Paly students, faculty and local residents casted their votes for the presidential election and state propositions today in Paly’s Tower Building.

“This kind of work [voting] is what America is all about,” poll worker Malcolm Brown said.

As of 12:45 p.m. about 150 people had voted at the Paly polling station, according to Brown. Brown attributes this low turnout to an increase in absentee balloting.

“About 50 to 60 percent of voters vote by absentee,” Brown said. “For a lot of working people, absentee voting is so much easier, because they don’t have to go to a polling place.”

However, the location of Paly’s polling station was convenient for students and faculty.

“To have a polling place here is awesome,” Paly history teacher Steve Sabbag said. “The people here are excellent and there was no wait.”

Voters preferred to use a paper ballots as opposed to the electronic voting machines. According to Brown, only three of the 150 voters at the Paly station used an electronic machine.

“A lot of the technical people think the machines are flawed, and don’t like the voting machines,” Brown said.

Some voters were unable to vote absentee.

“I waited for the absentee ballot, but I didn’t get it,” Palo Alto resident and first time voter Dao Schoenholtz said.

Brown, however, prefers to come to the polls.

“The advantage of coming to the polls is that you’re interacting with the electorate,” Brown said. “A lot of older people like coming to the polls, it’s like a social event.”