Bea Perry was ready for the voters.

Her hood pulled up over her hair, she stood beneath a tent at the Chavis Center in Southeast Raleigh, ready to help voters on behalf of the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil rights group. Nearby boxes of Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme and boxes of coffee were stacked on a table.

Perry said turnout was good, though she expected many already cast their ballots during early voting. She was here then, too, and saw about a 1,000 a day, more than double the number from 2004.

She would know. The 77-year-old retired schoolteacher has worked every election here for the RWCA since 1961, helping voters and getting out the word on its endorsements. She cited her experience voting in the days before the 1965 Civil Rights Act outlawed literacy tests as a catalyst.

"When I got ready to vote when I was 18 years of age, I had to recite the preamble to the Constitution to a man who couldn't even read it," she said. "Now, my nephew is the mayor."

How long did it take to memorize the preamble?

"About 15 minutes," she replied. "I already knew it, and I still do."

Could she say it now? She took a long stare at the young white reporter before her before speaking.

"I could. But I'm not. The days of testing are over."