CBS News: More people seeking/casting early ballots than 2012 in FL/NC--benefits HRC

[book_worm]

WASHINGTON -- More people are seeking or casting early ballots in the critical states of North Carolina and Florida than at this point in 2012, with Hillary Clinton the likely beneficiary, as early voting shows signs of surging nationwide.

Clinton may also benefit from an increase in ballot requests in Georgia, a traditionally Republican state where Democrats have made inroads. But Donald Trump is showing signs of strength in Iowa and parts of Maine, states won by Barack Obama in the last two presidential elections.

The latest snapshot of ballot data offers a glimpse into a key question: How much of a vote advantage can Clinton run up before Nov. 8, when more Republicans tend to vote?

There are two types of early voting: mailing in ballots and voting in-person before election day. Traditionally, Republicans have done better initially with early mail-in ballots, but Democrats surpass them once in-person voting begins.

While the ballot sample to date remains small, Clinton so far is hitting guideposts in several battleground states compared to 2008 and 2012

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/early-voting-surge-benefits-hillary-clinton/

[triron]

1. Sounds good, with caveats though.

Was going to post this you beat me to it.

[csziggy]

2. The Clinton campaign is pushing voting by mail

When they send out volunteers for voter registration, they also give them a few forms for voters to request vote by mail ballots.

In Florida, voters registered by October 11 are eligible to vote in the General Election - whether on Nov. 8 or in early voting. Early voting in Leon County, Florida is October 24 – November 5, 2016 but it can be different in other counties. The state site (http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/election-dates/) says early voting is October 29 – November 5, 2016 but I think that is the minimum period allowed and not an absolute requirement.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Most people, once they've early voted once,

don't go back to standing in line on election day.

[Skoods]

4. I'd be highly skeptical of voting by mail

Id be nervous that it would get "lost in the mail"

[Wounded Bear]

5. We have been doing it for a few years in Washington...

as has Oregon. It seems to work just fine.

And note, there is a paper trail. Everybody sends in a paper ballot.