Many voters in Mount Vernon headed to the polls early Tuesday morning to cast their ballots in the presidential election, only to spend hours standing on line.

At a polling site on East Sidney Avenue, the one and only voting machine broke down after only a handful of voters had a chance to cast their ballots, forcing the rest of the people to wait. At one point, poll workers, fearing a riot, even called police.

?They finally had to bring another machine in, and they couldn't get the handicap machine to work,? says a voter Kim Jackson. ?But I didn't leave. I got my vote in.?

City officials say mechanical problems and the lack of sufficient technical support are to blame for the long lines at the polls.

Despite news of delays and malfunctioning voting machines, high voter turnout has been reported throughout the county.

?The lines wrapped around the parking lot, which is great,? says a voter Felicia Joseph. ?That means there are a lot of young voters, and I love it.?

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