OPEN THREAD II: "I VOTED!" OH-TX-RI-VT

This is the open thread for those reporting in their votes today!

Feel free to post anecdotal reports, your feelings about the ground game by either campaigns, and any troubles at polling stations.

I love seeing your reports, so keep 'em coming for this Kossack!

Thanks for kicking this back on the recommended list!!!!

•  tip jar!

  by slinkerwink on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:25:18 AM PDT

  •  A rec for your FINE work this primary season

    This open thread, though...pretty cheap :)

    by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:39:29 AM PDT

  •  Tipped for photo of Obama with Mack Brown

    Hook 'em Horns!

    by wmtriallawyer on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:54:35 AM PDT

    •  HR hand...

      slowly rising... rising.... must...hold... back.

      Matt

      by Cixelsyd on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:36:26 AM PDT

  •  MACK BROWN!!!

    egads man... are you trying to kill me?  The yellow from his teeth and that hideous orange from his shirt nearly blinded me!  Give a brutha some warning next time!

    Matt

    by Cixelsyd on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:35:46 AM PDT

    •  Must be the glare

      OF THE UT NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

      I get it.

      by dan667 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:11:41 AM PDT

      •  What's that?

        I can't make out the measley reflection of Texas' trophy from here.

        You see, Stoops has one of his own (not to mention the six others in the case) and a bunch of Big XII trophies to go with it.  The glare from those is just ridiculous at this point... ;-)

        Matt

        by Cixelsyd on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 12:40:58 PM PDT

        •  This Oregon Duck sez

          Stoopth is a clown.

          by Daaaaave on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:44:10 PM PDT

        •  You guys already voted. It's the eyes of TEXAS.

          n/t

          by dan667 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:46:55 PM PDT

    •  Shudder

      Nothing good comes in orange.  

      Did you vote, Matt?  (Duh, I'm sure you did!)  I know you're in Ohio.  How's it going?

      by SlowNomad on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:17:21 AM PDT

      •  Negative.

        I work in Ohio and helped out when I could... but alas, my house is in Kentucky and I must wait until May for my chance.

        Matt

        by Cixelsyd on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 12:41:43 PM PDT

        •  I live in PA

          Hillary's 22nd firewall state. Hee Hee!

          by wishingwell on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:25:53 PM PDT

  •  Hillary looking great in Central Texas.

    I just voted. In my precinct, I checked with the precinct captain for Hillary; he tells me the turnout would exceed 60% and he is handing over more sign papers for caucus participation than Obama person at the precinct.

    We will see. I have a goog feeling here.

    by Texas Ram on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:59:08 AM PDT

    •  Not where I am at

      No one is going to vote for Clinton here.

      by dan667 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:12:19 AM PDT

    •  I have a goog feeling too!

      by mayan on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 12:24:11 PM PDT

    •  "Sign papers for caucus participation"

      Care to elaborate on that?

      by Over the Edge on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:28:23 PM PDT

    •  Sounds illegal to me

      What are these "sign papers for caucus participation"?  

      Sign-in sheets, perhaps?  Better not be.

      If your candidate can't win through relatively honest campaigning they deserve to lose.    

      I plan to donate $$ for purposes of prosecuting people who are playing illegal sign-in games today in Texas.  Examples need to be made of them to cut back on this next time.

      by Jaime Schulte on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:17:25 PM PDT

    •  Be aware.

      If pre-signed sheets show up at our precinct, the police WILL be called.

      by khereva on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:49:29 PM PDT

•  Try to give demographics on who was at the polls

  This will help figure out how it's going for each candidate.

  by democrattotheend on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:28:36 AM PDT

  •  Okay...

    33 white male. I was surrounded by older white males and females.

    Hey, it's Vermont - what else do you expect?

    by markhaverty on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:47:02 AM PDT

    •  Older or Colder? Could you speak up, son...

      by Mogolori on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:43:41 PM PDT

    •  I'll second that

      and one of them smelled of cat piss.

      Hey, it's true.  Hence is Vermont.

      by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:52:31 PM PDT

  •  Coventry, RI

    The turnout in this town is OLD. People in walkers, etc. More people in their 70s, 80s and 90s than I could count.

    Of course, this is just through noon.

    Providence should be a whole different story.

    Asking around, I don't get the sense that white males under 60 in this state are voting for Hillary.

    I couldn't find a one who was in the past few weeks.

    The turnout has also been incredibly heavy, even in remote Western Rhode Island.

