New experience voting this evening.

[GulfCoast66]

I do not do OPs and as a whole and generally distrust anecdotal threads.

But voting this evening was encouraging. I live in a very white and republican county in Florida, Lake to be specific. Although Democratic and Independent voters combined outweigh republicans.

There were probably 50-70 people voting and the vast majority were not white. And there were lots of multi-generational families voting including lots of young folks which is refreshing.

The main difference was that when early voting in 2016 it seemed like half the place was wearing red. Not today. A sea of blue, myself included. No one was talking but lots of eye contact acknowledgement.

Living in Florida I have learned to temper my enthusiasm but I am actually starting to believe we can do this.

Take it for what’s its worth. One mans experience.

[Catamount]

1. Thank you!

K&R

[Little Star]

2. Fingers crossed!

[Cha]

3. Good to hear about,

GulfCoast!

[fierywoman]

4. Thank you for your encouraging words.

[Control-Z]

5. I love reading about your experience!

Your enthusiasm is a great energizer for me.

Thank you for posting this.

[DontBooVote]

6. K&R, same experience here in Tarrant Co, Texas.

[kag]

37. My brother used to live in Tarrant Co.

And he was active in party politics. He used to say, "You could hold the Democratic party meeting in a phone booth."

[DontBooVote]

38. Hi kag! No longer the case, thankfully. I began working on this election in...

...February of last year, after the shock of the '16 election and after the "inauguration with the largest crowd ever in the history of...well...ever, PERIOD!", and local Dems started coming out of hiding. For instance, the Tarrant Co. Democratic Women's club swelled from around 25 to (at last count I saw in May, or so) over 600.

All our local Democratic-aligned groups and clubs began swelling and we are now seriously challenging repugs and their incumbents. So, things are definitely looking a LOT better since your brother was here.

[kag]

39. This is GREAT news.

It's been a few years since my brother was there. Nice to hear that things are changing for the better. Thank you for helping with that effort!

And good luck this year. It would be excellent to hear that Tarrant didn't just go solid red.

[cannabis_flower]

41. Did you hear?

That the Fort Worth Star Telegram endorsed Beto?

[DontBooVote]

42. I have! I wasn't happy with their comment saying Beto was "hard left", but...

...I'll take the endorsement anyways!

[GusBob]

7. For the racist history of Lake County Florida, 2 very good books

Both by a local author Gilbert King

"Beneath a Ruthless Sun"

"Devil In the Grove"

The Klan, and that awful Sherriff controlled that area for decades.

Fascinating well written and well researched stories.

But horrific in the injustice

[GulfCoast66]

8. Very familiar with the history and the books you cite.

Google the Lake County Historical Museum if you want to get pissed off!

The director, Bobby Grenier, still sits at Sheriff Willis McCalls desk and says it is just part of history. That’s the sheriff who killed(lynched) those AA young men. He is bring to lake county the statute of Confederate General Kirby Smith that Florida voted to kick out of the US Capitol building in place of Mary McCloud Bethune. Even though Kirby Smith left Florida as a child and never set foot in Lake County. Yet somehow he is part of our history.

[GusBob]

13. Part of that history died recently

Jesse Danials, the mentally handicapped kid he framed for rape passed away a coupla months ago

That asshole McCall got away with so much corruption, the voters, the governors, the FBI nor the supreme court or Dept of Justice could stop him

Reminds me of Trump

[GulfCoast66]

15. I think we are talking about 2 different cases.

I was referring to the 4 black men framed for a rape. 2 of whom McCall shot in cold blood.

Always wondered how many more there were we will never hear about.

Remnants of that power structure still exist, especially in north Lake County.

[GusBob]

18. Yes the 2 books are different stories

Devil in the Grove is about the AA guys framed for a rape of a white woman that never happened. He set up those 2 for their execution by him by the side of the road ( one lived though, shot but didn't die)

Under the Ruthless Sun, an innocent white mentally handicapped man was framed for a rape that was most likely committed by a black man. To explain that story would reveal spoilers
That man who was framed recently died, Jesse Daniels.

Both wild wild stories

[GulfCoast66]

19. Wild but sad.

My family is southern. This was SOP from reconstruction to the civil rights era. Never has really ended.

[Ligyron]

48. Is Leesburg in Lake County?

Can't remember if that's the town.

[GulfCoast66]

49. Yep.

[Ligyron]

52. I remember that exit on the turnpike was a speed trap.

Gave people a "break" by giving them a ticket so they didn"t have to appear in court. "Make the check payable to Sheriff Roy Bliss."

[dameatball]

9. The Sherrif's name was Willis McCall I think. Lived in Lake County for about 10years but years later

Seems like there were a number of suspects that never made it to jail/court alive. Not hard to google it.

[mcar]

10. Citrus County here

It is my understanding that the Villages has a large and active Democratic club. I did VBM so can't speak for Dem turnout here but we are canvassing and phone banking more than I've ever seen.

[Blue_true]

11. I seemed to have early voted with lots of Magahats.

But my county is red. I did notice a lot more Blacks than normal and a few young people. Hillary actually did better than I expected in the county, eventhough Trump did a rally here and she sent no one.

