Like Muse, I voted yesterday. I blogged a bit about it at Kuff's World. Who here votes early, and who doesn't?
BOR is following the early result totals in various counties. I think turnout will actually slightly exceed 2002, but not by much and I wouldn't bet my own money on that. I'd peg it between 34 and 38 percent - 2002 was 36%. Up to 40 wouldn't shock me, but it would surprise me. We'll see.
This may be hyperbole, but I'll take it anyway.
State Rep. Tony Goolsby, in his ninth term as the Republican from the 102nd district, bounced in [to the Norwood Republican Women's Club at the Fretz Park Library in North Dallas], seized the podium and made what I would have to say was a pretty impassioned speech, at least for a North Dallas Republican.[...]
Goolsby had been across the parking lot at the Fretz Park Rec Center since 7:30 a.m., working the first day of early voting. He told the Republican ladies that the Republican turnout so far was pathetic, a few dozen, while the place was being mobbed by Democrats! In front of a group like that, he might as well have said the park was being overrun by camel-back Mussulmen. I imagined an inaudible gasp running through the room!
My own anecdotal evidence, at the Griggs Road Annex Monday and Tuesday morning and the Fiesta on Kirby yesterday afternoon -- where I completed my poll work about 4 and then voted -- is precisely the same as yours, Chuck.
Of course my neighborhood is likewise safely blue. My precinct, a swath across the Loop in the middle of state House district 146, went 79% for John Kerry in 2004.
(I only included that last part in order to terrify the conservatives who read your blog. BOO!)
Posted by: PDiddie on October 25, 2006 8:34 AMI voted Monday morning before heading back to DC. It felt great, but I wish some of the outstanding Fort Bend candidates were on my ballot too.
The poll workers at the Clear Lake location said turnout was steady all morning with lots of people lined up to vote when the doors opened.
I voted early, as I almost always do. I have reservations about doing so... Election Day seems so far away, and I worry about what might happen to those bits between now and then... but I usually have other things to do on Election Day.
We really must try to prove our votes this election.
Even Peggy Noonan is now for Democrats assuming office.
And, in some national polls, Independents are breaking for Democrats 2 to 1.
Election day voting, rather than early voting is required for Democrats to have the biggest possible numbers for all polling efforts that will occur on election day:
from: Election Defense Alliance
http://electiondefensealliance.org/book/export/html/260
Election Day Rapid Response
Election Defense Alliance has a coordinated, six-part plan for citizen direct action to defend the vote in the November midterm elections. The tactical components of the EDRR plan are:
1. Election Monitoring.
2. Pre-Emptive Legal Intervention.
3. Exit Polling.
http://electiondefensealliance.org/independent_exit_polls
4. Election Data Analysis.
5. Communications.
6. Demonstrations.
The above tactics in isolation are limited or useless, but in combination, they are powerful. Many other local, regional and national groups have independently developed similar or complementary plans to those listed above. These efforts will have greatest effect if they are coordinated and focused to direct mass public attention to election obstruction and electronic fraud as it is happening.
The more volunteers and donated funds we have, the greater our chance of arresting electronic fraud and voter suppression.
We need: Organizers, publicists, fundraisers, programmers, webmasters, video and radio correspondents, writers and graphic artists, event managers, MONEY, and hundreds of citizen patriots to volunteer for election day monitoring, communications, and demonstrations.
http://electiondefensealliance.org/independent_exit_polls