    People are driving in from all over (some have a 20+ minute drive to their polling place even in little RI).

    by Colonel X on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:25:06 AM PDT

    •  hey Colonel X, what is old

      I am 60 and can honestly say I have a better build (muscular) than most men >40 that I know and have seen. My mind is real sharp too (I think) We are Rhode Islanders! We kick ass! So what is old?
      The first time I voted I was standing in line with my mother at Cranston School in Newport and I was told Nixon had been declared the winner. I was 22  ( you had to be 21 to vote, 18 to die). As a protest vote, I voted for McGovern. I was going to vote for Nixon. As a result, I have only voted for democratic presidents since.
      I held my nose for Kerry and voted for him. Kerry was a fighter but he did not fight.
      I like Edwards. I like Biden. I like Clinton. I do not like BO. I will vote for Senator Hillary Clinton.
      It has been 36 years, and I might hold my nose again and vote for .........
      This is going to be tough. BO is another politician from Chicago, just like Patrick. The people in Mass. are really disappointed in Patrick and I work with alot of Mass residents.
      Oh well there is always a first time.

      by RIdem on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:55:49 AM PDT

      •  What does

        being another politician from Chicago exactly mean? Is that some stereotypical analysis of what it means to be from Chicago and a politician?

        Please explain.

        by BlackBox on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:31:24 AM PDT

        •  Illinois in general and Chicago in particular

          have long standing reputations for corruption. Obama is not part of the Chicago machine, though, and ran against machine nominees in primaries. He also has gotten anti-corruption legislature through both the Illinios Senate and the US Senate, an odd thing to do if he were himself corrupt.

          by Wee Mama on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:01:24 PM PDT

      •  It sounds like

        you equate Deval with Obama and Obama with "Chicago politicians".

        Now, c'mon RIdem - I might be 57 but I think younger than that.

        by nolalily on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:02:34 PM PDT

      •  Are you sure that you want to talk

        about Chicago politicians given the history of RI politicians?

        by msstaley on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:28:45 PM PDT

    •  20 minute drive in Rhode Island?!

      Why that's practically half way across the state!

      by Scoopster on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:16:41 AM PDT

      •  Rhode Island is so small

        that they have to park their buses in Connecticut.

        And it's NOT even an island.

        by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:25:10 PM PDT

  •  Okay...

    I was surrounded by people with funny names, all wearing orange.

    Oh, you meant you wanted us to tell you about the polls in Ohio and Texas, not the poll here! Oops!

    by Caesura on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:33:45 AM PDT

  •  West University Place (in Houston, TX)

    I heard one of the workers talking to another that they're almost at 1,000 people by 5PM.  

    To put this into perspective, there are about 5,000 homes in the city divided into 4 precincts, with 2 polling places each covering 2 precincts.

    There are about 14,000 total people which includes children, and probably about 10,000 adults total.  Assuming similar results in the other polling places, it would mean perhaps 20% of eligible voters might have voted just today prior to 5PM.  Others certainly voted early (I know of a few who did) and many show up after 5PM.

    I would say this is very good turnout.

    Demographic data:

    http://www.city-data.com/...

    http://www.city-data.com/...

    by cappy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:30:15 PM PDT

•  give us lines, no lines, weather reports...

  anything!

  by Joes username on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:31:09 AM PDT

  •  Usually Nice Day Here In Vermont

    39 degrees, which means we should be dancing naked in the streets. High into the low-40s.

    No snow too, but that's because snow storms come on Wednesdays  (three straight weeks of Wednesday blizzards, with another one tomorrow...)

    by markhaverty on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:48:50 AM PDT

    •  Oops - Meant UNusually...

      by markhaverty on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:49:09 AM PDT

    •  Wow, you're having a

      heat wave.  50 here in CT but rainy and miserable -- but we already had our primary so I'm warm and toasty.

      by gchaucer2 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:51:28 AM PDT

      •  40 In March = Global Warming

        Between the weather and the chocolate lab playing ball, my yard's a swamp now from the melted snow. Fortunately, there will be plenty more tomorrow...

        by markhaverty on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:53:51 AM PDT

        •  Ack.

          We are getting the heavy rain -- flooding anon.  Chocolate labs are such great dogs.  Hope you don't have to hose the mud off of him.  Cheers -- spring is around the corner -- in July.

          by gchaucer2 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:55:23 AM PDT

          •  Mercifully, No Mud Yet...

            Just huge pools of slush and water sitting above the frozen ground - it has not gotten warm enough for mud, thankfully.

