Long lines for early voting in Ohio and Florida this weekend
As of Sunday, 27 million American have voted early in 34 states. This is more than in 2008. There were exceptionally long lines for early voting in Florida and Ohio this weekend. Some voters waited in line 9 hours on Sunday to vote. This is occurring because Republican drastically reduced the hours of early voting in those two states.
In Ohio, the Republican Secretary of State, John Husted, allowed early voting only in Republican counties, but not in Democratic counties. The Obama campaign and other plaintiffs sued to reinstate early voting everywhere. Two federal courts agreed and ruled that Ohio must reinstate early voting. The Supreme Court refused to overturn the Appeals Court, so Husted was ordered to restore early voting. He did, but only for a few hours a day.
In Florida, the state’s Republican governor cut early voting hours as well. He reduced the days almost by half. What the governors of both states wanted to do was suppress Sunday voting by African-Americans who traditionally vote after Sunday services. It didn’t work. In both states, after-church voting was back to 2008 levels.
In Florida, the state’s Republican governor cut early voting hours as well. He reduced the days almost by half. What the governors of both states wanted to do was suppress Sunday voting by African-Americans who traditionally vote after Sunday services. It didn’t work. In both states, after-church voting was back to 2008 levels.
Early voting was extended in three areas in south Florida Sunday, and in Winter Park, Florida where a bomb scare closed the polls for a day.
Sunday, despite reduced hours, the turnout was record breaking. The lines were long as a result of voter suppression by Republicans, but these long lines showed the resolve of voters not allowing their votes to be suppressed. These Americans are making democracy work by their perseverance. They should be a model to all who love freedom.
Republicans did not think so many would endure so much misery just to vote.
Early voting is up all across the nation. AP reported 27 million have already voted. In the key battleground states, early voting favors Obama as it did in 2008, but Romney has cut into the early voting gap.
In 2008, Obama won the election during early voting. Exit polls show he lost among people who voted on Election Day itself. This year, Republicans learned a lesson. They mobilized to get their voters out early as well. More Democrats than Republicans have voted early in all the battleground states except Colorado where Republicans have a slight edge. Sunday’s turnout in Florida and Ohio clearly favors the President.
On Sunday, Paul Ryan was in Colorado, and President Obama drew 20,000 at a rally in Aurora, Colorado at 10:30 pm.
The Romney campaign said that they were not concerned about Sunday’s turnout. They say Obama is losing independents and on Tuesday, independents will put the governor in the White House a campaign spokesman said.
Here is the tally of early voting in battleground states as of Sunday:
Colorado
Votes: 1.6 million
Democrats: 35%
Republicans: 37%
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Florida
Votes: 4.3 million
Democrats: 43 %
Republicans: 40%
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Iowa
Votes: 614,000
Democrats: 43%
Republicans: 32%
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Nevada
Votes: 702,000
Democrats: 44%
Republicans: 37%
North Carolina
Votes: 2.7 million
Democrats: 48%
Republicans: 32%
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Ohio
Votes: 1.6 million
Democrats: 29%
Republicans: 23%