According to this article, the Democrats in Iowa and Ohio are on track to set a record in early voting. This fantasy about the democrats not being enthusiastic is pure HOGWASH!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
2010 Early Voting
http://elections.gmu.edu/...
Early voting has started! Statistics are now reported for Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, and some counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. I am aware that some Florida counties are reporting mail ballot statistics on their webpages, but I am happy to report a helpful statewide campaign has offered to provide vote-by-mail stats soon.
These are very early numbers, and no conclusions may be drawn yet as to what these numbers mean for the 2010 elections. However, there are some tantalizing tidbits.
Someone forgot to tell Democrats that they are not enthusiastic. Early voting in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties in Ohio is on track to set a record for a midterm election. If turnout in 2010 is the same as 2006, over 10% of voters have already cast their ballot.
I spoke with local election officials in these counties to confirm that these numbers are indeed accurate. Election officials in both counties sent an absentee ballot request form to all their registered voters, and as a consequence, they expect upwards of 50% of votes will be cast early in Ohio. Breaking is that now-available Iowa statistics tell a similar story: Democratic registrants are voting early in heavy numbers. Turnout could be higher than normal as a consequence, since early voting typically picks up as the election nears. To see these sorts of numbers so soon in the early voting period is remarkable.
Elsewhere, Republicans are out to an early lead in North Carolina and Democrats holding near even with Republicans in Maine.
More statistics will be posted as they become available. Tips to early voting statistics are most welcome, especially for those posted by local election offices.
Someone also forgot to tell democrats they weren't enthusiastic in IOWA also
119,430 early voters in Iowa are 42% of registered Democrats compared with 29% registered as Republican.
The point of this diary is to show everyone that this so called enthusiasm gap is BULLSHIT! I am in Georgia and I voted last week and the line was out the door. EVERYBODY I ask said they were voting DEMOCRAT so we can't believe this crap about the democrats won't vote. Keep calling, keep knocking on doors and keep believing that we will keep the house and senate.