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Water Breaks, Woman Heads To Polls Anyway

Woman In Labor Moves To Front Of Line

Posted: 1:36 pm EST November 4, 2008

Not even the imminent birth of her child could keep a Nashua woman from voting Tuesday morning.

When Shawna Fitzpatrick's water broke at 3 a.m. Monday, the family packed up their 20-month-old son and went not to a hospital but to the Ledge Street School polling site, Manchester television station WMUR reported. Fitzpatrick's mother, Darlene Towmey, said that Fitzpatrick wasn't in any pain, so she felt comfortable waiting for the polls to open.

A witness said that no one objected when Fitzpatrick explained her situation and was moved to the front of the line. She and her husband, James, voted before heading to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, where Fitzpatrick remained in labor Tuesday afternoon.

Towmey said that the Fitzpatricks don't know if they're having a boy or a girl.