My God turnout was HEAVY!

[jobycom]

I just got back from the supermarket. I always shop at this one because the prices are higher, and so there are no lines to wait in, and in the afternoon I can run in and run out.

Today I couldn't find a parking space. I didn't understand it until I got in the store. Early voting had begun. There was at each station about fifteen deep, and there was another line that snaked back through the produce to near the back of the store. The whole section was inaccessible because of the number of people waiting to vote.

No idea who they were voting for. It looked like a Democratic crowd (few yuppies, lots of older folks), but this is supposed to be a highly conservative part of town. As I said in another post, though, I have seen more Kerry stickers and signs than Bush, even though Bush won with 60% in this area in 2000.

First day of early voting and people were standing in line, when they didn't have to. Amazing. No way the polls have a handle on this type of turnout. I kept thinking of Cheney's description in the VP debate of how passionate about voting people were in El Salvador (I think). Cheney seems to have made them that passionate here.

[faithnotgreed]

1. wow. you guys vote at the grocery store?

i know i dont get out often, but i hadnt heard of that.

so glad to hear of the turnout... i know we will take this if all votes are counted

[shraby]

2. What state?

[intheflow]

28. CO early voting in supermarkets.

Recently moved here from MA. Pretty wierd: supermarket voting and concealed weapons permits. Scary out here!

[Bluebear]

3. Sure it wasn't a line for flu shots? :)

[necso]

4. "No way the polls have a handle on this type of turnout."

Interesting conclusion.

[wildeyed]

5. I voted early at the library today.

It was MOBBED. Really can't compare it to previous presidential election years. We only started having early voting in 2000 and since that was the first year, probably allot of people didn't know.

[jobycom]

9. We've had it awhile now

At least since 98, I think. And they have early voting for primaries and local elections, too. This is in Austin, Texas, btw.

[DebJ]

6. what state?

[IChing]

7. what state?

ditto what state?

[jobycom]

8. Texas-- Austin. nt

[Fleshdancer]

24. Was it the Randalls near the Arboretum??

I only ask because I find their prices are a little higher than HEB and I go there when I don't want to wait in line. Plus I know they do early voting there so I feel like playing detective! :)

[jobycom]

27. Wow

That's it. That's why I go there, too. Plus, I live this side of Braker, and waiting through that light can add a few minutes to my trip, in addition to the line.

I wonder if I know you?

[Fleshdancer]

31. HA! Too funny!

Out of all the grocery stores in Austin....

I live over at Riata near 183 and Oak Knoll. Technically, the HEB on McNeil is closer, but that Randall's is much nicer.

I don't know if I know you, but obviously we have a few strange coincidences between us. :) Do you ever go to any of the Austin DU gatherings?

[jobycom]

36. I used to

go to DU gatherings, but GOPisEvil stopped telling me about them, and I'm too lazy to seek them out. I go to a lot of Democratic meetings. I was president of the club in my sig line until August, so I've met a lot of Dems.

I jog through Riata quite often, too. I live maybe a mile from there. Too funny!

[Fleshdancer]

42. It's as if we're secretly stalking each other!

we really should meet so that our coincidences make sense. :) And that damn GOPisEvil...so evil for not telling you about these things. We should yell at him together in the lounge. :D

[jobycom]

43. I always feel like

someone is watching me as I jog around your neighborhood! Always thought it was John Ashcroft for the damage to Bush my rapier keystrokes do to the conservative agenda, but maybe it's just you!

Curse you, Evil! (I meant GOPisEvil, but it works against Ashcroft, too.

[disgruntled_goat]

10. thank you

i feel encouraged. w00t!

[jobycom]

11. This was in Austin, Texas.

I keep forgetting not everyone knows everyone around DU anymore. Still feels like family.

[Jane Austin]

13. I feel discriminated against!

We're thirty miles east of Austin, and we have only one early voting site here, and it's only open Thursday and Friday this week.

Waaaahhhh!

[LizW]

16. Alabama has no early voting at all

except absentee. :(

[Jane Austin]

22. Yeah, but I was spoiled by living in Austin and

voting at the grocery store or city recreation centers.

I knew jobycom meant Randalls when she said the store had higher prices!

[aquart]

29. Voting in a grocery store? A grocery store?

That seems so...so...unofficial.

I vote in the Greenwich Village Gay and Lesbian Community Center. It used to be a school. It has presence.

[Booster]

33. Who ever thought we'd be banking in a grocery store?

I haven't been in a real bank in years. Don't miss it either.

