Much attention has been given to early voting and early voting states, but little to those states where early voting is not an option for the large majority of the population.
Early voting turn out has yielded long lines and long waits - what's going to happen in states where the large majority of people will vote on Tuesday November 4th?
Here is the list of states that do not offer early voting:
AL - CT - DE - DC - KY - MD - MA - MI - MN - MS - MO - NH - NY - PA - RI - SC - VA
http://earlyvoting.net/...
The states in bold are states that are hotly contested and/or considered key to Obama winning because they are electoral vote rich...
I really don't think the problem on Tuesday will be getting people to the polls based on what we are seeing in early voting.
I think the problem in these states - some critical to our victory - will be keeping people at the polls long enough to get them in to vote - getting people to Stay to Vote will be key on Tuesday.
For the past two weeks, I've been peppering GOTV diaries with comments about figuring out ways to help people in your network of family, friends and colleagues to not just vote, but to allow for the time to vote.
The NAACP is suing VA and Gov. Tim Kaine because apparently Virginia has a ratio of 750 people to each polling station. For comparison, neighboring Maryland which is notoriously screwy on election days has a ratio closer to 200 people per voting station. It could be a train wreck and people who do have to go to work, who work on an hourly wage, who have planned three hours and find that it is taking four - too long to allow them to pick their child up from daycare - those people may need back up.
So there is nothing I can personally do to change those poor polling ratios at the moment or the electronic machines that so often fail to work properly, but I can reach out to all of my friends who are voting in Maryland and Virginia to let them know that after I get done voting in the District - which I am certain will take a long time too - I can offer to provide back up in the form of child care, pet care or whatever they need. I am calling my friends and asking them to plan for the process to take a long time - plan for the worst and hope for the best - and offering my help. I can also call my friends too far away for me to offer in-person assistance to help them think through their strategy for dealing with a potentially long line at the polls.
I know a lot of people do not want to talk about this long line issue for fear that people won't go, but if we want to keep people at the polling station long enough to actually cast a vote once they are there, we need to figure out strategies to do just that.
I am calling all of my friends this weekend that I did not catch up with in the past week to talk about the plan for hanging out in the line.
As for my plan, I've set it up so that all of my work can be done via my cell phone on the day. I've given the lady who works for me on Tuesdays the day off so she can vote and I don't have to worry about managing her work. I'll give the dogs a good long run before I go and plenty of water. When I go to vote myself, I'll take a "waiting to vote kit" including some reading material, a bottle of water for me and an extra in case someone in line needs one, a snack or two and some left over Halloween candy for the kids, my prescription that I will likely need to take if I am caught in line too long, and an extra piece of warm clothing. I will also have my voting card with me for that triumphant moment when I get to the point where I can get my ballot.
Because if we are all prepared for the day, the chances that long lines will pose a problem rather than just an irritation will be much reduced.
As for what I am wearing - not that you asked :) - I'm not wearing any campaign stuff because that could be challenged as attempted electioneering. This election is too important to fight the free speech battle over a t-shirt or button with a volunteer poll worker or a McCain person - I'm thinking my vote for Obama and down ticket Democrats will address Constitutional issues I care about more effectively than a tit for tat at a polling station will. I will also be wearing my jeans so I can sit down on the ground if my back starts to get aggravated; layers so that I can be warm if it is cold and not get hot if it warms up; and my most comfortable shoes. My jeans will of course be blue :)...
The objective on Tuesday is to get my "I voted sticker" and to help as many people that I know to do the same.
The Obama camp has a fantastic GOTV effort going. Millions and millions of people want to vote.
Let's all try to help with the STV effort - Stay To Vote.
Can you help anyone you know who might need back up on election day?
Can you call your friends and family who are going to have to vote in states where Tuesday is "the day" to be prepared?
Think about it. You probably can. Do it.
Call and check in with people you know this weekend. Talk the day through - come up with strategies with your friends, families and colleagues to make sure that you and they can Stay To Vote.
Thanks in advance.