Iowa: Dems have requested more and returned twice as many ballots as GOP in early voting

[WI_DEM]

DES MOINES
– With four weeks remaining before Election Day, Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro today announced that 2010 early voting totals may set a record for midterm elections in Iowa.

“Over the past seven days, county auditors have processed 83,921 absentee ballot requests bringing our statewide total to 173,243,” Secretary Mauro said. “Assuming we continue at even half that rate, early voting in Iowa will far exceed 2002 and 2006 totals.”

In the 2006 General Election, 242,385 Iowans voted absentee. In 2002, 242,357 voted absentee.

Yesterday, county auditors processed 24,690 absentee ballot requests. Four years ago, the busiest day of early voting was September 25, 2006 when 13,905 requests were processed. Two years ago, during the presidential election cycle, the busiest day of early voting was November 3, 2008 when 25,924 requests were processed.

Party
Ballots Requested
Ballots Received
Democrat
90,363
29,418
Republican
54,221
13,311
No Party
28,556
7,246
Other
103
31
Total
173,243
50,006

http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=213519

[Beetwasher]

1. Shhhh!!!!

It's a secret, no one's supposed to know about this!

[Pirate Smile]

2. Good news because that counts the early voting at people's local auditor's office

as well.

The Iowa Democratic Party always pushes the early/absentee voting but I'm surprised the super enthused Republicans aren't getting out and voting early at the Auditor's office. Weird.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. Maybe Iowa Republicans are not listening to the media...

and so don't know they are more enthusiastic.

Or maybe they are all just involved in intense electoral foreplay and will simultaneously electualte on November 2nd.

[WI_DEM]

6. or even better maybe they are convinced that the GOP will win overwhelmingly that

they will say, 'I don't need to vote.' That would be nice!

[Ozymanithrax]

9. That would be a gift from the Flying Spaghetti Monster indeed. n/t

[progressoid]

4. Mailed mine in yesterday.

But don't discount the RWers showing up on election day. They are pretty pissed off. Teh gays gettin married. Teh soshalism. Teh Muslin in the white house. etc.

[bigdarryl]

5. this is the third state that early voting favors the democrats

[WI_DEM]

7. what are the other two?

[bigdarryl]

8. Sorry it's only one other hears the link

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/10/3/907389/-Promising-Early-Voting-Numbers-in-Iowa-and-Ohio

[WI_DEM]

10. thanks

[jsamuel]

11. Democrats have returned a third of those requested while reps and indies have returned a quarter