Is Tennessee in play now? Early voter turnout HUGE!

[AnnitaR]

I live in the normally heavily Puke East Tennessee area of the state (about 30 minutes outside of Knoxville). They were reporting on the turnout for early voting tonight on our local news.

Turnout for Knox County was almost 26,000 so far!! They stated that total is 80% above the # of early voters for the entire early voting session in 2000!

Also reported that surrounding counties were having huge turnout as well. The county where I live (Sevier) that includes the Gatlinburg area is reporting 99% above early voting from 2000!

You cannot tell me it's those jazzed up Pubs voting this early and in those numbers! I know I am seeing tons more Kerry bumperstickers/signs this year than I ever saw Gore signs in 2000.

Any reports from other areas of the state? Does Kerry really have a shot here in TN??

[SharonAnn]

1. We believe it is in play. We're playing a close to the ground

game here so it's hard to tell.

In my county there are lots of new voters but lots of them are from the fundamentalist churches so that's no help. However, there are huge turnouts for early voting in largely Democratic areas, too.

I've already voted! Yeaah!

[AnnitaR]

4. Are you in West, Middle, or East TN?

I'm in East and even though it's heavily Puke here I believe that it's us DEMS that are turning out. I just don't see the Pubs in this area standing in these kind of lines to vote early. I just don't see it.

I could be wrong but I think TN is much closer than anyone thinks. Too damn bad they can't spare Edwards to swing through here. He'd def bring up the vote count here! LOL!

[oasis]

9. Many fundie lay persons are tired of being apologists for their idiot

president. What a relief it would be for them to attack John Kerry for 4 years.

I wouldn't count on fundies voting for the Chimp in overwhelming numbers.

[Wapsie B]

2. I think a lot of states are in play.

Just my opinion, but I think chimpy has irritated so many in his own party that all bets are off right now.

[fearnobush]

3. I was in Manchester in June. It was all Kerry then.

Bonnaroo Music fest. All pro Kerry. Head Count was there too, registering over a thousand people per day at the 3 day event.

[phatkatt]

19. Hey! I was at Bonnaroo!

That was, of course, not representative of the general population. How many freeper hippies do you know? Anyway, 90% of the attendees were from somewhere other than Tenn. (I live about an hour away in Alabama).

Did you experience any of the locals? Scary bunch indeed!

P.S. I'm going to the String Cheese concert tonight in Birmingham! YEEHAAA!

[DemFromMem]

5. Memphis voter registrations way up

Here in the most Democratic county in the state a colleague of mine involved in local voter registration efforts says they broke records for registering blacks and latinos. Encouraging.

[yellowdawgdem]

6. I have friends in Murfreesboro

I think that's Rutherford county isn't it? Anyway, friends there have said that most everybody they know seems to be going Kerry, except for a few diehard repubs. Even though some were 'disappointed' with his lesbian remark at the last debate, as they'd thought he'd be more the gentleman than that. Somehow Edwards got away with it, but not Kerry. Anyway, sounds like lots of support for Kerry in Murf.

[AnnitaR]

8. Edwards.

Everyone I know here loves him. My 68 year old mom and her 87 year old best friend adore him. It's so cute. LOL!

I'm telling you he'd be a huge vote draw here. I wish they could spare him for one day to hit Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville.

[yellowdawgdem]

13. Yeah they need to send Edwards to Tn

For some last minute campaigning, and to remind Tennesseans they'll be getting an adorable veep. I hope they would do that!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. Go TN! I will eat some dry rub ribs in your honor! (I was going to do

that anyway!)

[charleston1]

10. Nevada a different story?

"Turnout for Knox County was almost 26,000 so far!! They stated that total is 80% above the # of early voters for the entire early voting session in 2000!"

We are being told in Las Vegas that the early voting is about normal. The Republicans won the overall state registration drive from what I hear, but we definitely won in Clark County. The problem is the Northern Nevadan's will be voting in very large numbers as they always do. I was up in Reno over the weekend and it's Bush bumper sticker country. Clark County must turn out big time or Nevada is lost. Early voting started Saturday.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi charleston1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[IIgnoreNobody]

22. You are 'being told' ?? By whom?

What you are saying is contradicted by numerous news reports that say Dems have surpassed Repubs in registration in Nevada for the first time.

[lakemonster11]

11. As I said in another thread...

My grandparents all live in rural western TN and they're all voting for Kerry. I didn't even have to talk them into it! My grandmother even lectured one of my uncles when she realized he was going to vote Republican.