[Beartracks]

12. Do you get separated into Dem and Republican lines?

[GulfCoast66]

14. Good god no!

Does that happen? I would object. Even in our primaries while we get different ballots no one can tell by watching which party you are voting for. And we use paper ballots.

Now the 2 poll watchers were a study in contrast. A middle aged lady, who I assume was the Democratic watcher had a friendly, smiling demeanor. The 40ish white guy in the tight polo shirt was watching all the minority voters like a hawk and looked like he was trying to pass a watermelon!

[Flaleftist]

16. Is that still a thing anywhere?

From every experience I have had, I walk up to the table, show my ID, get a ballot and go to a booth to fill it out. There's just one line to get the ballot and you go to an unoccupied booth.

The only separate lines I have heard about are a ways back in history when you went to a different line depending on who you were voting for. There were stories of factory foremen standing there and watching how employees vote. I thought that has long been abandoned due to voter intimidation.

[Beartracks]

26. I think they do that here.

I'm pretty sure the two lines are not based on last name, like A-L, M-Z. I just always happened to be in the line i needed to be in. But I'll be sure to pay more attention next week.

This is in NE Oklahoma.

========

[YOHABLO]

17. You didn't state your age but that would be interesting to know. Congrats on voting. Thank U !

[GulfCoast66]

20. 53. White, southern raised male.

Old like most DU members!

[OriginalGeek]

40. I'll be in Ocala in December

for my birthday - one of my favorite bands is playing up there along with another favorite that is from there.

Here's one of their songs - keep in mind this was from one of their albums in the 80s

[iluvtennis]

21. Thanks for sharing.

[murielm99]

22. Thanks for sharing that.

I, too, distrust anecdotal threads. I have posted a couple myself lately, because I have seen some unusual and encouraging signs in my red county.

[GulfCoast66]

23. LOL.

Believe me, I see the irony of saying I distrust anecdotal threads while posting one about myself!

[Power 2 the People]

24. Fingers crossed! Thanks for sharing.

[Demovictory9]

25. k&r

[a kennedy]

27. Thanks for the lift......just want it to be over.....I want to crush

everything repub, crush em in the House, crush em in the Senate and take back all the Governorships.

[ecstatic]

28. Wow, this is the first I've heard of wearing blue or red to

indicate voting intentions. The thought never crossed my mind, but luckily I was kind of wearing blue (blue jeans and grey t-shirt with faded blue Georgia Tech colors). Hmmm...

[HAB911]

29. Hillsborough County here

similar experience, of course we lean Blue anyway. There were a couple of kids that the staff pointed out as new voters which elicited cheers from all those filling out that hellishly long ballot! Hope they voted blue.

My dad lived in Lake for many years before returning to Georgia.

[Oppaloopa]

31. Pinellas here

[GulfCoast66]

43. Didn't the the ballot too bad.

Straight Democratic. No to retain republican appointed judges. No to all amendments except 4 restoring felons rights.

But we had no municipal elections as I live in the county.

[HAB911]

54. As long as it was

it was a pleasure to finally make the marks. Almost but not quite as good as voting for Hillary, but very satisfying

[radical noodle]

30. We're almost neighbors

I'm in Marion County and wearing blue to vote today.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Interesting

The OP said they were wearing blue, and you too. I'm not able to do that, because i honestly don't think i own a single piece of blue clothing! Heck, i don't even own any blue jeans!

Perhaps i will wear green because it closer to blue than it is to red!

[radical noodle]

33. No blue?

Anything but red, then!

[ProfessorGAC]

34. And, I Wear A Lot Of Red, Too

But, not to the polling place. Noodle told me i couldn't. I tell my wife she can't either!

[radical noodle]

35. Great!

to your wife too!

[GulfCoast66]

44. My wife won't go out with me if I wear red!

And she is correct. I am either bright white or red depending on my recent sun exposure! Red destroys me. And I almost always wear blue as it is my best color so I really made no special plans to dress for voting.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. Funny Stuff!

My wife actually likes me in red
Something about my skin tone makes red, white, black, or beige right.
My wife been saying that before we got married 38 years ago!
Go figure, that I'd look good in red!!!!

[yellowdogintexas]

36. I am an Election Judge in Tarrant County and I always wear my bluest blue

on Election Day. In fact, I put on some kind of blue top every time I walk out of the house (unless I am doing something candidate specific; a lot of our folks are using other colors for their campaign shirts.)

I am considering attempting a Tshirt quilt with all my campaign shirts. Don't hold your breath though I am famous for great concept and really bad followthrough

[nolabear]

45. Makes me happy in so many ways!

Glad you’re putting up an OP and delighted for Florida! 🌴🐊🌊

[coeur_de_lion]

46. Nice! I am in Florida too.

[beachbum bob]

51. With DeSantis and Scott, it should be a blue tsunami....

Red tide, racism, social security, Medicare, Medicaid cuts....and now the immigration and birthright issues. Florida has massive number of immigrant naturalized citizens, if THEY jump in and VOTE, no telling what we wake up to on Nov 7th and see

[mitch96]

53. Yup the only Red we should see in Florida

Is the Red tide rolling up on the beaches....
m