Tenn. Early Voting Turnout Setting New Records

[struggle4progress]

Source: AP


Posted: Oct 30, 2008 02:37 PM

NASHVILLE - Tennesseans going to the polls on the last day of early voting on Thursday were adding to what has already been a record turnout among state voters.

Turnout through Wednesday was 1.38 million - about a quarter-million more voters than the previous early voting record set in the 2004 presidential election.

State Election Coordinator Brook Thompson said he expected that about 1.5 million people will have cast ballots by the time the early voting period ends Thursday evening. Election Day is Tuesday.

Thompson projects that overall turnout will easily exceed the 2.45 million who voted in 2004. There are nearly 4 million registered voters in Tennessee this year, including more than 360,000 - or 9 percent - who have registered for the first time this year ...

Read more: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=9267860

[salguine]

1. Yeah, and how many of those votes will flip, I wonder.

[MtUpWithWngsAsEgles]

9. Flip?

We used scantron sheets in Hamilton County not the Diebold machines.

[wysimdnwyg]

13. There have been reports

There was a story last week that some of the touch screen machines (like those used in Nashville) have been flipping votes. These reports include votes flipping from Obama to McKinney and from McCain to Obama, so it's not necessarily intentional, it's just lousy programming.

I was very careful when I voted to make sure my vote didn't change.


As to the OP, I was a little surprised to find a line at the early voting location that surpassed the normal (non-presidential) voting line that I'm used to seeing on election day in my polling place. I was also pleased to find that this line went a lot faster than the one I usually have to stand in. Kudos to the Davidson Co. Election Commission. (Now, when this is over, throw out those machines and get something with a paper trail.)

[salguine]

15. Go Hamilton County! I read a news item this morning that said

that here in Maryland we're finally abandoning the electronic voting disaster experiment ($65 million down the shitter) and going back to the old optical scan paper ballots in time for the 2010 midterm elections. I wish we'd been able to switch in time for this election, but I'll tolerate the delay just to be rid of the fucking things. If we stripped any toxic computer parts out of them and bound up all the machines in the state with wire mesh, they might make a dandy artificial reef for oysters and blue crabs if dropped in the Chesapeake Bay. It could be named Diebold Reef.

[SharonAnn]

16. We also used Scantron sheets for Early Voting. 79% of my precinct has voted.

That's wonderful! I'm the Election Officer and we've had huge lines for the last few elections and people have gotten very frustrated. The lines were primarily because we had long, complicated ballots but fortunately this one is short and simple.

I've been encouraging everyone in my precinct to vote early and have published the information with a letter to the Editor We should have an easy day working the election on Nov. 4th.our County Paper, our neighborhood paper, our neighborhood weekly email newsletter, our community channel, etc.

But 79%? Day yum, I'm good!

[Peace Patriot]

2. Just want to say thanks, Struggle4Progress, for posting all this voting news!

And hoorah for the Tennessee voters! We, the people, can also do a "surge," eh?

[ThePhilosopher04]

4. And Obama will gladly admit...

to McCain that the "surge" indeed worked!!!

[Alcibiades]

3. Congratulations to all the Tennessee volunteers

who are making this possible--we're doing it here in NC, too!

[Claire Beth]

14. I have my fingers crossed for NC...I'm in TN....

It would be a pleasant surprise if TN goes with Obama. All I want for Christmas is an OBAMA victory on November 4th. I'm hoping NC will go Obama!

[4lbs]

5. Why would early voting end... ummm... early? Why not allow it Friday - Monday as well?

n/t

[tanyev]

10. They do this in Texas, too.

I imagine it's for the convenience of the Elections Office. Not all of the early voting locations are election day voting locations. Machines may need to be re-distributed. Early voting results are available as soon as the polls close on Tuesday nights, so closing early voting on Friday gives them some time to process that before they have to deal with election day stuff. Etc, etc.

[defendandprotect]

6. I hope - and imagine -- this may be true all over the nation . . ??? !!!

[fasttense]

7. Thanks for posting.

Seems all those calls to early vote I made in TN, might have had some impact. Nice to think I might have contributed to this.

Now onto driving people to the polls.

[MtUpWithWngsAsEgles]

8. With pride...

my vote was cast for Barack("blessed") Obama.

[jules1962]

11. We use the touch screen here in Hawkins County

they are made by the former Diebold company. :mad:

[Dems4me]

18. Did you watch on Rick Sanchez show about

how easy those are to manipulate for one candidate or another. And of course
there is no paper receipt so there is no proof how we vote. We have
the same kind over here in VA. This professior on RS show had bought
eight used ones and showed how easy they were to reprogram.
I thought, those things should be like US mint plates, nobody should ever
be able to buy them used.

[DemFromMem]

12. I was on line for 90 minutes here in Memphis

I always vote early and don't think I've ever had to wait more than an hour.

[Dems4me]

17. I just can't see the TN I know going blue in this election...n/t

[Honeycombe8]

19. Woo Hoooo!!!! Even tho TN will vote red, at least there's enthusiasm for the Dems & will add to

and will add to the popular vote!