[Sixstrings]

Pennsylvania's Morning Call newspaper reports:

Voter turnout is reportedly higher than normal, shocking polls workers across the Lehigh Valley area who were not expecting much interest in races for key positions like senator in Washington, D.C., and governor in Harrisburg.
In Allentown's mostly Democratic 7th Ward, Gus Kruz, the judge of elections, was seeing high interest in voting already a few minutes after polls opened at 7 a.m. Although not a large district, a dozen people had already voted in the 7th Ward by 7:15 a.m. At that point, Kruz couldn't predict if more Democrats would come out than Republicans.

The same was true in Bethlehem's 15th ward, 2nd district at the Education Center on Sycamore St. There' Craig Hynes, judge of elections, said he's seen crisp turnout. By 7:45 a.m., 66 voters had cast ballots despite mechanical problems with two of three machines, including one that had to be placed prior to the polls opening.

Similar reports from Louisiana:

Between 30 percent and 35 percent of registered voters are expected to make it to the polls today, Lafayette Parish Registrar of Voters Charlene Menard-Meaux estimated Monday.
That's a high turnout for Lafayette Parish during a midterm election, she said.

"I guess it's going to be pretty big, because our phones are going crazy today," Menard-Meaux said.

From Massachusetts:

State and local election officials were already predicting possibly record voter turnout today.
They point to several indicators of a high turnout: the amount of money flowing into the races, the degree of voter interest and the number of candidates who are crowding ballots.

From Missouri:

In downtown St. Louis, at Centenary Church, 55 Plaza Square, election judges said the first two hours had been just as busy as two years ago, when voters formed long lines to cast a ballot in the presidentail election.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/02/election-results-2010-live_n_777429.html#21_poll-workers-shocked-by-high-turnout

Well that's a surprise, I thought turnout was going to be low (therefore favoring Republicans).

[dinopello]

The nice weather across the nation pobably helps turnout. Turnout didn't seem unusual here, but we didn't have any statewide races (just 3 proposals for state constitution issues) and yet it still took me almost an hour to walk to the polls and cast my votes because of all the chatty neighbors I ran into on the way.

[Ludi]

After all the efforts to discouraged voting: "There's no point, the Dems are just as evil as the Repubs" maybe folks finally got a clue.



Would you rather be stung by a wasp or bitten by a rattlesnake?

Would you rather have a pick-pocket in your house, or a serial killer?



Yes, sometimes evil really IS less evil.

[Oakley]

This time politicians draw large numbers to the polls. Maybe next time politicians will draw large numbers to witness Madame Guillotine at work. I think this election will bring nothing but more pain, simply because the Republicans and Democrats are part of the same Party, the Party of big government plunder and control.

[gollum]

I'll be voting straight D today, but will surely feel the need for a shower afterwards. Mostly I'm doing it because I'm scared of what the "tea party" has become.

[careinke]

I actually voted to keep a tax today! But it was a consumption tax, and I think all taxes should be consumption taxes.

[Pops]

The only thing of importance on my ballot is Blunt (R) vs Carnahan (D) for senate.

More outside money spent here than raised by the candidates or the parties so in the spirit of this brave new world of corporate personhood I'll be basing my vote on those paying for the election:

Blunt ................................Carnahan
Chamber Commerce.......League Conservation Voters
NRA...........................AFSCME gov workers union
Rove ($3M!)............... Lots of individual voters I guess

Additionally Blunt got 5 times the corporate donations as Carnahan

So I score that as one for Carnahan (conservation voters) one against (gov union)
One neutral for Blunt (AK-47 manufacturers) and three against

[dinopello]

Live blogging the local election.

We do love to vote here. Why anyone wouldn't vote is beyond. I'd vote every day if they'd let me.

This guy came unprepared (but was helped out)

Given the amount of effort all you perfect Arlington residents put in to your political choices, being thrown for a loop at the voting booth can be a little disconcerting. And so it was for one voter this morning, who had a mini-meltdown upon seeing the section for the Virginia constitutional amendments on his touch screen ballot.

The man quickly called a poll worker, saying he had only seen information about the Arlington County Bond issues; not the constitutional amendments. (The three amendments are to provide tax breaks to the elderly and to wounded veterans, and to increase the state's "rainy day fund.") "Do you have newspapers where I can read about them?" he asked.

"I'm sorry to be uninformed," he told the worker. He laughed nervously. Luckily, she was able to save the day; she canceled his ballot and got him some literature to peruse so he could read up on the amendments, and make a careful, informed, perfectly Arlington decision.

I sympathize with the guy. The amendments were not widely publicized as most everyone are for them.

[Mesuge]

Ludi> Exactly, Pelosi material will save the day, again.
Solutions, will be off the table. Dream on and change you can believe in..

PS "voting machines" you didn't have enough in 2000/2004, I'm not assuming any wrongdoings, it's not necessary this time. But in general terms, what's bad about paper, envelope, and pencil when it's good and reliable enough for the rest of the developed world "democracies"?

[Ludi]

Ludi> Exactly, Pelosi material will safe the day, again.

Not sure why some folks are so obsessed with Pelosi.

Seems a little unhealthy, somehow, this constant invoking of Pelosi....

[Mesuge]

?Because that single ugly person is almost the materialization, the pure essence of what has become wrong with the Dem party in the past ~50yrs. Simply, if there should be a voodoo doll for traitors, design it after her.

- women role models in politics turned into corponazi whores
- talking up, then selling and shilling for the Repukratic (lef-right) charade
- actively keeping the lid on progressive wing of the party
- total disregard for public opinion
..

Well, you might say, her upscale San Francisco voting district perhaps supports these ideas, but the problem is that this bitch, conspired on so many issues in the name of the whole party against the people who put there in (2006):
war, war funding, restoring constitutional freedoms, bailouts, ..

Refrain from the cursing please. Pops

[Ludi]

restoring constitutional freedoms

Not sure what's wrong with restoring constitutional freedoms.....



I thought folks hated her because she's a Democrat, not because she isn't one....

[Ludi]

Well, I know all the cool kids aren't voting this year, but I did. Voted for almost all the Greens on the ballot, a few Libertarians, a few Democrats, and absolutely no Republicans.

I'm SO uncool.

[Mesuge]

Pops> sorry about that, I rarely have to do use these terms, but this "person" just deserves it, at least call it once like it is, for a record.

Ludi> Are we from the same planet, hallo, third rock from the star?
Don't you remember: Pelosi putting impeachment innitative off the table, actively sabotaging it with fellow repubs and bluedogs, voting for the wars, extending funding for the wars, voting for wiretaps and covering up other judical mischiefs, voting for bailouts, ...

Pelosi is hated by the true progressive Dems, more than any neocon masterworm there might be in the mud, I'd say, lol..

But progressive Dem is probably something like a commie muslim lover these days, nevermind. This is not 1960s mainstream viewpoint anymore. The brainwashing saturation sensor of the U.S. public failed on me today, apparently from new shocking levels detection, I wasn't expecting it, especially here.

With voting pool like this, mmm, Obama person, can certainly attempt the second term, the gullible public is just beyond learning a lesson in their life, apparently.

Btw. good luck with the Greens, for now while it lasts. Many of the Greens in power/office across EU/Australia/.. are basically prowar candidates today, it's just a matter of time, till this "new wave of green" gets incorporated into the NA circle as well.
Crazy world.