A ballot question on O'ahu rail generated strong interest, and strong opinions, at polling places today.

Here is a look at how some residents voted, and why:

At Palolo Elementary School, Pauahi Ioane, 47, a city bus driver, voted no to rail because the cost estimate for building the system continues to go up: "It's never the amount they say it is."'

Meanwhile, Rod Frias, 35, construction worker, voted yes to rail: "We need something. I don't think we can wait any longer."

Kathleen Maika, 56, title officer, voted no to rail because she said it will forever change the landscape. "I'm wanting to keep the island an island," she said.

Glenn and Janet China, both 61, supported rail, saying it's long overdue. "I think we need it," Glenn China said.

Mike and Jenny Rodrigues both voted against rail, saying it was too expensive. "I don't think the state can afford it," said Mike Rodrigues, 51.

Jane Himeda came to the polling place at McKinley High School with her neighbor, Carol Fan. They both voted yes for rail.

Himeda said she lived in Waipahu before moving into the McKinley area about a year ago. "I feel so bad for the people who live out there and have to come into town in this traffic," Himeda said.

Others also voted yes.

"We don't need to waste all this gas. We need to relieve congestion on the road," said Sasha Zaytseva, 25, of Waikiki.

Some voted yes on rail and on its chief proponent, Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

"I came here specifically to vote for rail and Mufi. He's been good for the island and we need mass transit. What got me about (Ann) Kobayashi is that she flip-flopped. It wasn't much more than a month ago that she wanted rail, rubber on steel. Then after Panos (Prevedouros) joined her she changed her mind all of a sudden and that bothered me, " said Leonard Nicolai, 42, Waikiki.

It wasn't all pro-rail, however.

Waikiki resident Charles Gonzalez, 48, was first in line this morning at the Waikiki Community Center. He said while he voted for Hannemann, he voted against rail.

"I like Mufi as mayor, but I think we have to look into rail more," Gonzalez said. "They made the decision for steel-on-steel and where to go too quickly."

Gonzalez said the late release of the rail project's environmental impact study swayed his rail vote. He's been leaning leaning toward 'yes,' but after listening to mayoral candidate Kobayashi's take on transit and then getting the late release of the EIS, his mind was made up.

Another no vote was Raymond Asuncion of Waikiki, who opposes the project because of the noise of steel on steel would bring.

Mercedes A. Toni Franco, 44, came straight from her night shift to the polls in Waikiki.

"I wanted to make sure I got my 'no' vote in for rail," she said. "Mufi is a fantastic mayor, but they have no idea of what they're getting into. I've lived in a major metropolitan area. This plan isn't ready. I want mass transit, but the way this is set up is not mass transit. This plan was shoved down people's throats. You have to respect the issues people have with it."

Brian Manangan, 18, graduated from Farrington High School last year and is now at Honolulu Community College. He said stepping into the booth for the first time was "Nerve-wracking."

He voted for Kobayashi and against rail after talking with friends. "It's too expensive," he said.