Edited post-vote: Alright, I'm about to go down and vote here in Philly.

[Barack_America]

(had a new dishwasher installed this morning)

My precinct voted 96% for Obama in 2008. We're in one of the bluest Wards in Philly. My specific precinct is very "latte liberal", activist, blogger type (as in there tend to be more votes for the Greens than Republicans). So turnout at my precinct as compared to 2008 should give us some information about this "enthusiasm gap" with liberals translating into non-votes.

By the way, the weather here is absolutely gorgeous, which is worth about $2 million in free advertising for Sestak.

One last look at the ballot and I'm off. I'll report back soon.

------

Edit:

So turnout was definitely good for 1:00 in the afternoon. I was voter #247, I believe. The poll workers also reported that turnout was "good". It was a somewhat new group of poll workers and I'm happy to report that the process went smoothly. I was not legally required to show identification as I've voted there many times before, did not offer to do so and was not asked to. There were Sestak poll watchers in attendance, which surprised me a bit because we don't often get Dem poll watchers at our "true blue" precinct. Maybe Sestak has a surplus of volunteers? Not present were Republican poll watchers, as there were in 2008.

Oh yeah, and I just opted to vote straight Dem and all of the proper names lit up.

Took me about 3 minutes all-in-all (this is the traditional slowest time of day for voting at my precinct, still I counted 3 others voting with me, which was good).

[Barack_America]

1. Kicking with updated OP.

[old mark]

2. K&R

:kick:

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Sestak needs almost universal voting in the heavy Dem districts in Philly

They're going to call and carry non-voters to the polls based on the morning's cross-offs.

[Barack_America]

4. That's why I was surprised to see the Sestak poll watcher.

It's no secret that we're all Dems in this area, including the poll workers (the precinct I volunteered at in 2008 went 99% for Obama; the ward leader literally knew all of the dozen or so Republicans in the precinct by name). Poll workers here take their jobs seriously, but they're not going to make it overly difficult for anyone to vote. So if Sestak feels comfortable having a couple of volunteers sitting around here, they must be doing well for volunteers in this area.

In any case, as you know, as Philly goes, so goes Pennsylvania. And as West Philly goes, so goes Philly. So I'll check back in at the polling place when the afternoon rush should be starting up and provide another update.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. The poll watchers are also there to collect lists of who has voted

They're not there to challenge votes in that precinct, but to report back on who has voted and who has not voted. Armed with this information, the local Dem headquarters can target their GOTV efforts on the non-voters rather than scattershoting it among people who may have already voted.

I did this poll watching in PA in 2004.

[Barack_America]

7. How do they know who has voted?

I didn't recognize either of the poll watchers.

I certainly hope they're not allowed to look at the books. I thought about it more and wondered if they were there because my precinct had some machine malfunctions in 2008.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. They're allowed to ask who has signed in

...

[Barack_America]

9. Interesting. I did not know that.

In that case it would make sense for them to be here.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. What we were trained to do is stand by the table

and "overhear" who has signed in, marking names off our list of Dem voters.

The HQ would then get the updated list from all precincts at regular intervals so they could call the non-voters on the list.

[Barack_America]

11. Ah, that makes sense. And it explains why the ward leader was standing around with a list...

...back in 2008. Even though I'm sure he wasn't *officially* helping the Dems specifically. ;)

(Onorato speaker truck just drove by)

I think I'll head back down around 4:00 to watch the process more closely (it's in the lobby of my apartment building so I'm free to mill about without question).

[NCarolinawoman]

6. When I was in grad school, I lived in the Rittenhouse Square area, so I think I know

of what you speak. I think Joe Sestak's support of getting rid of DADT might help him quite a bit there. It has extra clout coming from a military guy.

Even if some are a bit disenchanted with Obama, Sestak is strong on many issues that are dear to the hearts of progressives; for example, the environment. I really hope he will pull this out despite what all the tiresome talking heads are saying.

[Barack_America]

12. UPDATE: There were 703 votes cast for President at my precinct in 2008.

So I'd say 247 at 1:00 is pretty darned good for a midterm election. We likely won't reach 700, but we'll see what the afternoon rush brings.

[Barack_America]

13. 3:00 update: 296 voters, turnout "very good" per poll workers.

1/3 of registered voters have already voted and afternoon/evening tends to be busiest.

[Barack_America]

15. Final number = 449, well over 50% voted. Poll workers thrilled!

Which is truly great for a midterm election. And, as an FYI, this precinct has high turnover, so many people on the rolls no longer live here (and obviously therefore do not vote). Probably about 25% fall into this category.

[Barack_America]

14. Politico: Dems say Philly turnout beating expectations

Dems say Philly turnout beating expectations

Anecdotal reports of early turnout reports are hardly reliable metrics on Election Day. Nevertheless, Democrats in Pennsylvania are touting a series of reports that indicate turnout is higher in the Keystone State, and in the liberal stronghold of Philadelphia, than many had expected.

That could give Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak a better chance in the Senate race against Republican Pat Toomey.

State and national party organizations are blasting around reports from local TV stations in Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, all of which pointed to high turnout. "My sense is people are coming out to vote," Philly Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller told the local ABC affiliate.

Tips POLITICO got indicated that turnout is higher than expected in West Philadelphia and Center City.

But a Toomey insider said things looked different from his end, saying turnout in Philadelphia wards was all over the place, some normal, some quite low. He also sent along a breakdown showing that college students aren't voting in strong numbers.

— Dan Hirschhorn

http://www.politico.com/blogs/senate-races-2010/1110/Dems_say_Philly_turnout_beating_expectations.html

You should know you're on the wrong side when you're actually HOPING people don't participate in democracy.