Texas voting early in LARGE numbers.

AP article | 10-20-04

[JFC]

Texans flock to polls as early voting begins Local races may be force behind big turnout

Associated Press

[deport]

Even larger number voted on Tuesday......

November 2, 2004 Early Voting Cumulative Totals Thru Close of Business October 19, 2004

County	Reg* Voters	# In Person On Oct. 19, 2004	Cumulative In- Person Voters	Cumulative % In- Person	Cumulative By Mail Voters	Cumulative In- Person And Mail Voters	Cumulative Percent Early Voting
Harris		21,470	42,338		9,262	51,600
Dallas		22,191	42,757		15,446	58,203
Bexar		18,081	33,456		2,930	36,386
Tarrant		19,949	37,634		8,108	45,742
Travis		15,857	31,840		1,691	33,531
El Paso		7,736	14,787		2,343	17,130
Collin		9,491	18,628		1,547	20,175
Denton		7,394	14,344		1,358	15,702
Hidalgo		4,601	9,171		702	9,873
Fort Bend		4,234	8,696		3,544	12,240
Montgomery		4,666	9,444		1,622	11,066
Nueces		4,332	8,518		0	8,518
Williamson		5,457	11,016		759	11,775
Galveston		3,613	7,531		2,519	10,050
Jefferson		4,248	7,761		1,052	8,813
Total		153,320	297,921		52,883	350,804
*Due to the large volume of registration applications received by the deadline, the total number of registered voters for the November 2, 2004 election will not be available until the week of October 25, 2004.

---

For comparative purposes here's the 2000 General Election early voting data in the top 15 counties

Early Voting - November 3, 2000

November 7, 2000 Early Voting Cumulative Totals Thru Close of Business November 3, 2000 Prepared by: Elections Division
County	Reg Voters	# In Person On 11/3/2000	11/3/2000 * In- Person Voters	11/3/2000 * % In- Person	11/3/2000 * By Mail Voters	11/3/2000 * In- Person And Mail Voters	11/3/2000 * Percent Early Voting
Harris	1,886,581	36,815	228,044	12.09%	24,039	252,083	13.36%
Dallas	1,248,325	36,236	220,622	17.67%	13,013	233,635	18.72%
Bexar	871,783	26,207	184,250	21.13%	17,338	201,588	23.12%
Tarrant	851,104	33,490	185,148	21.75%	14,931	200,079	23.51%
Travis	572,429	18,912	129,330	22.59%	6,164	135,494	23.67%
El Paso	352,359	9,733	63,414	18.00%	2,988	66,402	18.84%
Collin	296,171	12,599	75,244	25.41%	1,860	77,104	26.03%
Denton	274,386	11,305	62,686	22.85%	1,370	64,056	23.35%
Hidalgo	244,668	6,101	37,982	15.52%	2,508	40,490	16.55%
Fort Bend	202,706	8,418	38,612	19.05%	1,602	40,214	19.84%
Nueces	202,443	5,870	41,952	20.72%	1,323	43,275	21.38%
Montgomery	183,958	7,121	42,825	23.28%	2,471	45,296	24.62%
Galveston	176,888	7,423	39,929	22.57%	3,796	43,725	24.72%
Jefferson	166,238	7,780	46,272	27.83%	3,453	49,725	29.91%
Lubbock	154,157	5,297	34,712	22.52%	1,534	36,246	23.51%
Total	7,179,549	233,307	1,431,022	19.93%	98,390	1,529,412	21.30%
*Cumulative

 

[deport]

You could do the same thing in single day voting by voting absentee in one name and go to the polls with the other.... so what's the diff........

[Paleo Conservative]

Early Voting - November 3, 2000

I think DemocRATS should be told to vote on November 3, 2004.

[ridesthemiles]

I thought there was a distance limit regarding signs, campainging in proximity to the polling places?

Too short a distance or not being adherred to?

[MeekOneGOP]

I voted Monday. I got to my polling place 2 minutes after they opened and there were already people there ahead of me.

I mentioned about getting off to a fast start so early and the polling official I talked to said that it was going to be a "mad rush" in the early voting.

Go, Dubya, go !!!!

[Sprite518]

Looks like the DemRats are up to stealing the election in every state including Texas.

[showme_the_Glory]

I tried on Monday but I got there 20 minutes too late. They closed at 5:00pm. They was a KXAN TV crew just wrapping up. I'll hit it again today.

[Soul Seeker]

Good! I'm so happy to hear of huge voter turnout in states like Texas particularly. We NEED the popular vote. Every single vote we can grab to ram down Kerry's throat.

[hosepipe]

Joseph Stalin once said: "It's not who votes, but who counts the votes"

[OHelix]

"You could do the same thing in single day voting by voting absentee in one name and go to the polls with the other.... so what's the diff........

I could argue that's like saying "Somone could break one of the windows to get in, so why lock the door?" (Granted, that's not the best analogy, but I hope you understand my point.)

I think Texas is doing great job compared to my own state. Fayre Verona said "they scanned my voters' registration card when I was in the first line and checked it against my drivers' license". I think that's awesome. If by "checked it against my drivers' license" she means they matched her registration number to her DL#, it would mean you would need multiple DL#s to vote more than once. If they just check against the name, then, if you were able to register multiple times, you could vote multiple times...

...and, IN GENERAL, early voting makes it easier to vote more than once without being caught, simply by allowing voting on multiple days.

[Lagrange Point]

I voted in Bastrop County on Monday. Large turnout at the new court house. Only complaint I have was that there was no Dem on the ballot for our local congress critter. I was looking forward to voting against a dem.

Wish I was in dist. 25, I would love to vote against ole' Lloyd Doggett!

L.P.

[JFC]

Almost all on our ballot were Republicans... but I porudly circled each one of those R's....... I thanked God for the opportunity to vote for President Bush.

[momforbush]

Sharpton was speaking to people waiting to vote first thing Monday morning. So, those people are not involved w/absentee ballots.

[TexasCajun]

I drove by my early voting place mid-morning, a guy coming out said it was about 30-40 mins.

I plan on going early tomorrow.

[Doe Eyes]

This could help with the popular vote this time around... We need to run up the numbers in the South and Southwest...

Win the state by a single vote or a million. Makes no difference in our electoral system.

[deport]

Win the state by a single vote or a million. Makes no difference in our electoral system.

---

But it sure takes the mantra about not winning the popular vote out of their hands.......

[Doe Eyes]

True.

[Dead Dog]

I agree, to easy for folks to go precinct to precinct, voting "early and often".

[texsean]

I'm not sure how they do it in other counties or states, but here in Harris County you have to show your voter's registration card (or TDL, but the card's easier). Then once they find you on their computer, a label is printed out and handed to a second clerk. The second clerk puts that label into a book, and you sign it. Then an access code is printed out and given to you. Once you enter the voting booth, you must enter the code to acutally vote. Once you're done, you are given the opportunity to review your ballot and then hit the "cast ballot" button.

It seems like a fair and honest system to me, and I don't really see how you can poll hop to vote early and often in a system such as this. I realize it may work much differently in other places.