Posted on 03/04/2006 7:47:28 AM PST by Theodore R.
Story last updated at 4:36 a.m. Saturday, March 4, 2006
Early voting wraps up, draws 'strong turnout' BY ELLIOTT BLACKBURN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Turnout for Lubbock County early voting was higher than normal but not record-setting, according to numbers released Friday night.
Just under 12,000 voters had cast ballots at early election polling stations before voting ended at 7 p.m. Friday. That accounts for less than 8 percent of the 155,000 registered voters in Lubbock County.
Those were good numbers, Lubbock County Republican Party Chairman Robert Pratt said.
"It's a good, strong turnout," Pratt said. "But it's not a record for the Lubbock County Republican Party."
Roughly 50 percent of the total vote for primary elections is cast during early voting, Pratt said. The early voting period this year was between Feb. 21 and Friday. Pratt predicted a 20,000 to 24,000 total vote.
Primary turnout looked to be better than the past three election cycles, he said, crediting growth in the county and a healthy number of contested local races.
"For those that think it's a big turnout because of these nasty elections, it's not," Pratt said. "I'll suspect it's one of the higher totals we've had in the last few years, but with the growth we've been having, it's nothing to write home about."
County Democratic Party Chairwoman Johnnie Jones said an unofficial early voting turnout of 1,710 Democrats showed the party was growing. Only an official number for combined voters was available Friday night.
There are no contested Democratic races for local offices, but Jones believed more Democrats were turning out to vote for statewide offices.
"I think we've actually seen an increase over the last gubernatorial primary," Jones said. "It's always good to see the Democratic Party growing in Lubbock County, and it certainly is."
The county sent mobile poll stations to the hospitals this year to allow medical staff working 12-hour shifts a chance to vote early, Lubbock County Elections Administrator Dorothy Kennedy said. The turnout wasn't as big as it was during the 2004 presidential contest, Kennedy said.
"Even to the election workers out there, it's been slow," Kennedy said.
New polling stations will open Tuesday for the primary. Check Sunday's Avalanche-Journal for polling locations.
To comment on this story:
elliott.blackburn@lubbockonline.com 766-8722
brian.williams@lubbockonline.com 766-8717
When it is early voting and not the vote itself. Indicates how strong emotions are running on either side.
I was asked which primary I wanted to vote in (and I made it very plain which one). There are NO elected dimboRATs in Lubbock County...:-)
How'd Kinky do?
"Criticize me if you will, but just don't circumsize me any more." - Kinky Friedman
Didn't he write, "They're not makin' Jews like Jesus anymore?"
He certainly did.
He's not running in a primary. He's running as an independent.
Kinky wasn't in the Primary. Since he's running as an independent, he will have to garner signatures from registered voters who didn't vote in the primaries to be placed on the ballot.
Thanks. I knew there was some kind of hurdle.
Hope he gets on the ballot.
A lot of Deaniac Dems here skipped the Democratic Primary so they can get Kinky on as a "spoiler"-hoping to take votes away from Perry so that Gammage will be elected Governor..
Is that bad? Which one is the Republican?
I was only thinking of the entertainment value.
Rick Perry is our incumbent Republican Governor. Bob Gammage is facing Chris Bell in the Democratic Primaries for the Dem's Candidate for the Governor's race.
Gammage's supporters view him as more progressive than Chris Bell who they feel is Republican Lite. IMHO, Gammage is the choice of the far left. General Wesley Clark has been stumping for him. Planned Parenthood likes him.
Kinky's entertainment value has already ceased to be funny or entertaining. Maybe he needs to write some new jokes-I think he has Molly Ivins' endorsement from what he said on Jay Leno..
"I think he has Molly Ivins' endorsement from what he said on Jay Leno.."
Uh oh! Not good.
Uh oh! Not good.
For Kinky.
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