I was one of the unlucky people who had to vote in the Lee Hill District on Election Day. I have lived here for eight years, having moved from Pennsylvania, and there are a few things about voting in Virginia that give me pause.

Having two congressional districts vote in one polling place has to be the worst. I lived in several suburban areas and one major urban area before and I have never witnessed that type of setup. This is clearly what led to the fiasco.

True, had there been someone verifying that the voting machines were correct prior to the opening of the polls, the problem would have been prevented. However, if the polling places were not allocated in this manner it would never have happened.

When I was finally able to vote, I chose to vote via paper ballot, not trusting the machines. The ballots were placed in a canvas bag with a lock and a slit in the top. There was no one watching the bag, and when I questioned the security and accuracy of this system they had no answer except that the bag was locked.

This is the 21st century and we are not living in a Third World nation. There is absolutely no reason for us to (1) be voting with paper ballots or (2) to have to have our votes thrown out because of errors in the system.

It is also sad commentary on the awareness of the electorate that 186 people voted before someone realized the proper candidates were not on the ballot.

Edie Orazi

Spotsylvania