MSNBC reporting higher turnout in Florida--perhaps in the mid 60's.

[flpoljunkie]

Of course, it was high in 1994, as well--but wouldn't most of the 'enthusiastic' Republicans have already voted? :)

[Perky]

1. That is huge,,,,,,HUGE

Not sure who it favors though.

[Kdillard]

2. Hope it will help Dems but you never know. Still it is great that people are engaged

[DarthDem]

3. Wow

I'm sure a good portion of that is the Gooper vote, but not all or even most of it. I hope. Clearly, the Democratic enthusiasm gap is not manifesting - - in a state like Florida, just Rethugs by themselves wouldn't be able to generate these sorts of numbers IMO.

[Whisp]

11. when Alan Grayson was here on DU...

I asked him about that 'enthusiasm gap' we've been hearing for what seems like months now on the media.

He said where he is, in Florida, there is definitely no enthusiasm gap. So I'm seeing this large turnout as a very very much better thing for Dems.

[DarthDem]

12. Thanks!

I like your attitude . . . . :) :patriot:

[d_b]

4. Damn

Hopefully it benefits us

[musicblind]

5. Wow, if that is true then that is just.... WOW!

Mid 60's for a mid-term election! How wonderful. At least people are engaged!

I HOPE it benefits us.

[craigmatic]

6. I think that bodes well for Sink.

[vaberella]

7. I wonder what the vote will be like in Florida. We have to wait and see. n/t

[seafan]

8. Florida: Heavy early/absentee voting may indicate turnout eclipsing 66% record of 1994

Early vote turnout strong on last day; '10 may set record, Gainesville Sun, October 30, 2010

Early and absentee voting numbers for Alachua County are both ahead of the 2006 midterm election.

.....

A Florida Department of State spokeswoman said Friday that robust early and absentee voting could indicate a record midterm turnout, eclipsing the 66 percent turnout of 1994.

.....

Florida Early Voting Setting Records , WJHG, Panama City, FL, October 29, 2010

Early voting is setting records this year. As of Friday, more than 800 thousand early voters had cast a ballot. The number is almost double the number of people who early voted the last time a governor’s race was on the ballot.

Early voting began in 2004 with a whimper. Two years later, 379 thousand people voted early. This year, the number is already double 2006.

.....

In 2008, long lines forced Governor Charlie Crist to extend early voting hours. In the end, more people ended up voting early or by absentee in 2008 than voted on Election Day. Jennifer Davis remembers it well. “In 2008 we saw more people vote before Election Day through absentee and early voting than we saw on Election Day”

Reporter: “Do you expect that to continue?”

Davis: “We actually saw it in the primary and we expect that trend to continue”.

Voter turnout in Non presidential years averages between 40 and 55 percent. In Presidential years, the number jumps to 70 percent.

Heavy early voting may boost Fla. midterm turnout, Miami Herald, October 29, 2010

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Heavy early and absentee voting may signal a record or near-record turnout for a midterm election in Florida, where the ballot features open races for the U.S. Senate, governor and all three Cabinet positions, state officials said Friday.

.....

The early vote count through Thursday was 774,911, which is more than double the 397,000 early ballots cast in the last midterm election in 2006, Davis said.

And that number doesn't include the last three days of early balloting, which ends Saturday in some counties and Sunday in others.

.....

Just passing the word.

[ChiciB1]

9. I WISH, I WISH, I WISH, WHAT I'M WISHING WILL COME TRUE! But

knowing how Florida "rolls" we might just have another BIG voter FRAUD! I just don't trust THIS state when it comes to counting votes!

[Fla Dem]

15. From our local paper in St Johns County Fl

Nearly 1 in 5 county voters cast their ballots early

About 18 percent of St. Johns County registered voters cast their ballot by the time early voting for the general election concluded Saturday afternoon.

Unofficial totals from the Supervisor of Elections office showed 24,440 of the county's 139,444 registered voters had voted since early voting began on Oct. 18.

A breakdown of voters by party affiliation wasn't available Saturday night, but officials have said that Republican voters were turning out at a higher rate than Democratic voters last week.


http://staugustine.com/news/local-news?page=0%2C3

We are very red part of NE Florida

[flvegan]

10. My polling place was PACKED.

I drove by another district's spot on my way to work, and it too was line-out-the-door stuffed.

Both in Tampa, btw.

[jenmito]

13. I'm VERY worried that this is the teabagger/Repub. vote, just like the high turnout in '08

was a great sign for Obama/Dems.

[flpoljunkie]

16. It would be so, so sweet to prove all the pundits, pollsters wrong!

[Roland99]

14. Pouring rain in downtown Orlando but shouldn't last much longer

[flpoljunkie]

17. Leon County Supervisor Ion Sancho projects close to a 70% turnout.

Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho said this afternoon he’s optimistic that voter turnout will come close to 70 percent today.

http://www.tallahassee.com/ (Requires subscription to read article.)

(All those state workers and their families coming out to vote against Rick Scott who will privatize what's left of our state that Jeb and his cronies did not privatize. It's cost us money, of course--not saved money!)