATED: What's on the ballot on Nov. 8 in Georgia?
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