Record number of early ballots cast

[Joanne98]

Source: WP

A record number of voters have cast early ballots for a midterm election.

The total number of early votes has topped 16 million, according to one preliminary analysis, and is on track to be slightly shy of the historic number of early ballots cast in the 2008 presidential election.

"It's going to easily beat any midterm we've had," said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University government professor who has tracked early voting for several election cycles and estimates that 29 percent of midterm votes have been cast in the days and weeks before Election Day.

All 50 states have sent out absentee ballots, and in 29 states, in-person early voting is also underway. Most of them have made it easier for people to vote early, allowing "no excuse" mail-in ballots and automatically sending ballots to voters who voted by mail in the past.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/02/AR2010110201758.html

[Tippy]

1. K&R ....Big turnout is key to Dem win.....

[okieinpain]

11. I don't want to be debbie downer, but they said that voter turnout

was heavy in Massachusetts when brown won.

[HereSince1628]

2. In Milwaukee county early voting was down 90% last time I read about it

For whatever reason it isn't a 'thing' here.

[KoKo]

3. My NC Precinct was mobbed at 9:30 a.m. For Mid-Terms that's unusual.

I Poll Watched the last Mid-Term and it was nothing like this. Also our NC early voting had unusually large numbers. I'm hoping it's not Tea Partiers given their efforts in NC. I hope it's energized Dems trying to push back against another RW takeover.

[cyr330]

4. Polls just opened here

in San Francisco @ 07:00--30 minutes ago. I voted, but there were not many people in line-- a very long ballot!

[Arugula Latte]

10. I loved voting in San Francisco when I lived there.

They had separate lines for Dems. and Pubs. The Dem. line would be out the door, and there would be a couple lonely R's checking in and withering under the nasty glares shot in their direction. :)

[dkofos]

5. I love early voting

No lines, no wait, no problem.
All states should adopt this.

[X_Digger]

7. +1

I voted last week- had to drive a bit further than my regular polling place, but I was in and out in under five minutes.

[rfranklin]

6. This could be run like a public radio fundraiser!

"If enough people vote early, we'll turn off the campaign commercials..."

[oswaldactedalone]

8. Greensboro NC Democrats need to get to the polls!!

Been taking voters to the polls this AM but have hit a lull. Polling places are quiet so far. What the heck is going on Greensboro?

[X_Digger]

9. I shuttled the last of the folks on my list last week. :) n/t