Voter turnout expected to be highest in decades

[babylonsister]

Oct 31, 9:37 PM EDT

Voter turnout expected to be highest in decades

By SETH BORENSTEIN


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Voter turnout will be the highest in decades, dwarfing recent presidential elections, experts predict. The only question dividing experts is how huge will it be. Will it be the largest since 1968, largest since 1960 or even, as one expert predicts, the largest in a century? Soaring early voting levels hint at a big turnout, but that could just be the same voters casting ballots earlier instead of more voters hitting the polls. Weather should generally be favorable, according to forecasts.

What early voting numbers mean and how much of the youth and Hispanic votes turn out are the big factors political scientists look at when trying to predict how many eligible Americans will vote.

Michael McDonald of George Mason University is so optimistic he's predicting the highest level in a century.

"We're going to definitely beat the turnout rate in 2004, the question is by how much," McDonald said. "We have a chance to beat the 1960 turnout rate."

"It's not just an election of a generation, it's an election of generations with an 's'," McDonald said Friday.

He's not alone. The dean of voting turnout predictions, Curtis Gans, director of the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate at American University, this week amped up his turnout forecast. Initially he said it would be around 2004 levels, but now he is looking at a turnout that would be the highest since 1960.

"It's driven by 90 percent of the American people thinking the country is on the wrong track," Gans said Friday. "The only question is how many Republicans are not going to show up."

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOTER_TURNOUT?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[texpatriot2004]

1. I hope so. nm

[babylonsister]

8. It's happening, it's not just a hope. Celebrate! nt

[FrenchieCat]

2. They better have their asses out there! :)

[babylonsister]

5. If the disillusioned rethugs stay home, I'm surprisingly okay with that.

The ones concerned about the future will vote.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Not if the damn kids don't vote....

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/youthquake-and-prop-hate-by-digby-dday.html

[babylonsister]

4. Pipe down. No one knows anything yet. Not even digby. nt

[BlooInBloo]

6. Bite your tongue. Digby knows everything!

:P

[babylonsister]

7. Nuh uh!

:P I do love and respect her, but I am being a middle-of-the-road, non-complacent, optimist.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Digby *has* been a bit of a Debbie-downer.

[MarjorieG]

9. Or how many not supressed or defrauded. I'm still hopeful!

[madmunchie]

11. I'm telling you that where I went to early vote they said 15 - 30 voters a day WAS typical 500-600

was what they are seeing daily now!!!! what percentage increase is that???? by the way?

[Quixote1818]

12. That is about a 1,600 to 2,000% increase. nt

[babylonsister]

13. Oops, wrong place, pls. delete. nt