'This one is pretty important': Masks and social distancing as voters turn out for Election Day

They did ask two voters to remove masks, though, because their face coverings were emblazoned with support for presidential candidates, violating an election law that prohibits politicking within 100 feet of a polling site.

One of the voters wore a Biden mask, said Paula Sullivan.

“He said, ‘Oh I forgot,’ and he stuck it in his pocket,” she said.

The other voter sported a Trump mask and asked the workers why he needed to remove it, but was cooperative when they explained.

“Everybody’s been pleasant,” said Susan Fischer, another poll worker. “We’ve had people come in with oxygen, walkers. You can tell people are really making an effort to get out and vote this time."

Welcome to voting in the time of the coronavirus.

Many polling sites in Western New York saw long lines Tuesday morning that generally turned to a steady pace on Election Day. 

Many opted for early voting – just over a quarter of all registered voters in Erie County had already cast their ballots by Tuesday – but plenty more were expected to show up.

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St. Anthony Church in Lackawanna

After years of sitting out elections, Theresa Jackson walked into the parish hall and cast a ballot for Joe Biden for president.

“It felt good," she said. "I feel, as an American, I did my civic duty.”

Jackson wore a Black Lives Matter shirt and helped her mother, Margaret Huff, who was in a wheelchair, get in and out of the polling spot. It was also Huff’s first time voting.

“This one is pretty important due to the fact of there’s so much stuff on the line right now,” said Jackson, who was worried that her mother’s health care would crumble under Trump.

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Prince of Peace Church on Kensington Avenue

When Charles Thompson arrived at his polling place, he was thinking about the civil rights struggle that helped guarantee the right for Black Americans to vote.

“I’m voting because the leadership is not the right guy there, and I’m looking out for my grandchildren's future,” said Thompson, who wore a "Black Lives Vote" T-shirt, a Vietnam Veteran cap and a black gaiter-style face covering to his polling place.

Charles Thompson said he was mindful of the civil rights struggle that helped guarantee the right of Blacks to vote. “I’m voting because the leadership is not the right guy there, and I’m looking out for my grandchildren’s’ future,” Thompson said after filling out his ballot. pic.twitter.com/Y1x5VbeDFQ

— Mark Sommer (@msommerbn) November 3, 2020

Voters kept a steady pace at the church all morning, said Barbara Williams, an election inspector. It was especially busy early in the morning.

“Oh honey, you couldn’t even get in the door when we opened,” she said.

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Nativity of Our Lord school in Orchard Park

A line of about 40 people was waiting when the polls opened at 6 a.m., but the day was “relatively normal,” said Patricia Longboat, a poll worker since the 1980s.

“People are anxious to vote. We get some bunches from time to time, but it’s not like they’re out the door," she said.

Longboat said the availability of early voting was a factor. She showed several pages on the voting book for OP District 16 that had signature boxes already filled with printing that indicated those voters had voted early or by absentee ballot.

“Absolutely,” early voting has made a difference, she said.

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Niagara Street and Porter Avenue

For the past 50 years, Greg Bodecker has cast his vote at this three-story brick building on Buffalo's West Side.

Bodecker was one of 13 people on hand when the doors outside D'Youville-Porter Campus School No. 3 opened at 6 a.m.  

"I've always voted at 6 in the morning at this location, and I have never seen this many people," Bodecker said. "I'm really enthusiastic that there are a lot of voters this morning, and I hope it stays this busy all day."

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Lake View Fire Hall in Hamburg

Mitch Farrell, 61, and his wife, Marge, 62, have voted here since 2013, almost always in the predawn hours.

“This is the first time we’ve actually had people waiting,” Mitch Farrell said.

Marge Farrell said they arrived at 5:45 a.m.

Mitch Farrell said that he didn’t participate in early voting because “you’ve got to hear everything right to the last minute.”

He's hopeful that "things calm down and people start working together ... I’m just sick of the partisan battles and the nonstop stonewalling that’s been going on for the last 12 years.”

Asked if he wished to share who he voted for, he declined, but then said with a laugh: “I’m not voting for the same guy I voted for last time.”