Early voting trends in eight Florida counties favor Democrats

[unfrigginreal]

It's Too Late to Change The Minds of Some Voters
Record Numbers Use Early or Absentee Ballots

By Jo Becker and Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, October 23, 2004; Page A01

Over the next 10 days, President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry will spend millions of dollars on a blizzard of last-minute ads. The candidates will dash from state to state, trying to squeeze in one more rally, a few thousand more handshakes. But for a growing number of people, the effort will be wasted: They have already voted.

snip

In Florida, a sampling of eight counties showed a consistent pattern of Democrats turning out to cast early ballots in greater proportion than their share of registered voters, while Republicans were going to the early voting sites at or below what their registration percentages would suggest.

In Seminole County, for example, Democrats make up 31.7 percent of the registered voters but 40 percent of the early voters. The same was true in Republican-leaning Brevard County, where Fred Galey, supervisor of elections, said that he had no specific figures but that "many more Democrats" are casting ballots than Republicans.

In Osceola County, a Democratic bastion, Democrats are turning out for early voting in higher percentages than their share of registered voters, while Republicans are below their registration levels. The same was true in Hillsborough, the highly populated county where Tampa is located.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55598-2004Oct22.html?sub=AR

[Skinner]

1. Great news!

:thumbsup:

Ignore the polls -- We are going to win this election on higher turnout.

[NMDemDist2]

2. hmmm didn't the Repubs tell all their faithful to use early balloting

in a big mailer?

so where are they?

In many cases, political partisans are actively encouraging absentee voting. Recently, Florida's Republican party sent out a mailer questioning the reliability of new electronic machines being used in some parts of the state. 'Make sure your vote counts,' it said. 'Order your absentee ballot today.'" (Ron Lieber, Wall Street Journal, September 2, 2004)

[krkaufman]

14. Absentee

I believe the Rethugs recommended absentee balloting, due to the absence of a paper trail -- and the early voting is still done on the electronic machines, sans paper trail, so the Rethugs may have just voted absentee, instead.

I take the article as not being bad news, but certainly nothing that should have anyone pondering victory.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

16. I voted this morning in Florida on a paper ballot

that I personally checked for errors and/or omissions, and once satisfied put through the scanner collector myself. Felt pretty darn good, too.

[NVMojo]

17. Nevada's republican Secretary of State chose

electronic voting machines for this state about the time Rove/Bush were here last winter 2003. Sequoia. These people are such lying losers.

[WI_DEM]

3. This is very encouraging

thanks for posting. But, still early voting worries me a bit. I don't put it past the repukes to do something with those democratic ballots.

[whirlygigspin]

5. remeber to tell your republican friends to go out and vote Nov 3rd

n/t

[unfrigginreal]

6. LOL - I'm telling them to vote Kerry, to prove we stole it.

Freeper logic

[swag]

4. Excellent news, and confirms the Greenberg comment that the Dem

"temperature" is higher than the R temp.

If Kerry wins Florida, Kerry wins.

[bluedog]

7. Breakdown of FL voters.......registered in droves........

Excellent article and breakdown of Fl.......go to this page and keep an eye on the race.........

Total: 10.3-million

18% increase since 2000

Democrats: 4.2-million

12% increase

Republicans: 3.9-million

13% increase

No party: 1.9-million

39% increase

Source: Florida Division of Election


http://www.sptimes.com/2004/10/23/Decision2004/Voter_drives_flood_ro.shtml

[nostamj]

8. great news! and with Clinton coming soon....

MASSIVE turnout is the only way to defeat repub manipulation.

looks like it's happening.

[SillyGoose]

9. Early voted yesterday in Florida

Felt so good to vote straight dem!

[swag]

10. Note on Florida and Iowa early voting trends

Chris Bowers over at www.mydd.com has a couple of new notes up about Iowa and Florida polls and early voting patterns.

Excerpt:

"Clearly, with great turnout and a normal undecided break, Kerry is not only in the game in Florida, but he looks to have an advantage. (Once again, just to let you know I am not fishing, these numbers are nearly identical to those of Real Clear Politics in Florida).

I know we are all traumatized by what happened in 2000, and as such we are prone to believe that Florida will be stolen again if it is close. I also know that Ohio, with Bush under 47, looks better than Florida, but there is no earthly reason to think that we cannot win in the Sunshine state. If Kerry wins in Ohio and Florida, victory for Bush is utterly impossible. Right now, things look pretty decent in Florida, and very good in Ohio.

Our preparation in the big three, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, is something at which to marvel (and join, of course!)."

[yella_dawg]

11. I wonder if early voting trends

will turn out to reflect overall voting trends.

This is going to make it a lot harder for the BFEE to steal the election. At least they'll have to work for it.

[Jasper 91]

12. Can anyone explain the counting process to me please .

Are the votes tallied up each day and recorded , or do the votes just keep rolling over until election day ? I'd be worried about the votes being up for maniplualtion , if no daily record was kept .:scared:

[krkaufman]

15. Let me see if I can help

According to Bev Harris, the electronically cast votes are transmitted back to a central tabulation computer, where they are substituted with a second hidden set of votes -- possibly via a masking algorithm to help conceal the fraud.

:hi:

[Laelth]

13. Republicans usually lead in early voting.

This is good news indeed (provided, of course, that this isn't merly a reaction to disenfranchisement trauma). Even so, the new registration figures look good too.

guardedly optimistic

:dem:

-Laelth

[NVMojo]

19. my main squeeze and I just went and voted for Kerry

there were long lines all week and we have one more week to got. the clerks said we were almost at 50% of the registered voters in this county in Nevada who have voted already. Amazing.

[quaker bill]

18. I can tell you this

Kerry is the buzz in Orlando. People are stopping by to thank me for our home made Kerry sign (it is larger than the official ones). You go to the store and waiting in the cashier line, getting Bush out and electing Kerry is the topic of conversation with random strangers. It is apparently what a very large number of people have on their minds.

Why does this strike me? Because I live in a more affluent and typically republican area. I am convinced that the early voting is not a fluke, Bush is toast here. Florida is not only in play, I am pretty sure we are going to take it large.

No worries about vote challengers either. We are more than evenly matched for poll watchers. My wife works at headquarters and not only are we fully staffed for all precincts, but there is a waiting list in case of cancellations.

BTW No one stopped by to compliment me on my Gore / Lieberman signs in 2000...

[proReality]

20. This could be good news OR bad

Reporting this could get republicans out in higher numbers now that they know so many democrats are determined to get Bush out of the WH. Hopefully there are enough of them just as disgusted as we are and will decide to stay home.

[Hosnon]

21. Feeling

I'm getting butterflies in my stomach reading this. I am going to celebrate for weeks if Kerry wins!

It will be so hard for me to not rub it in everyone's face.:)

[Miami Liberal]

22. I'll be voting in Miami on Monday

and driving some elderly neighbors who are voting Democrat for the first time in their lives!

:bounce: