In Florida, where the race will be tight, turnout of both young, and African-American voters will be critical. The question is, will many of them get the time to vote?
The new scanner-based ballot process may have some track record, but it is slow. There are a lot of people who cannot wait the 50 minutes to 2-1/2 hours that it has been taking during early voting to have the elderly person unfamiliar with the computer locate you, print a ballot, vote and then scan in the ballot.
The time factor may influence the McVoter: People who work in the fast food industry, or in the dawn-to-dusk business of yard maintenance, for example, who will not have the time to cast their ballots unless they can get the time off. Some will absentee vote, but many more may not be able to get the time from their bosses to hit the polling places.
Many of these people who work at the Wal Mart or McDonalds don't work close to home. They have polling places miles away from where they are working. By 5pm, some are lucky to make it back to their neighborhoods at 6:30 or 7:00pm. Just in time to watch the polls close. What happens if there are long lines, particularly because of the slowness of the new process, at polling places in largely lower income, largely persons-of-color neighborhoods? Will their vote get counted?
In some states, late poll closings allow for more time. In Florida, though, the polls are tilted in the favor of middle and upper-class voters who can take the time to go and vote.
So how do these people get a chance to vote? Some will be given time off, but many of these big corporations, particularly ones whose interests are best served by maintaining the status quo, may find that just keeping their people behind the counter, or on the checkout line, is the most effective means of thwarting turnout in a population that has, for a very long time, never really cared all that much about voting.
If the polls are to hit record numbers, turning out the McVote will be critical.
Ask your favorite burger joint's manager if they are going to let their people have time to vote on Tuesday. If they suggest that they aren't or that it is the employee's problem, suggest to them that the burger joint down the street, which is letting their folks vote, gets your future business, that you don't spread the wealth around to companies that don't allow their employees to do their patriotic duty.
My shiny two.