            And the two mutts think the lab is an idiot. Labs have total OCD when it comes to ball.

            by markhaverty on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:58:24 AM PDT

            •  Mud season right around the corner! nt

              by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:45:11 AM PDT

          •  I am in PA, flooding predicted

            weather in the 40s with flood warnings. Speaking of which, I need to check my garage as we live next door to a creek that has flooded us twice in less than 10 years.

            Fortunately living area is on second and third floors of our house. But there is nothing worse than muddy, duck feces ridden, disease ridden creek or river water flooding. Ick! We have had over a foot in our garage twice with dead mice and critters floating around...just awful ! And the smell, My god the smell !

            by wishingwell on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:30:08 PM PDT

        •  Cool here in N Cal :)

          Probably worth a hide rating, but clear, sunny & 68F here in Berkeley.  Cherry blossoms abound, deer are trimming the lawn for me, and the hummingbirds are, well, humming.

          by Twin Planets on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:51:23 AM PDT

          •  Hey, at least you didn't mention

            SEA BREEZES lol!  :)

            by oscarsmom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:27:02 AM PDT

      •  Where are you in CT?

        I have the gray but it's not yet raining where I am -- Trumbull.

        (Or did we have this location convo already and I'm not remembering it clearly?)

        by vbdietz on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:56:36 AM PDT

    •  thats funny I am in the mountains in WA

      and normally this time of year can be from 20-50 and today is around 43 and sunny and I feel like its spring!! The tons of snow we got this winter is melting.

      by marlakay on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:55:01 AM PDT

      •  Yep we are having spring early

        this year!  My tulips are very happy!

        by oscarsmom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:27:44 AM PDT

    •  Heh. It was a nice day

      Temperature dropping rapidly. Turnout in some towns looks really good. At least one town in my county has been pretty slow, but my guess is that's because it's a bedroom community for a local city, so commuters will probably vote on the way home.

      The ice storm is supposed to move in late enough that polls will be closed when it hits, so it shouldn't affect turnout.

      by mataliandy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:50:13 PM PDT

      •  A beautiful day in New Orleans.

        Cool air, dry air.  Nice warm sun.  Breezy.  Ahhhhh.

        by nolalily on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:04:03 PM PDT

  •  Very long lines in Austin

    Voters enthusiastic. Folks in Austin, plan to spend 30-45 minutes at the polls, and remember, it's worth it!

    Then join us again tonight for the caucus at 7:00 p.m.

    by kath25 on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:23:53 AM PDT

    •  It was cold when the polls opened. Thank God

      it has warmed up.  I early voted in Williamson County for Obama.

      by rlmeade on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:31:47 AM PDT

    •  This is why I discount the "vote Hillary" Rushies

      I think if wingnuts could waltz in and waltz out, after casting a spoiler vote for Hillary, they might actually do it.  Low impulse control.  But having to stand in line with enthusiastic patriotic voters?  It gets to even the hardest-hearted and most delusional of our citizens.  Forget the Fourth of July fireworks and the flag waving, the thing most Americans are most proud of is being able to go down and vote, freely, secretly, for the man or woman of their choice.

      I personally think that spoiler voting is a complete myth.

      by arthura on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:03:10 PM PDT

    •  We'll be there, and vigilant.

      Remember, pre-signed sheets are illegal. Have your cellphone, and let folks know you'll record every incident, and will call the police.

      by khereva on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:51:57 PM PDT

    •  Followup: it went fine for us.

      Summary here.

      by khereva on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 07:40:26 PM PDT

•  GO.....DEMOCRACY..... GO!!!!!!

  EVERYONE NOW!
  

  by rickeagle on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:32:00 AM PDT

•  dansac, can you post a link in the old thread?

  I posted a comment, but you might want to post a link in the body of the new thread.

  by democrattotheend on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:33:20 AM PDT

•  When does the first wave of exit polls come out?

  I know they're done throughout the day and sometimes are leaked.

  by jeepdad on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:35:07 AM PDT

  •  Not until at least 5

    They have started locking people with access to them in a room until 5 pm. That was instituted after 2004, when exit polls were leaked before they had been properly weighted that showed Kerry winning.

