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Lex

(34,108 posts)
Thu Oct 18, 2012, 11:44 PM Oct 2012

"NC early voting outpaces 2008 turnout"

RALEIGH, N.C. — Early voting in North Carolina got off to a fast start Thursday, surpassing first-day vote counts from 2008, as candidates and campaigns continued to encourage voters to hit the polls before Election Day.

Throngs of people swamped one-stop voting locations statewide and waited for up to an hour to cast ballots. In Wake County, votes outpaced 2008 numbers by nearly one and a half times.

"For a very first day of early voting, I do think we've had a much better turnout than in 2008," said Cherie Poucher, elections director for Wake County.

In 2008, 7,917 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting at five one-stop voting sites across Wake County, Poucher said. On Thursday, with three additional early voting sites, Wake County received 11,245 ballots – a 42 percent increase.

All eight early-voting sites open in Wake County on Thursday saw heavy traffic, Poucher said. Eight more will open next week, and she said she doesn't expect much of a slowdown.

"All of the campaigns have been touting vote early, vote early," she said. "I think it's going to carry through."

Final statewide numbers for Thursday's turnout won't be available until Friday morning, but ballots surpassed the 2008 first-day count of 117,372, said state Board of Elections Director Gary Bartlett.


http://www.wral.com/throngs-swamp-early-voting-sites-in-nc/11673771/



32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"NC early voting outpaces 2008 turnout" (Original Post) Lex Oct 2012 OP
i love the picture of these responsible citizens. iemitsu Oct 2012 #1
Where is Wake County in North Carolina? WI_DEM Oct 2012 #2
Ok, I just looked it up--part of the Triangle which is a pretty dem area. Good. WI_DEM Oct 2012 #3
Yes...Obama won Wake County by a margin of 57-42... Drunken Irishman Oct 2012 #5
They are outvoting 2008 already. LisaL Oct 2012 #6
It is a massively growing county dsc Oct 2012 #10
In the "solid" Dem counties where Durham and Chapel Hill are . . . the wait was almost 3 hours Lex Oct 2012 #14
Thanks Lex.. I saw this Tweet on another site.. Cha Oct 2012 #4
Thing is . . . abumbyanyothername Oct 2012 #8
They don't have enough people helping them to Cha Oct 2012 #12
Romney might have the money, but I wonder about the organization. Lex Oct 2012 #15
Exactly. Maximumnegro Oct 2012 #17
They don't have the people, exactly. abumbyanyothername Oct 2012 #16
Outside money is going to ads so Maximumnegro Oct 2012 #18
I voted today. DURHAM D Oct 2012 #7
Thank you, thank you, thank you. abumbyanyothername Oct 2012 #9
Enthusiasm in NC is surpassing 2008 levels VirginiaTarheel Oct 2012 #11
I was at the polls in New hanover Co. for a few hours today. karmaqueen Oct 2012 #13
Officials say 150,000 early voters on first day in NC: 28% increase over first day 2008 mnhtnbb Oct 2012 #19
This message was self-deleted by its author BlueInPhilly Oct 2012 #31
Gallup limousineliberal Oct 2012 #20
150,000 voters the FIRST day in NC! VirginiaTarheel Oct 2012 #21
!! nc4bo Oct 2012 #22
What is the schedule for early voting in NC? Saturdays and Sundays too? VirginiaTarheel Oct 2012 #23
It varies somewhat by county. Yes, Saturdays and Sundays Lex Oct 2012 #24
Footnote: Lex Oct 2012 #25
It's Friday morning. What's the tally? Baitball Blogger Oct 2012 #26
I just posted it above your post. Lex Oct 2012 #28
Thanks Lex. Baitball Blogger Oct 2012 #29
No problem. I hope we can keep up the clear momentum Lex Oct 2012 #30
Romney Robbins Oct 2012 #27
Any reports from NC today? VirginiaTarheel Oct 2012 #32

iemitsu

(3,888 posts)
1. i love the picture of these responsible citizens.
Thu Oct 18, 2012, 11:52 PM
Oct 2012

could be, because i think i can anticipate for whom they are likely to vote.

 

Drunken Irishman

(34,857 posts)
5. Yes...Obama won Wake County by a margin of 57-42...
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:10 AM
Oct 2012

Still, Kerry lost the county by about two-points in '04, Gore lost it by seven in '00 and Clinton by 3.

So, it's definitely not a 'solid Democratic county' ... but if Obama wins the margins like he did four years ago there, it could be huge.

dsc

(52,117 posts)
10. It is a massively growing county
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:35 AM
Oct 2012

with the growth coming from Hispanics and northerners. It is likely more Democratic now than in 08 and certainly more so than in 04 or 00.

Lex

(34,108 posts)
14. In the "solid" Dem counties where Durham and Chapel Hill are . . . the wait was almost 3 hours
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:46 AM
Oct 2012

to vote in some precincts in those counties. That's HEAVY Dem turnout.

I hope like hell Charlotte/Mecklenburg County gets their Democrats to the polls. It's a crucial area.

