In the 1996 presidential election, 34 percent of 21 to 24 year-olds voted. Stone was one of those who made the increasingly rare decision to go to the polls.

But yesterday, in both Roxbury and across the Boston area, voters were not merely wandering into the polls or apathetically opting out of the election--they were lining up before polls opened, taking vacation days to run polling places or actively discounting the voting process.

For area voters the real decision was not necessarily choosing among the presidential contenders, but whether they believed the voting booth--and the democratic process--would truly represent their opinions.

Morning in Somerville

The election workers had nearly all arrived by 6:30 a.m. yesterday morning at the College Avenue United Methodist Church in Somerville. The warden, Marsha E. Lavalle, coffee in hand, directed her staff of six to set up tables, post information for voters in the narrow hall leading to the ballot room and prepare themselves for 13 hours of democracy.

"Ladies, there are going to be people leaving things in the voting booths," she announced to the workers darting around her, "so if you see something, grab it."

In a ritual repeated thousands of times across the country, the workers of Somerville Ward 6, Precinct 3 were preparing for the 1,656 voters who were slated to show up yesterday.

Lavalle, an intense, middle-aged woman, wore a pink heart- embroidered sweater that did not quite fit her take-charge attitude. Despite her 15 years of experience as a warden, she was notably agitated yesterday morning.