    Exit pollers tend to be more concentrated in more dense areas in order to maximize the number of responses in order to balance it out. Unweighted exits got leaked in 2004 that probably under-counted the rural precincts because they do less polling there, which is why it looked like Kerry was winning.

    by democrattotheend on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:38:25 AM PDT

    •  Thanks, good info. /nm

      by jeepdad on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:47:11 AM PDT

    •  "properly weighted"

      BAAAH!  Kerry won.

      by NYFM on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:30:01 AM PDT

    •  Hmm

      I was working Election Protection for Kerry at the KC headquarters.  I saw the head campaign guy bring in champagne around 5:00 - I couldn't believe it.  

      I was so optimistic that night.

      That hurt.

      by aimeeinkc on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:58:34 PM PDT

  •  The first wave of numbers are out there

    but I'm not posting them.  I did find this:

    These numbers aren’t statewide but a good cross-section. You aren’t going to get our head to head numbers yet as we want to be conservative and make sure they are right, but as Rughtpundits told you earlier, the crossover (Republicans meddling in the Dems affairs) is huge. Despite heavy heavy turnout, the crossover vote is still making up somewhere between 5%-8% of the Democratic vote.

    by sgilman on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:05:25 AM PDT

    •  Hmmm

      ... but as Rughtpundits told you earlier, the crossover (Republicans meddling in the Dems affairs) is huge. Despite heavy heavy turnout, the crossover vote is still making up somewhere between 5%-8% of the Democratic vote.

      This sounds to me as if Rush's appeal may have worked ... :(

      by redrosestoo on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:57:00 PM PDT

      •  Probably not

        My Republican dad is voting for Obama in OH, simply because he likes him and the Republican nomination is basically sowed up. He wants his vote to count for something. So at worst people like my dad counter people that actually listen to Rush.

        by dagnabbit on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:05:24 PM PDT

      •  Not necessarily...

        I've heard more stories about GOP Texans voting for Obama than Clinton...

        by seabrook on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:09:35 PM PDT

      •  some of this stuff is being posted

        over at Freeperville and I think it is wishful thinking on their part. They all claim to have reliable exit polls but only on wingnut sites do they have these. Yeah right, I believe them, not!

        by wishingwell on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:33:26 PM PDT

        •  This is why I discount the "vote Hillary" Rushies

          I think if wingnuts could waltz in and waltz out, after casting a spoiler vote for Hillary, they might actually do it.  Low impulse control.  But having to stand in line with enthusiastic patriotic voters?  It gets to even the hardest-hearted and most delusional of our citizens.  Forget the Fourth of July fireworks and the flag waving, the thing most Americans are most proud of is being able to go down and vote, freely, secretly, for the man or woman of their choice.

          I personally think that spoiler voting is a complete myth.

          by arthura on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 03:04:22 PM PDT

  •  I won't be believing

    anything from the exit polls today.

    The polling has been all over the place.

    by oscarsmom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:28:59 AM PDT

    •  that is so true Oscarsmom

      I am surprised so many Obama supporters expect him to lose both OH and TX. Ohio I can understand with Hillary's surrogates massively hitting the airways this past week and touting the NAFTA gate. As anti NAFTA sentiment is huge in OH. Isn't it odd how some are willing to suspend reality that Bill and Hillary were not pushing NAFTA in the 90s. They are partly and a good deal responsible for NAFTA in the first place ! Yet some are believing Obama is pro NAFTA and HRC is anti NAFTA. What a crock of Poo!

      But I still think TX is a possible win for Obama. I wonder why most others think Texas is lost?

      by wishingwell on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:43:50 PM PDT

•  Listening to local news in Columbus OH

  Franklin County had early voting last night until 9PM, reporter said the last person to finish voting didn't leave until just after 11PM due to lines.

  Something around 90,000 absentee ballots in Franklin County cast for the primary.

  voted around 10:30 in my precinct (52 - Morse Rd area) and no lines, 6 voting machines, and very sweet ladies staffing the polling. Just rain here in Central OH, and when my partner and I went to vote, it had even stopped raining (briefly).

  Asked the poll worker if they had been busy, she said it was when they first opened, but that it has slowed down since about 8AM.  Local news reporting lines becoming longer again in areas like the Short North around noon-time. Short North area is one of the major GBLT areas of the city, a bit counterculture too, hard to say who that benefits, other than it will be mostly Dem votes.

  Dunno what to expect today. Media is saying they expect record turnout in the state for the primary, and in the southern 2/3 of the state the rain doesn't seem to be causing major problems. I think Ohio is gonna be like Missouri on Super Tuesday, it will come down to the last few % of the vote being counted before we know who wins it.

  by DanceboyOH on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:35:26 AM PDT

  •  Turnout

    I would be surprised, but not shocked, if heavy turnout caused anything more than a close race. I don't think Clinton has really appealed to the emotions of many voters; those who are voting for her seem to be either issue-voters or really bought the experience talk.