[JCMach1]

12. Last polls had Kerry closing in TN, NC, and VA

Within the MOE

[Barney Rocks]

14. my thought is

that a lot of people want regime change, but they are reluctant to say so. Maybe they aren't even telling the pollsters. But they are NOT going to be able to pull the lever for Bush. We are going to win BIG. Think all 50 states--because I think it will be pretty close to that. An electoral landslide AND a popular vote landslide!!!

[DemocracyInaction]

16. Sorry, folks, but the repubs are really, really pushing their people

to both vote absentee and/or vote eary (before something gets revealed about their little scumbag). I really do not look at any of this flood to the polls being a massive Dem surge. If the churches told these assholes to go vote early, they went. I'm looking at it as probably 65% republicans who have started flocking.

[IIgnoreNobody]

23. So what? There are more of us than there are of them.

Your predictions of doom and gloom are dead wrong.

[DemocracyInaction]

24. I'm talking about the EARLY vote. The fundies are pushing in their

churches to get out NOW because they don't want something to blow up on Bush and these sheep to change their minds. On the other hand, the Dems don't have something like preachers in their pulpits on Sunday telling them to get out NOW. They will come but I think the early voting are these fundies swarming. The Dems will come in bulk on election day.

[IIgnoreNobody]

25. I'm talking about the fact that there are more Democrats than Republicans.

Whether the voting happens on October 19th or November 2nd, the more people vote, the more likely it is that Democrats will win.

[Lilli]

17. Hey Neighbor - I'm also in Sevier Co

Its good to hear what you're seeing!

I dont get out much - am recovering from a serious illness and HATE the parkway traffic :) - and I've been wondering how East TN was shaping up.

I've had a CRAPPY year, and I deserve to have Tennessee go Kerry. :)
I agree that all the activity isnt likely to be Reps going to vote early.

[WI_DEM]

18. depends on who is turning out

[Jacobin]

20. They have the second highest bankruptcy rate in the U.S.

Maybe they don't like the economy?

[southern democrat]

21. I am in E. Tennessee

I'm telling you, there is very much enthusiasm in our county. Way more Kerry sings than Gore had. Republicans either stole or destroyed 4x8 Kerry signs that Dem HQ put up. Our county will not go Dem, but we are being noticed. I expect Kerry to get considerably more votes here than Gore got in 2000. Also, traffic and response at Dem HQ very brisk and positive. Only complaints is thay do not have enough bumper stickers,signs,buttons etc. The stuff is going faster than the local party cn get it.

On another note. Be aware that in TN. if you have been registered to vote and you go to polls. If the poll workers do not have your registration on record, you can request a provisional ballot. Then your vote counts. If you are not legally registered it will not count during certification. SO, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AT THE POLLS IN TN. INSIST ON THE POLL WORKER TO ALLOW YOU TO VOTE ON THE PROVISIONAL BALLOT, IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE REGULAR LIST OF VOTER AND THEY ARE TRYING TO NOT LET YOU VOTE !

[Roland99]

26. I was posting a few months ago on the Kerry forums that TN was in play!

I think with a couple of stops by Kerry and/or Edwards and more DNC support, TN would be firmly blue.

And KY could have been moved pretty close, too.

[vetwife]

27. Don't know but only a 9 point lead in Georgia....We really

don't know what states are in play. I really believe that ! Lot of poor folks waking up.

[Supersedeas]

28. never concede--conservatives are getting wise to * lack of accountability

[lebkuchen]

29. Thanks for that report!

You bring those of us on overseas military bases much to hope for!

[Cookie wookie]

30. Sorry but Diebold controls Georgia

and we know who they want to win. Only way our dem votes could be counted fairly is if a miracle happened and Diebold was so certain of a Georgia win for bush that they didn't bother to rig the code for vote counting. I've volunteered to help with a Rush Holt project, and anyone else in Georgia please do so if you can:

"Georgia citizens! Congressman Rush Holt, through his new voter activism website has asked us to volunteer to assist in an election day project.

The basic idea is that we need to assemble a team of volunteers who will:

1. Go to your designated precinct (voting late, being a poll worker, or just being there) at the end of the day. Georgia law requires that the precinct vote tally be public and that a copy of the precinct totals be posted on the door of the precinct.

2. Using the totals printed at each precinct and posted on the door, write down the vote totals for federal races

3. Once you've accomplished the task, we'll ask you to type in the totals at the CountTheVote web site on a form."

http://www.countthevote.org/