Huge Democratic turnout in early voting in Broward

[UpInArms]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cvoting29oct29,0,3424323.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

Overwhelming numbers of Broward County Democrats have turned out to vote early in next week's election in what analysts say could be a bad sign for President Bush's chances to win the state.

Sen. John Kerry's campaign has pressed hard to get voters to the polls early in Broward's Democratic strongholds, knowing it must run up huge numbers here to offset Republican areas in Northern and Central Florida. As of Thursday morning, more than twice as many Democrats as Republicans had either voted at early voting sites or returned absentee ballots in the county.

The success of the Kerry get-out-the-vote drive is raising the stakes for local Democratic officials to fix problems that threaten to dampen turnout. On Thursday, the county ordered early voting centers to stay open late and began resending 16,000 absentee ballots that may have been lost.

"This makes it an extremely competitive situation in the state," said Mitch Ceasar, chairman of the Broward County Democratic Party. "We are on target for where we hoped we would be. People are so upset and distraught by the last four years of this president that they want to exercise their constitutional right to vote as soon as possible."

...more...

[mbperrin]

1. Yes, vote now if you ever want to vote again!

Huge turnout needed!

[0007]

18. Vote early as possible

Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.

Call 866 687-8683
If Poll Workers refuse you to vote for any reason
If there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place.
If your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot
If you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process

When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many
details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved.

[Skittles]

2. Mr. Ceasar is correct

I'm so upset by the past four years that not only did I want to vote, I wanted to vote as early as possible.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. Hm

Iguess those African-Americans down there have pretty good memories.
;-)

[Blaq Dem]

6. yep. 400+ years worth of it.

My family has been in this country for 200+ years. We became one with Native Americans. We know everything there is about the white man who in turn know very little about us. We won't be fooled. Wrong is wrong.

We just can't understand why so many poor white Americans hate minorities so much, they'll go to the extreme of voting for people like Bush who likes to take their jobs overseas.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

7. My friend

I don't understand their idiotic hatred either.

[Rainbowreflect]

8. Welcome to DU.

:hi:
As far as why so much hate, I think it is a combination of fear & needing someone to blame for there own screwed up, miserable lives and not having what they believe is rightfully theirs.

[Sin]

11. Ive heard them all

Being white and living around a lot of knuckle dragger's in this area. You hear a lot of there reasons.
Witch makes me stop and shake my head and wonder why they think this way.

This is only some of them ( I cant stand hearing any of these things any more)


1. people from minorities take our jobs
2. if they were still our slaves we wouldn't have to work and would be rich.
3. They lower property value because they create crime
4. They influence our young into doing immoral things.
5. They raise our taxes because of all the government hand outs they receive.
6. They turn away from gods will in the bible and lead us on the road to damnation.
7. There breeding to much soon there will be to many of them and they will take over.
8. Our culture is at risk
9. They are a lower species then us.
10.They hate us because were white.

Now these are exact quotes or elaborations on what i have heard over the years from a lot of people some i guess even would be considered closet raciest. It has made me more angry as the years go on because theres hardly no changing the way they think.
Now mind you these are the more rural area people that say these things but there is a fair bit in the bigger towns. There are still good people out there just so hard to hear with all the other wackos shouting around them. :(

[DuaneBidoux]

30. The very essence of being a conservative

requires an enemy. It doesn't matter whether the conservative is right wing republican, a Taliban, a Zionist, or some other extremist. Conservatives NEED enemies. If they don't have one naturally, they create them.

[JuniorPlankton]

4. If you don't vote now

You may NEVER get this chance again!

[swag]

5. That's what I like.

Keep the voters voting, Democrats.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. "began resending 16,000 absentee ballots"??? i thought it was 58,000 lost?

[cthrumatrix]

10. i saw that...what gives..?