    I just don't see a lot of first-time voters or folks that haven't voted in awhile falling all over themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton. I do see people a lot more inspired and determined to vote for Barack Obama. Just my 2c.

    by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:42:58 AM PDT

    •  Except for the first woman president factor

      I bet that brings out a least a few first time voters.

      by leftneck on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:16:11 AM PDT

      •  First black president..

        should move the needle a little bit as well.

        by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:19:21 AM PDT

      •  In my experience

        young women are less enthusiastic about HRC, than the possibilities of BO

        by BlackBox on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:33:14 AM PDT

        •  For sure

          no doubt most new voters will go to Obama.  However, there's no denying that she inspires a lot of older women voters.  I don't know how many times I've seen Clinton supporters, particularly the less die-hard ones, say "I want to see a women president before I die."

          That, in addition to the obvious generational politics, probably explains why younger women are more likely to support Obama--they're not worried about dying before they get another (better) shot at a woman candidate.

          by leftneck on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 12:22:40 PM PDT

          •  I'm sure she does...

            the older women that I know, however, have to be talked into going to the polls to vote for her in the GE, should she win, because she has so dismayed and pissed them off with her tactics.  My mother, who had been a supporter, used the word "loathe" today.  Very strong language for my very genteel mother.

            by mayan on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 01:53:49 PM PDT

      •  not first-time voters-----from phonebanking,

        it's older women who are Hillary's main support.
         I have 3 daughters in the first time voting range------all are Obama----as are all of their friends.

        by dotster on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:27:29 PM PDT

•  I would like to see updates on heavy AA precincts

  in Texas. Is turnout big?

  by jeepdad on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:36:10 AM PDT

  •  EV turnout was enormous there...

    But I don't have any good info on today.  It does seem that TX voting day turnout is stronger than in OH, just from anecdotal info.

    by dmsdbo on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:07:37 AM PDT

  •  I did not get the total at my precinct this

    morning but am going back in an hour.  I did get the totals from my friends precinct 3 hours after polls opened and 120 republican voters, 340 democratic.  I phonebanked that precinct and it was overwhelmingly for Obama.  

    by rlmeade on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:29:37 AM PDT

    •  San Antonio Precinct 4018

      as of noon, there were 171 Dem votes, 20 Repub.

      by not a cent on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:40:39 AM PDT

    •  So is that good or bad?

      I have no idea how big TX precincts are.

      by Cat Servant on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:12:33 PM PDT

      •  We had two weeks of early voting where you can

        vote at any polling location in the county.  Most people voted early in my precinct.  I just returned from my caucus and it was 224 total with 159 for Obama.  I could not get a real feel for who was going to show up for the caucus since I wound up leaving many messages on VM.  It has been a long night.

        by rlmeade on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:23:44 PM PDT

•  Voted early, but...

  I'm in Williamson County, which is an extremely Republican area just North of Austin.  When I voted early, the election workers were a bit surprised that someone actually asked to vote in the Democratic primary.  I've driven past the early voting location a few more times since then, and did notice that there were a number of Hillary signs but nothing for Obama there.

  by smchorse on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:36:34 AM PDT

  •  I'm from CA

    but I'm in Austin right now.  I've heard some scary stuff about Williamson County.  As in, don't even drive through there.

    My blog. Come visit.

    by hekebolos on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:10:04 AM PDT

    •  ROFL

      It's not quite that bad.  Though I would classify it as being part of the "asshole donut" that surrounds Austin.  It's a heavy Republican area, to the point where not a single Democrat holds any kind of public office in Williamson County (and I believe it's been around 15 years since anyone has).  Also, they pride themselves on being a "law and order" county so a lot of resources are devoted to the Williamson County Jail.  And they like to keep that jail full, even when it means locking up someone that just wrote a bad check and forgot about it (like my wife).

      by smchorse on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:46:48 AM PDT

  •  I wouldn't expect Obama

    to do well in really red districts like that.

    Which, IMHO, is a good thing!  :)

    by oscarsmom on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:30:48 AM PDT

•  Post trouble reports in anna's diary

  Election Problems Thread: TX, OH, RI, VT Please Report Here.

  by sardonyx on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:37:39 AM PDT

•  Well in TX many voted early which is GREAT!

