AP: More than 1.8 million cast their ballots early in Florida

[ryban]

MIAMI -- More than 1.8 million Floridians have cast their ballots through early or absentee voting -- nearly 2½ times the number of people who voted early in 2000.

Polling places were packed Saturday as people continued to stream in to vote early, with some localities reporting lines several hundred deep and waits up to four hours. At a mall in Broward County, Patti Bryant voted at 1:25 p.m. _ 3 hours, 55 minutes after she got in line.
``We have to make a change. This election is key,'' she said. ``It's too important for people not to vote, so I was prepared to wait for however long it took.''

With early voting still available at polling stations Monday -- and about 1.6 million requested absentee ballots still outstanding -- officials expect the number of early voters to easily surpass 2 million.

<snip>

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1030earlyvoting,0,1252521.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

[LibDemAlways]

2. People are making damn sure

it's not close enough for the bastards to steal it again. This level of interest is unprecedented in recent memory.

[American liberal]

29. How awesome is that?! 2 1/2 times as many as 2000 election!!!

[msongs]

3. does it give Jeb Bush more time to....

commit fraud on the results again??

Msongs
Riverside CA

[burrowowl]

5. Could be, could be

with those BBV machines.

[anchor]

25. Now They're Registered, Now They're Not

--Election Officials Express Dismay at Extent of Misinformation, Variety of Tricks Targeting Voters --Registered voters who have been somehow unregistered. Democrats who suddenly find they've been re-registered as Republicans. A flier announcing that Election Day has been extended through Wednesday... Last week in Allegheny County, election officials received a flurry of phone calls about fliers handed out at a Pittsburgh area mall and mailed to an unknown number of homes. The flier, distributed on bogus but official-looking stationery with a county letterhead, told voters that "due to immense voter turnout expected on Tuesday," the election had been extended. Republicans should vote Tuesday, Nov. 2, it said -- and Democrats on Wednesday. A criminal investigation has been launched.

This from CLG tonight

[trogdor]

43. Let me go around passing out flyers in the red areas...

...of rural Upstate New York, and see how long it takes before I get my ass kicked. I do not usually advocate violence, but I am somewhat dissappointed that I haven't read about this already happening to some stupid jackass. Doesn't this piss anybody off? All it would take is one incident, just one, to stop this sort of thing.

[deadparrot]

4. Does anyone know what percentage of the total electorate this is?

[benh57]

6. According to FL secstate

10.4 million registered as of October 4, 2004 election.... http://election.dos.state.fl.us/voterreg/index.shtml

[kleptocrat]

7. ?

I'm new at this and don't understand. What's the purpose of "early" voting? Isn't it a bit like celebrating your birthday the week before?

[Chimpanzee]

1. Well it always took me 1-2 hours to vote in prior elections

this year I voted early and it took me a total of about 7 minutes!

Now I don't have to worry about it.

[Laelth]

8. Avoid long lines ...

(theoretically). Plus, you have the flexibility to vote on a day or at a time that's more convenient to you. It's popular in every state I've ever seen that has it.

Hope that answers the question. :)

-Laelth

[Mend]

9. Working People and Minorities

People with jobs who couldn't afford to miss hours of work, threatened with being fired, or on election day standing in line and having the polls close. Also the police with their blockades in African American neighborhoods...harder to do two weeks straight than on just election day. Early voting, including two Saturdays, has been wonderful, at least for us and our Democratic base in FL.

[JusticeForAll]

12. Ever go to vote...

and not realize the number of judges, initiatives and other candidates you needed to have an instantaneous decision for? Vote By Mail, an early voting system we have in Arizona, allows people to have their ballot at their convenience, study the issues and the people, and accurately mark their choices without the fear of throngs of 2-3 hour long lines waiting behind them, breathing down their necks, waiting for them to free up an available booth.

Our election day, stupidly falls on a Tuesday, a work day, in the middle of a work week. People unfortunately feel that they need to provide for their families more than they need to vote. Early voting allows voting to occur during a voter's off-time, whenever that may be.

[Misunderestimator]

20. Welcome to DU.

I waited for over an hour at my early voting location... and the Florida ballot has 9 amendments to vote as well as Senate, congressional seat, Sheriff and reappointments of a number of judges. I watched some of the elderly voters spend more than five minutes at the e-voting machine. Tuesday is going to be a BEAR.

[kleptocrat]

22. i dont' feel welcome anymore

I just got called a troll by several people because i said i was _thinking_ of not voting for pres.

