Some quick info for you all. I got some of this today from the head of the Board of Elections for Durham County in NC.
Roughly 10,000 Early Votes cast in 2000 Election.
Thursday 10/28/04: 34,468 Early Votes cast.
Prediction: 40-45,000 Early Votes in Durham.
Durham is Democratic, and Gore got 67% of the vote. However, Durham County voter turnout in 2000 was BELOW the state average (54% for Durham, 59% for the state as a whole). IF the early voting trend is an accurate predictor, county officials think 120,000 voters will go to the polls in 2004.
Perspective: Durham normally has roughly 85,000 voters in the last few Presidential Elections.
So will turnout be 65-75% in Durham? Stay tuned...
Note: Another Democratic county, Richmond, has had 3,380 voters already go to to the polls. Richmond county only had 2,500 voters actually go to the polls early in 2000 Election.
I goofed on the earlier Richmond County results...