[Robeson]

35. Hey, I'm from the deep South too...

...and we're the reason why this country has had to have voting laws in the past. When it comes to manipulating elections, the South has written the book on it. Thats why Florida, to me, was really no surprise. Just a surprise to people who don't know how they "do things down here".

[Longhorn]

17. I live on the eastern edge of Hays County so early voting takes

more driving and/or planning for me, too. I'm campaigning outside of an early voting site on Saturday so I figure I'll go ahead and vote while I'm there.

In Austin, I saw that they have voting at Randall's and Home Depot. They always used to have voting at HEB but I don't know about this year. And from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days, too!

[sundancekid]

30. and, Hook 'Em Horns anyway!!! Time to vote early and often in TX (LOL)

[jobycom]

19. Manor? Elgin? I used to live in Elgin. nt.

[Jane Austin]

21. Elgin . . .

but psychologically still an Austinite. :)

Our business is in Austin so we're there most of the time.

[jobycom]

26. Work in Austin, Live in Elgin!

That's the way I did it, too.

Are you in district 10 now, or are you still in Ron Paul's district?

[Jane Austin]

34. District 10

Which stretches from Austin to Houston -- thanks, Tom DeLay - - and have no dem on the ballot for Congress.

We're writing in Lorenzo Sadun, but that'll be uphill for sure.

[jobycom]

37. Lorenzo's not running to win

If he gets double digit numbers, he'll have done something.

He's a funny guy. I think he's just having fun with this.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. I'm voting tomorrow

San Antonio here. Have to check on my polling place. It's usually at my neighborhood Library.

[sgtyellerdawg]

14. Memphis - 2-3 hour wait

The TV news here in Memphis just covered a story about one early voting location that had a 2-3 hour wait to get into the building - once you got in it was about an hour or so before you got to the voting machines. I think the Election Board here did not plan too well. There were only 3 machines at this one location and it is a very central spot for Memphians! We had over 12,000 vote this Saturday county-wide...

I am going to wait until the end of the week myself. Shelby County should go Kerry and turnout should be HUGE!!!
:crazy:

Polls? What polls? We don't need no stinking polls!:kick:

[Arugula Latte]

18. Holy Elvis!

That's amazing!

[Scoopie]

23. I think Kerry's gonna take a "pink" state

and it might just be our sweet Tennessee.

Haven't voted yet, so no reports on turnout from the "conservative" East side of the state (my neighborhood is about 2/3s Kerry, but I live in the city of Knoxville, not the county of Knox). Will be voting Friday. I'm taking that day off with my son who's out of school that day.

ROCK ON TENNESSEE!

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Heh. I thought you were going to say for the flu shot. Here in MI that's

why the parking lots at our local grocery stores are crowded. People waiting 8 hours and up for the visiting nurses to give them flu shots. I'm still crossing my fingers for myself here, because it cannot be good for one's health to stand outside in this kind of weather for that long. :hi:

[PretzelWarrior]

20. Thank you for VOTING! hooray! now you can help others to

get their butts in gear to vote. We need all the help we can get.

[Lorien]

25. Voting started today in Florida, too

(I'm waiting until Wednesday) Heard one man at the Kerry rally tonight say that he waited over TWO HOURS to vote today-the turnout was that heavy!

[Ksec]

32. So you dont mind spending more at that supermarket? :)

[Zen Democrat]

38. Randall's is a little more "serene" than HEB. Sometimes that

is worth an extra couple of bucks.

[Jane Austin]

39. I just got back from a quick business trip to California

and I was shocked to find that groceriy prices there for quite a few items were exactly twice what they are at even Randall's.

These things are relative, and I don't know how people can afford to live in California.

It also took me two and a half hours to drive 65 miles to the airport. I had no idea the freeways would be like parking lots on a Saturday afternoon.

[stoptheinsanity]

40. Get a Kerry bumpersticker count

Hey Guys, for those of you that will vote early, it might be interesting to see how many Kerry bumperstickers you find in the parking lot of the grocery store. That might give us a good idea of the voting preferences. How about it?

[oldschoolguy]

41. Its strange all the things that you can do...

....at a grocery store now. Pay utility bills, do banking, apply for loans, vote early, fill up the tank with that cheap $2.00 gas (some in Texas have a set of gas pumps in the parking lot), etc. I can't imagine what they will put in next to attract the all around consumer. Probably a 'quick-lube' shop to change the oil and fluids while you shop for groceries that are getting more expensive all the time.

Oh well, thats how it goes. Thanks for the heads up on Randalls in Austin. I was going to early-vote today on the way home and there is a Randalls two blocks from my house.

Count one more for Kerry/Edwards!