As far as long lines, i've never had a problem here. I just show up, wait maybe 10 minutes and I'm done. I've never seen the need for early voting. maybe it's because i live in a neighborhood with lots of old people and they get up at 4 am to vote as soon as teh polls open.

[Julien Sorel]

23. Gee, you're on a website that was created with the overarching

goal of defeating George Bush. Shocking that people would be unhappy when you say you are thinking of not voting against the man.

I think I'll go to the Beef Association and tell them I'm thinking about returning to vegetarianism.

[kleptocrat]

24. no, im not shocked but

im dissapointed. all i wanted was some support and encouragement because I was getting a little down and people jump all over me to call me a troll.

he's new here, must be a troll
he's not 100000% for kerry, must be a troll
he's not bouncing off the walls anxious to vote, must be a troll

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Hey, pal....if you don't know why you should be voting by now....

...you've either been living in a cave for the last four years, or you're not what you profess to be.

If you need "support and encouragement" to vote then you need the kind of personal help that DU doesn't offer.

[Julien Sorel]

27. I've read through some of your posts,

including the one where you said you might not vote. I have no idea if you're a troll or not -- usually I can tell right away -- but you have to understand there are people here who have been focusing on Tuesday since November of 2000. That's four years. People are on edge and stressed as hell. They are going to be snappy when someone comes along and throws some sand in the machinery. Cut them some slack, and they'll do the same for you one day. :-)

[Bridget Burke]

30. Some people have schedules that make voting difficult.

In Florida, especially, they are trying to ensure that they get to cast their votes. And hope they are counted.

Edited: What's the basis of your user name? What are you trying to steal?

[xchrom]

10. wow!

it's hard to see how this isn't good news for dems.
that doesn't meand repukes aren't there in considerable numbers -- but dems in florida do have that grudge match thing going for them.
and everyone likes the taste of revenge.

[Maribelle]

11. "for however long it took"

I trust all democrats will be committed to "however long it takes" this time around.

[AspenRose]

31. You got that right - "Broken Glass Democrats"

Crawl on broken glass getting to that voting booth.

[Sinnerman]

13. Developing........ In Jacksonville, FL

Printing Company found of making punch card ballots without authorization,

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. How could it be 2.5 times the number of people

who voted early in 2000?

We didn't have early voting in Florida in the 2000 election.

[Toots]

17. Sure they did only it was called Absentee Voting

:shrug:

[FlaGranny]

18. Yes, that's what I thought. Probably

meant 2002. That was the first election with early voting. Good catch.

[robbedvoter]

15. Obviously, inadequate number of polling places! There shouldn't be

4 h wait on early voting - that's proof of blatant incompetence of the Secretary of stare, Governor and everyone in charge of the voting process. It's obvious that in some areas there need to be many, many more polling places. For instance, in NYC I know building complexes that have voting polls in the lobby of EVERY building! I guess we have more regard for the right to vote here than Jebbie & comp!

[Blue_Roses]

16. I voted early in Arkansas and it was a two hour wait

they said they had never seen such a high turnoout as this year. I don't think they anticipated such high turnout during early voting. I agree they need more polling places, but I just don't think they had any idea how ready we are to have another president!:D

[Laelth]

21. I got the same argument in GA.

... and we have a Dem. Secretary of State, so I want to take her word for it, but that argument still grates on my nerves. I want to say, "You should have anticipated very high turnout. Our democracy depends on your anticipating it, and your gross negligence in not anticipating it deserves to be punished!"

Then I calm down and remind myself that the officials who make these poor calls are only human (except for those like Katherine Harris who, clearly, are not).

:eyes:

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--spelling.

[wysiwyg]

19. I'm surprised Florida allowed early voting

Not all states do it so it's not a federal law or anything.

[Catt03]

28. Voted in Florida yesterday - stood in line 8 hours

Yep.....1000 people and almost all waited for 8 hours. Not only the wait but it rained for an hour while the majority stood outside.

Like that all over Palm Beach county. Of course they only had 4 poll workers and it was kinda messy. Lot's of first time voters and many who just were not going to take a chance.

[robbedvoter]

37. Someone called AAr with an 8h story. Said all dems were nice and calm

One Bushie was ranting and raving for his guy - so a dog went for his rump.
But at one point, it was announced that the computer went down - NO ONE LEFT!
Importsnt: if you are in line by closing time, YOU WILL VOTE!

