New voters, steady turnout at Cedar Rapids polls

Jacob Willmott voted for the first time in his life Tuesday, and trained a future voter, too.

Willmott, 29, of Cedar Rapids, had his young step-son Isaiah along as he made his selections at Taylor School this morning. When they were done, Willmott got down on one knee and patted an election sticker on Isaiah's coat.

"I just had to show him how it's done," Willmott said.

Willmott said he was motivated to vote because of his desire for change. He favored Ron Corbett for mayor, rather than current council member Brian Fagan or P.T. Larson.

"I'm tired of the way the city's been run and I'm tired of wasting money," he said.

Cedar Rapids resident Mary Frazier was fired up at 8 a.m., as she walked out of the school after voting. She said she was upset about financial decisions made by the City Council and the pace of flood recovery.

"Hopefully we get somebody new with some guts," Frazier said.

At Faith United Methodist Church, 1000 30th St. NE, 57 people voted in the first three hours. Precinct chairwoman Bernice Smith was pleased with the steady turnout.

Smith said poll operations were running smoothly.

"The only problem we've had is that the clock is still on daylight savings time," she joked.

An elderly couple who declined to be identified said they had a tough time choosing between Corbett and Fagan for mayor.

"I wish they weren't running against each other," the man said.

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It's sort of a tradition for Teresa Dyer to be one of the first voters on Election Day.

So there she was around 7:05 a.m., at Taylor School in Cedar Rapids, filling out her ballot as the sun rose.

"I'm usually one of the first five," Dyer said. "I get here before the lines. I'm glad this place is back."

Seventeen people voted in the first 30 minutes at the school, which reopened this fall after floodwaters ravaged it in 2008.

In Cedar Rapids, voters will decide six of the nine council spots, including mayor. Districts 1, 3 and 5 are up for grabs, along with two at-large council seats.

Steve Daringer, 56, said he voted for Brian Fagan for mayor. Daringer's house in the Time Check neighborhood was destroyed by the flood, and he was forced to relocate to the southwest quadrant.

"(Fagan) has been at all the meetings, every time we had a different meeting for the neighborhood," Daringer said.

Connie Richards said she picked Ron Corbett for mayor.

"I feel like he has the heart of the people in mind," Richards said.

In Iowa City, selections will be made for the District B council representative and two at-large seats.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today in most precincts in Linn and Johnson counties. The exceptions are in Bertram, Prairieburg, Oxford and Shueyville, where voting starts at noon.

RELATED:

• Runoffs possible in Cedar Rapids races
• 2009 voter guide