  Don't be discouraged atleast in Texas if things arent to busy. Over 60% voted early.

  by HouTxLib on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:41:34 AM PDT

  •  My polling location in Austin was very quiet

    this morning which I attribute to the huge turn-out for early voting. I drove right up, found a parking space close to the door, and only one person was in line in front of me. I was in and out within about 7 minutes.

    The polling place is inside a very very small building, so I asked about the caucus this evening. I was told that most likely they would move it outside to accommodate the expected turn-out. The weather is cooperating as it's a gorgeous bright sunny day with temps right at 70 degrees, but it will cool down quickly so I hope caucus-goers bring jackets.

    This was a great improvement from my attempts at early voting. The lines were incredibly long each time I tried to vote early.  

    by jayden on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:42:16 PM PDT

•  Voted in Toledo

  Voted in west Toledo OH about 11:00am.  No lines for any of the 3 precincts at the voting site, most machines in use when I finished.  Both hubby and I voted for Obama.  We both asked for paper ballots (an option in Ohio now), apparently not many people have been asking for this option, as we were told we were only numbers 2 and 3 to vote in the Dem primary this way.  Most people were using the machines.  Sure hope they don't forget to count the paper ones tonight!  I just felt better leaving a paper trail with my actual vote, given recent history with the Diebold machines...  

  Weather was OK, some light ice but roads not too bad right now.  Supposed to get much worse later in the day.  Numbers of people at the polls were picking up as we left - probably beginning of the lunch rush.  Some Obama supporters holding signs and waving at a nearby intersection - they were getting a few honks and thumbs up from drivers.  

  Now we'll see what happens...

  by carolina stargazer on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:42:33 AM PDT

  •  Is Toledo supposed to be stronger for C or O?

    They said it yesterday on the news but I forget what the deal was.

    by democrattotheend on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:44:47 AM PDT

    •  Pretty close but probably a slight lead for Obama

      He's drawn huge crowds to his rallies here, far bigger than Hillary.  But this is a strong union city, so Hillary certainly has her share of supporters here.  I confess I didn't make up my mind until this morning - had been waffling a lot.  I really wanted to vote for a woman.  But in the end I decided that that I didn't think that was the best choice for our chances in November.  I think we badly need to change our broken government, and had to choose based on that.  

      by carolina stargazer on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:48:17 AM PDT

      •  Your confession makes me feel a lot better

        I am really nervous about late-breakers going for Clinton in light of all the negative coverage Obama has received in the past few days.

        by democrattotheend on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 09:49:44 AM PDT

        •  Runs both ways, no?

          For the one person who was convinced by the smears from the Clinton camp, there is likely one person who was turned off by them. Remember, Clinton has high negatives, so the negative campaigning may have served to reinforce them among a certain sector of the electorate, particularly men.

          by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:46:41 AM PDT

          •  If the in-laws didn't call last night

            it's very likely that the FIL wouldn't have voted for the "scary muslim."  Yes, he believed that Hillary smear.  He was informed by the truth.

            by The Dead Man on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:57:55 AM PDT

          •  yes, it does

            In fact, that is exactly what finally cemented hubby's vote.  He said he couldn't believe that Clinton was stooping to the same old "fear, be very afraid" stuff that we've had shoved down our throats for the past 7 years.  He said that did it for him, he was definitely voting Obama.  Not interested in more fear mongering, just interested in fixing our broken country.  I have to agree.

            by carolina stargazer on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:59:29 AM PDT

            •  Plus

              there are probably a small minority (a VERY small minority) of informed/educated Clinton voters who see the writing on the wall in terms of the math and the upcoming contests and might switch to just end this thing already and go after McCain.

              Maybe there aren't any of those, but something to consider.

              My wife went from an Edwards-Clinton supporter to an Obama sticker on her car in about three hours once she actually paid attention to the candidates and saw Obama speak.

              by ekthesy on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 11:08:35 AM PDT

          •  In calling Ohio the last 3 days, there was only

            one man who said he was voting for Clinton----all her supporters seem to be older women.  Both men and women for Obama.  And most are not aware of all the political back and forth, the kitchen sink throwing etc.----they were just interested in who was best for the issues they cared the most about.

            by dotster on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 02:51:12 PM PDT

  •  at least 2 from west Toledo,

    voted for Obama today!

    by Dr Ale on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 10:16:54 AM PDT

    •  three! n/t

      by Jesus was a Liberal on Tue Mar 04, 2008 at 05:18:44 PM PDT

•  I voted for Obama in Vermont...