Nebraska caucuses swamped

[brooklynite]

From the Omaha World-Herald

1:52 p.m.

The decision to have only one caucus site in all of Sarpy County appears to have been a bad one.

Reports are coming in that the caucus site in Papillion is overhwhelmed.

Thousands have turned up, when organized expected only several hundred.

They are still registering.

Traffic is backed up on Highway 370.


11:30 a.m.

Overrun by crowds, caucus organizers at Monroe Middle School declared a state of emergency.

All attempts at traditional caucusing have been suspended.

People are now being asked to simple drop a blue piece of paper with their choice in a box.

And it doesn't look good for Hillary Clinton. People have to wait to drop into Barack Obama's box. The Clinton line is much shorter.


11:17 a.m.

At Metro in Elkhorn, "Plan B" was scrapped.

An overflow room also became overran. Caucus leaders in Elkhorn are now allowing people to vote by a blue slip.

At Monroe Middle School, people are now being asked to go into the parking lot.

[grantcart]

1. tks

[Nimrod2005]

2. K

[juajen]

3. Not at all unexpected if the rules are the same as in Iowa

Remember, anyone could register that day, you didn't even have to have ID, you could declare you were a dem the day of the caucus and change your designation the next day. Remember all the college kids obama bussed in? This is where those young, idealistic, and sometimes even underage people, since you did not have to produce id, come in really handy.

[brooklynite]

4. Yes, but reports are coming in statewide...

I would expect students to have an impact in Omaha and other college towns, not in other locales.

[chascarrillo]

6. Crazy talk!

C'mon, Obama personally drove hundreds of students to every single precinct in Nebraska trying to stack the deck in favor of him. You didn't know this???

[RoadRage]

7. Nice Try...

Here was my post about our caucus: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4503818

We were in the "white" suburbs of Omaha... no college kids (or very few - they are afterall, away at college). Most were mid 20's - mid 90's.

Obama won our district by at least 4 to 1.

[cooolandrew]

5. WTGNebraska. =)