April 24, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Judge of Elections Donna Brooks said she was pleasantly surprised by how many voters had come through the doors of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 109 McAllister St., by 12:15 p.m.

The grand total: six — split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. All of the voters were students, she said.

Earlier in the day, Brooks predicted the polling station would see no more than eight to 10 voters by the time polls close tonight at 8 p.m. Voters who live in Precinct 28, which covers a primarily student-populated part of downtown, cast their ballots at the church.

This primary election is the test run for the implementation of the state’s new voter ID law, but Brooks said this morning that volunteers already ask voters for their identification. She said most students use their voter registration cards and are “very good” about providing either their voter registration cards or their school IDs. Every “once in awhile” they use driver’s licenses, she said.

The trickle of voters into the polls can make a long day for volunteers, but Brooks said they pass the time by reading, playing cards and quilting.