Austin: The best place for a liberal to live in Texas. When I first moved here to attend UT in 1998 I joined the University Democrats and stuffed envelopes and walked neighborhoods in 2000 for Gore. I don't have as much time now to volunteer, but I do what I can and no matter who you support the important thing is to donate what you're able in support of that candidate whether it's time, money, phone calls, etc.
Members of the University Democrats were first in line to cast their ballots at the Flawn Academic Center on the UT campus. Dozens took part in an event called "Voterama" Monday night. They spent all night on the West Mall waiting for the polls open for early voting.
For close to 10 hours, students held mini-rallies, took part in games and debated the merits of each candidate.
Then at 7 a.m., all the students lined up so they could be the first ones inside to cast their vote.
Sounds like it was a fantastic event and a great way to kick of the Texas primaries.
Dallas: My home city and where my parents and a couple siblings still live. My Mom had minor surgery yesterday (Tues) and is considering going to see Obama today (Wed) at Reunion Arena - that's how fired up Democrats in Texas are.
"There's no question we busted every record," Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet said. "I've never seen a primary election that I felt had more energy starting up.
"We can't compare this to any one of them. It proves our voters can be motivated to turn out the vote."
Dallas County added about 75 poll workers and the Democratic Party ordered 100,000 extra ballots in anticipation of huge crowds. Denton County Elections Administrator Don Alexander said he ordered at least twice the normal number of ballots for the Democratic Party.
For me this is great news. As a liberal Dem growing up in Dallas I've always disliked the conservative politics in Big D and seeing stories and quotes like these make me proud to be a Texas Dem (and no, not for the first time in my life):
"I had to vote today," said Art Lizcano, 37, of Dallas. "It's too important to put off. We are either going to have a woman president or an African-American president, which is something that I didn't think would ever happen in my lifetime."
Houston: My cousin, who lived in Houston for 20+ years has told me that coming to Austin was like moving to another world. We often joke that we live on an island of liberalism in an ocean of conservatism.
By the end of the day, 9,233 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary; 2,914 in the Republican, said Harris County Clerk's spokesman Hector de Leon. First-day totals for early voting in the 2004 presidential primary totaled 849 in the Democratic contests and 678 in the Republican. "I think a lot of people are watching the national primaries," de Leon said. "They recognize Texas has a role to play."
Democratic turnout has overwhelmed Republican voters in Bush's home county and today was just the first day.
San Antonio: I don't know a whole lot about the politics in San Antonio but Democrats there are also turning out in record nunbers:
More than 9,000 people cast ballots Tuesday in Bexar County, more than doubling the previous single-day record for early voting.
Elections officials said an electorate excited over the sizzling Democratic presidential primary in two weeks accounted for the record one-day turnout. More than three times as many voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary as in the Republican.
The following quote sums up nicely how I and many of my friends and family feel about this election:
"We've lost a lot of respect around the world," said lifelong San Antonio resident Robert Sanchez, 53, echoing the sentiment of a number of voters. "This is a very, very important presidential election, probably the most important in quite a while, especially as far as Texas counting in the national vote."
Lets turn Texas blue in 2008 and make this primary one for the record books.
Update: Kath25 has an interesting diary on the state of the Texas Democratic Party and why Obama could lift us out of our doldrums.
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