If you really want to sit down for a good talk with Brooke Pinto, Ward 2’s District Council rep, about your particular issues and interests, these next few days would be a good time to do it. Or with her opponents for the seat Pinto won in the June special election. Or with the at-large Council candidates or the two vying for the vacant Ward 2 seat on the DC State Board of Education.

Most all of them can be found hanging around Ward 2’s early voting centers. And they are often there alone, waiting to talk to voters.

“It’s a challenge to get the attention of Ward 2 voters at the voting venues this election season, during the pandemic emergency, since all District voters can early-vote in any venue throughout the District,” said Joe Florio, campaign manager for Randy Downs, who is challenging Pinto. “It’s especially hard at the Capital One sports arena, which is the biggest and most popular venue for everyone in the Northwest District.” Florio, who has worked in many D.C. campaigns, was communications director for former Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans.

Pinto sets up a bright pink tent at campaign venues and at the early voting centers, where she and campaign volunteers, including her mother Dale, often hand out water and campaign materials. They are eager to talk. “The first day of early voting was slow,” Pinto told The Georgetowner. “The busiest time was between about 8 and 9:30 a.m. at Hardy School. The School Without Walls was busier. We’ll be at all of them.”

Early voting venues opened on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with dozens of poll workers and monitors to supervise social distancing and remind voters they had to wear masks. Multiple campaign signs — some obstructing others — were placed along the sidewalk at the required distance from the entrances.

Voters are asked to remove any pins, stickers or masks with candidates’ names on them once they enter the voting area. One voter with a Trump-Pence sticker was asked to remove it when she entered the center; she laughingly reminded Pinto outside not to wear her pink “Pinto” mask when she entered to vote.

The three official Ward 2 voting centers are open from Tuesday, Oct. 27, to Monday, Nov. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The locations are: Hardy Middle School, 1819 35^th St. NW; School Without Walls at Francis Stevens, 2425 N St. NW; and Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. On election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.