[Laughing Mirror]

38. My hat off to you

It is almost unimaginable to me to have to wait on a line 8 interminable hours for anything, above all to vote.

I salute you Catt.

[Catt03]

40. I was thinking about this today and laughing

Who ever thought hundreds of people would stand in line for 8 hours to vote in America?

Before they asked a volunteer to take off his Kerry/Edwards hat, he and a friend were handing out hundreds of bottles of water. A few hours later he was back with cheese sandwiches! I mean this guy was handing out Subway cheese sandwiches! LOL they they told hm to take his hat off but he did his thing....Democrats are like that!

People were really very nice and the pizza places were delivering all night long. People also took fast food orders, etc, came back to their places in line. There were older people in wheelchairs and with canes and most just waited patiently for their turn.

One thing that had me laughing at myself was the wave we all had to do for three hours. You got inside for the last 3 hours and sat on chairs lining the walls. They were taking three at a time into a room to vote so those waiting had to move down the chairs to allow more to come inside. I cannot believe that I got up and sat down apx
68 times. LOL

There were some problems; only 4 poll workers who were grouchy and tired; five attorneys; 3 police; 12 voting machines; many first time voters who did not really know how to use the touch machines.

Also at the entrance where they have Republican and Democrat volunteers, the Republican table had a picture of binLaden, cut out his face and replace it with Kerrys with the wording Osama binKerry. He was called a few names but the police said there was nothing they could do.....free speech and all. this guy was representing the Palm Beach GOP.......

Great bunch of voters though!

[Tesibria]

41. why is it that people can't wear hats or T-Shirts, but

the Rep volunteers can post that sign??

i don't GET it.

I HOPE people are taking pics of that.

[wabeewoman]

32. I think the long waits

aren 't necessarily trying to prevent voting. In our democratic caucus's in Washington things were slow and messed up because of the huge turnout. They are expecting the largest number of people EVER voting in WA and turnout in the 80+% which is the highest since the 1940's. I think we should cut the elections people some slack unless they are trying to PREVENT voting. Of course, I can say that as I have already voted by mail which is very common here. Some whole counties only vote by mail. The really good news is these voters are mostly going for Kerry. During the caucus's the huge turnouts were democratic voters. Repugs had the same as always...An aside: a Catholic group took out a full page ad denouncing Kerry and the paper has been filled with lte saying this ad doessn't speak for them.

[skordane]

33. Early Voting Helps the Canvassers

It means fewer people to bug on election day, fewer people to drive to the polls, and shorter lines at the polls.

[FlaGranny]

34. I just came from the PB County

Election Supervisor's office. Or maybe I should say office complex. Never went inside. We went to drop off our absentee ballots because they came Saturday, too late to mail in. There was a long, long line outside waiting to vote. I don't know how far the line went inside the building, but there were easily 100 or more people outside. They had a blue tent set up in the parking lot to take absentee ballots, so we didn't even have to get out of the car for that. Police were all over the place.

Tonight I have to go for a meeting at local Kerry headquarters for people volunteering to drive voters to the polls. It will be interesting to see how the lines are tomorrow outside normal polling locations.

[mslux]

35. It brings tears to my eyes

Remembering the lines to vote in South Africa and thinking Americans would never do that. Wonderfully wrong on my part. This year proves that democracy is alive and well in the hearts of Americans. We will take back our country from the corporations.

[mslux]

36. It brings tears to my eyes

Remembering the lines to vote in South Africa and thinking Americans would never do that. Wonderfully wrong on my part. This year proves that democracy is alive and well in the hearts of Americans. We will take back our country from the corporations.

[pelagius]

39. I remember seeing a headline that day...

...That read "South Africans Vote with Joy". I just stood with tears glistening in my eyes reading that headline over and over and thinking of my country.

Please remember -- VOTE and VOTE WITH JOY!

Welcome to DU, mslux!

[Chovexani]

42. My aunt in Nevada voted early

My aunt lives in Las Vegas and went to see the Big Dog speak...she said thousands of people showed up, and damn near every one of them went to go vote after he was finished. She waited in line 2 hrs, and one worker she talked to said he'd never seen that many people show up to vote.

Kerry in a landslide! :D

[Divine Discontent]

44. FL UPDATE

I voted today (a day early) and there were dozens of kerry t shirt wearing voters, little kids even with a couple stickers, and there was only one bushista with her bushlove button! So, in FL at least, we're allowed to wear campaign items during early voting. Not on voting day I'm pretty sure.