Big surge seen in Democrats' absentee ballots

[Baitball Blogger]

Big surge seen in Democrats' absentee ballots
(I think it's a paid subscription only article, so here are four paras.)

Absentee ballots in Central Florida have exploded in popularity this year especially among Democrats, who are turning to the vote-at-home method in such great numbers that they now might outnumber Republicans voting by mail.

All parties and independent voters are increasing their use of absentee ballots. This year, for the first time in decades, more Democrats requested absentee ballots than Republicans in Central Florida, election officials say.

In Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties, elections officials have mailed 40 percent more absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election than they did in 2010, the last midterm election. More than 136,000 Democrats have received absentee ballots, and about 117,000 Republicans. Another 66,000 have gone to independent voters.

The push also has come from state and county elections officials, who see it as being the least-expensive way to record votes and the surest method for voters who worry about lines and unexpected Election Day time demands

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-absentee-ballot-trends-20141022-story.html

[Peacetrain]

1. Thank you for sharing that

its wonderful news!

[JustAnotherGen]

2. This is awesome

I had a friend move down to Florida in early 2012 - and she experienced her first voting experience in Florida in the 2012 election (greater Miami area).


She shared with us how awful the lines were. Something she never experienced in Central NJ.


And she's a die hard liberal.


So if more Democratic voters are voting early by absentee - the better. They can't sucker punch you guys at the polls on the day of the election!


Go Florida Democrats, Liberals and Progressives!

[ChiciB1]

3. Thank You For Posting This...

I know quite a few families and people who recently voted and know of 3 more who will be sending in their ballots today or tomorrow. I can't access this link, so am grateful!

[csziggy]

4. I prefer voting early - and did it Tuesday!

After the 2000 election, when Florida election officials admitted that they often didn't even county absentee ballots unless there were enough to change the results, I don't trust them to count them.

Here in Leon County early voting is very efficient and generally the lines are short. My husband and I went Tuesday right at 5 PM and there was no line at all. We had to wait a couple of seconds for the election workers to come to the front and to print our ballots, but they were fast and friendly.

[ChiciB1]

5. I Understand What You're Saying...

but I did do some checking locally and with some other counties because of my apprehension about absentee voting. While I haven't checked yet, everyone told me you can go online to track your ballot. I voted by absentee and so did most of my family, fingers crossed that the information I received pans out.

I made sure my son and his wife got absentees sent to them because I wasn't sure they would take the time to drive in to vote. They live in the country and it's about an hour for them to drive into Bradenton. They're in a different county from me, but I called their county and was told I could request ballots for them as long as they were registered. They checked to see if they were registered and DID send the ballots to them. They just filled them out and sent them back, so I will check for them too.

I don't worry about my daughter and her family, they vote! This is an issue they know I follow up on and this year my grand daughter gets to vote for the first time. She and her brother just voted at their polling place today.

Please let us prevail!!

[csziggy]

6. After 2000 the rules may have changed, but I still prefer going in person

In 2012 I even went into the polling place to vote in the primary the day after I got out of the hospital for my second knee replacement that summer.

I don't worry about absentee ballots (or even the voting machines) so much with our Supervisor of Elections, Ion Sancho - who I consider the best Supervisor in the state. But I want to keep in practice just in case he retires someday.

It's farther for us to mail the ballots than it is for us to go in person to vote, too. Our street box is not secure and I will put nothing it it to be mailed. That means that we have to drive ten miles into town to mail our ballots. We get all our important mail there so we do stop by a couple of times a week, but it's just a nuisance for time important stuff. (Most of my bills are autopay or paid online, so few of those have to be mailed.)

GOOD NEWS! From an email I just got from the Gwen Graham campaign:

-- The Tampa Bay Times just called us the best opportunity for Democrats to knock out a GOP incumbent in the entire country
-- a top political forecaster just moved our race to a “pure toss up”
-- and every piece of data has our race DEADLOCKED

[ChiciB1]

7. Thanks For The Information/Update...

I think we agree on more things than not. Bottom line... GET RID OF SCOTT and just vote!