Cha

(295,530 posts)
4. Thanks Lex.. I saw this Tweet on another site..
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:03 AM
Oct 2012
Russell Schaffer

@RussOnPolitics On first day of early voting, Dem-leaning Wake County (Raleigh) sees a 42% increase over 2008. Pulling out, my foot! wral.com/throngs-swamp-…


And, this one..

Russell Schaffer

@RussOnPolitics Romney campaign "leaving" North Carolina because they are confident they have it won already is a head fake. They'll have to fight for it.


Thank you Early Voters in North Carolina!

abumbyanyothername

(2,711 posts)
8. Thing is . . .
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:25 AM
Oct 2012

They can't fight for it.

They just have to orphan it and hope it flies.

They need the people in OH.

Cha

(295,530 posts)
12. They don't have enough people helping them to
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:39 AM
Oct 2012

cover all the swing states? Certainly they have the money.

Lex

(34,108 posts)
15. Romney might have the money, but I wonder about the organization.
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:48 AM
Oct 2012

Seems like Obama has left a skeleton organization in place since 2008 that he's been able to re-mobilize fully.



abumbyanyothername

(2,711 posts)
16. They don't have the people, exactly.
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:55 AM
Oct 2012

Obama has an organization that brings together money, media and boots on the ground. Romney is more of a top down driven organization. In the past it was the evangelical churches that provided Bush the boots on the ground. This cycle they are more meh about Romney.

Plus, Romney has a big trust issue and that makes it hard to hire good help.

The money is good for advertising, but it doesn't help when you need to go door to door -- not with LDS kids on a quasi mission, but with actual neighbors enthusiastically sheparding neighbors to the polls (see post 7 below).

The point is that experience as a community organizer pays off in elections . . . or it at least adds value when maybe the campaigns are at a stand-off on media and voter analytics. When you know how to get people in the community involved in making their lives better by being better citizens . . . that's power. And it's power in the hands of people. Which scares the crap out of the Republicans.

DURHAM D

(32,580 posts)
7. I voted today.
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:15 AM
Oct 2012

I got there about 3:30 pm and it was very busy. I talked to some of the workers and they were exhausted. They expected to be busy but not that busy.

This is my personal get out the vote project - I have lived in the same area of the city for more than 20 years and go to the same drug stores, grocery stores, coffee shop, gas station, etc. all of the time. A couple of days ago I printed off copies of the early voting hours and locations. I have distributed them to the employees at all of these businesses. I know that the asst. manager at one grocery posted it where the employees clock in/out. I had two people at the grocery store ask me if I had the Wake county info so I came home, printed it off, and took them copies.

I know most of these employees by name and a little something about them. I am aware that several of them take the bus to work so I have quietly asked them if they need a ride to the polls. I have a growing list of people that I will be picking up at their homes on their day off and taking them (and up to three neighbors/friends) to vote.

Tomorrow I am meeting up with a young man I talked to at the coffee shop who turns 18 on Oct. 30th. He did not think he was eligible to vote. I told him that he was and I would bring him more info. He got really excited so perhaps he went home and looked it up. Anyway, I will see him tomorrow.

abumbyanyothername

(2,711 posts)
9. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:34 AM
Oct 2012

We can donate and phone bank all we want, but it is one neighbor talking with another, and encouraging the vote that makes all the difference in the world.

karmaqueen

(714 posts)
13. I was at the polls in New hanover Co. for a few hours today.
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 12:45 AM
Oct 2012

There was a steady flow of voters. The workers said there was a positive vibe. My husband and I are going to what we can . The biggest problem in NC is we were taken over by a horrible group of idiots in the mid term. There is non stop anti Obama everything. What would work in this part of the State is more environmental ads. I do not think that most of the voters know that they want to drill and frack asap... so sad for our beautiful ocean and rivers.

mnhtnbb

(31,302 posts)
19. Officials say 150,000 early voters on first day in NC: 28% increase over first day 2008
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 09:57 AM
Oct 2012
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/19/2422559/150000-north-carolinians-vote.html

and a photo from Raleigh showing the typical lines:

[IMG][/IMG]

Response to mnhtnbb (Reply #19)

VirginiaTarheel

(823 posts)
21. 150,000 voters the FIRST day in NC!
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 10:35 AM
Oct 2012

To paraphrase Joe Biden, this is friggin HUGE!

- Officials say about 150,000 North Carolinians cast their ballots on the first day of early voting.

Election officials say the number of ballots cast Thursday surpassed the first day of voting four years ago. Officials say about 117,000 people cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in 2008.

Officials say as many as 70 percent of voters might cast their ballots in North Carolina before the Nov. 6 election day. Early voting ends Nov. 3.

Lex

(34,108 posts)
24. It varies somewhat by county. Yes, Saturdays and Sundays
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 11:01 AM
Oct 2012

for some counties. Some counties don't have a Sunday time. Anyway, here's a great site where you can pull down the county and it will give you the schedule:

http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/webapps/OS_sites/

Robbins

(5,066 posts)
27. Romney
Fri Oct 19, 2012, 11:15 AM
Oct 2012

He thinks he can just spend money on negative ads and that will get him a win.Obama believes In ground game.That Is how he
beat Hillary for the nomination.How he beat Mccain.and that Is how he will beat Romney this year.Early voting helped Obama win
states In 2008.

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