No supporters' screams, only the silence before sunrise. No photographers' glaring flashbulbs, only the bland light of street lamps.

It was in such a setting that the Key Elementary School polling station near downtown Arlington in the state of Virginia opened to voters at 6:00 a.m EST (1100 GMT).

The station expects to see some 5,400 voters cast their ballots, station mediator Sarah Schwartz told Xinhua.

Some 200 people were already waiting to vote in just the first half hour, Schwartz said.

Local media projects voter turnout rate here for the 2008 general elections could be over 60 percent.

"I voted for him because of his health care policy," Kastle Cannon told Xinhua outside the polling station, after voting for Democratic hopeful Barack Obama.

"For Obama," said an Indian American, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that "he can bring change we need."

"For Obama, because he is the best person for the position," said another voter.

In fact, all ten voters interviewed by Xinhua had voted for Obama.

In another polling station in Virginia's Fairfax County, Xu Gang, a senior lawyer at Morrison & Foerster LLP, a well known international law firm, said he had voted for Obama as well.

"I voted for Obama because he represents the beginning of a 'post-racial' American society, the diversity, tolerance and strength of American people. I agree with his policy positions on health care, education, energy and national security. ... His personal success sets a great example for my children, who are first generation American-born Chinese," Xu said.

A week ago, some teenage girls were waving banners that said, "Virginia, John McCain Country" in downtown Arlington, close to McCain's national campaign headquarters.

On Election Day, however, the slogan might just be changed to "Virginia, not John McCain Country."

(Xinhua News Agency November 5, 2008)