I just got back in the door from my trip out to vote this morning. I live in a rural area in a County adjacent to the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Area. While my top priority was voting; I had a Doctor’s appointment and errands that took me in towards the city.
What I saw comes after the fold.
As I made the drive in towards town this morning, I paid little attention to checking out polling places. I guess I was more concerned about grabbing some breakfast before seeing the Doctor and I did not notice anything out of the ordinary.
However, about10:50 AM, as I was leaving Jeffersontown, on the southeast edge of the city, traffic was stopped on east bound Taylorsville Road. The cause was a few eastbound vehicles stopped in the travel lane trying to make the left turn into the Jeffersontown Community Center, a polling place. The Community center lot was full and overflowing. I have passed this facility many, many times over the years when all types of events were being held; but I have never seen the lot full to overflowing and backed up out onto Taylorsville Road.
The next polling place I passed was the Baptist Church in a small village further east. While their lot was not full to overflowing; it is about twice the size of the lot at the J-town CC. At about 11:00 AM; It was, however, about 75-80% full.
Finally, I reached my own polling place outside to Louisville/Jefferson County Metro. The parking was about 70% full and I did have to wait in line about 20 minutes before voting. The poll worker I spoke with said the turn out was bigger, so far, than they May primary in which there was close and hotly contested Senate primary races in both parties.
My personal observation is that the turn out I saw, at that time, about 11:20 AM was a big as any I have ever experienced at this voting place.
I really have no definitive perspective on past partisan voting history from any of these areas to be able to say they are largely Democratic or Rethug. From my personal knowledge of the areas involved and as I recall from past elections; all these areas can and have broke either way. Also, at least in my precinct, there is a lot of ticket splitting and well-entrenched local locals from either party running un-opposed. Another at least neutral to good sign is that I have witnessed no "Tea Bagger" presence around here at all.
The bottom line is that I don’t know if the turnout I witnessed in three precincts is a good sign for our side; but at least there appears to be a lot of "engaged" voters around here.