[beniciodeltoro]

14. Damn good question!

[Catfight]

12. Early Voting should have been planned better, Glenda Hood should

be fired for not providing more early voting places and more convenient hours to cast votes. Here in Tampa you can early vote at 10 places hours 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm. How lame is that? Florida is still in the news for losing 50k absentee ballots, Jeb and Glenda are DONE! We refuse to have another Katherine Harris and I hope people remember her at the polls this year and she loses by a HUGE margin!

[cthrumatrix]

15. Glenda Hood was "appointed by Jeb"...connect the dots

[Catfight]

17. I've connected them, but how Fl ever voted Jeb another 4 years

will always be mind boggling to me. People in FL must really enjoy being screwed?

[Skarbrowe]

20. We're not sure we did vote Jebboy back in.

I'm in Broward County and I remember long, long lines of Democrats voting for McBride in 2002. BUT, it was on those damn ATM machines. I think that was the election where they found a bunch of absentee ballots or something in one of the offices sometime after the Jebboy got re-elected (very loose term ). McBride made a very good showing for someone who was not known at all a few months before. When Janet Reno ran against McBride in the primary, her voting precinct was over two hours late in opening because they couldn't get the computers on! The former Attorney General of the United States had to stand in line and wait for the polls to open. I think she had to leave and come back later. What a lovely way to try and vote for YOURSELF. heh

Point being, it's just as possible that Jebboy stole his second term as Gov as it was certain that his brother stole the presidency.

Florida voters are doing their best to rectify these situations.

I voted in Broward County, Florida by absentee ballot on OCTOBER 15th.

[Sinnerman]

21. As Mrs. Heinz-Kerry Says Vote Early & Often

Go Kerry/Edwards

[Raster]

26. I will lay money on the end of jeb's run. Black box voting or not, the...

...citizens of the state of Florida have had enough. In two years, jeb won't be able to run for dogcatcher.

[Jane Austin]

28. I've always thought they didn't vote Jeb back in.

Didn't the polls project otherwise, and weren't there voting machine problems and lack of ballots?

I think they knew that Jeb HAD to be Governor for Dubya to take Florida next time, so they had to fix that election in 2002 for sure.

[KansDem]

25. I just did...

Jeb Glenda

[Arugula Latte]

13. The good news:

thousands of Dems. vote early.

The bad news: only 26 of those votes will actually be recorded. :eyes:

[Mother Jones]

16. Well that's interesting b/c I've read alot of reports saying the same...

that all the new electronic voting booths are all ready to cast ballots for Bush, even if you select Kerry.

Very worrisome, if this is true....I wonder if folks in Broward will be able to verify the selection or if the machine will do it 'behind the scenes'?

Anyone else read this? (and have encouraging news about it?)

[Mz Pip]

19. What happened to the lost ballots?

My best friend's mom lives in Broward County. She was visiting in NY and planned to complete her absentee ballot upon return this week. She's pretty old and if she doesn't have the ballot she probably would not know what to do to remedy it. It would be hard to get to a polling place and do a provisional ballot.

Many of the folks in Florida who vote absentee are elderly and count on being able to vote at home. How convenient for those to want to supress turnout to have this group to use. They are old, they probably won't complain as much, they probably won't be able to get down to the polling place at the last minute to do a provisional ballot.

58,000 missing ballots. How many were sent to retirement communities. I hope there are people down there checking this out and working to help these people get to the polls.

MzPip
:dem:

[robbedvoter]

22. 41,000 still missing Forgot to stamp them. Theresa? You there?

Nah, she's screwing things in Palm beach (her old term still on)

[Sinnerman]

23. Just released in Florida.... MSNBC Reports

Over half million Florida Voters have cast ballots early and so Far Kerry up 49% to 48% Bush

[kostya]

24. Link? I don't thing counted ballot results are released early.

[Buns_of_Fire]

31. My guess would be exit polls...

AFAIK, the "early" votes will be tallied along with the Nov. 2 votes.

[Chovexani]

27. That's good to hear

I just hope their votes are counted! :scared:

[Sinnerman]

29. Kerry 50 State Landslide 4 days til Operation American Freedom

[goforit]

32. Come on FLORIDA!!!!............Just keep on digging!!