Biggest Voter Turnout In 90 Years, Since Women Won The Right

Americans turned out at the polls in record numbers today.

According to MSNBC:

Americans were voting in numbers unprecedented since women were given the franchise in 1920. Secretaries of state predicted turnouts approaching 90 percent in Virginia and Colorado and 80 percent or more in big states like Ohio, California, Texas, Missouri and Maryland.

Though the exact numbers won't be determined until all the votes are counted in the next few days and weeks, a history-making high percentage of Americans voted, according to CNN and the Wall Street Journal:

More than 30 million voters had already cast ballots before Tuesday in early voting. Nearly 100 million more were expected on election day. Hundreds of thousands of voters waited from long before daybreak or for hours on end to make their choices known.

Michael McDonald, a politics professor at Virginia's George Mason University, predicted nearly 65% of the electorate would have voted by the time all polls closed -- matching or eclipsing the turnout in the presidential election of 1960 featuring candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Not since 1908, when the U.S. was convulsing through a shift from the machine party politics of the 19th century to the free-for-all of modern campaigns, has so large a proportion of Americans participated in a presidential election.

Comments

[PT6]

OBAMA PHENOMENA!

When you have a Powerful Candidate!

When you have a Corrupt Administration in Power!

When the Corruption becomes clear to Every American - yes even the right!

Then you get the OBAMA PHENOMENA!

[PSTEN]

Elminate the electoral college, get ride of public funding for campaigns. It's important to see how a candidate can attract support not only in votes but in cash.

[BobSF94117]

This "record" turnout is shameful.

We need to change the laws about the timing of the polls and the release of results. The west coast experiences systemic voter suppression because of the media "calling" the election.

[WIpatriot]

65% turnout...great, but still a long way to go....

[arnray]

I'm glad it was a long campaign. I don't think I could have shaken my political cynicism cold turkey. It has served me so well for most of my adult life.

[GwenElle]

Just watched a local press conference here in Atlanta. Looks like Georgia is on its way to a runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. After couting provisional and absentee ballots its seems that Martin has eliminated the four percent gap that existed!!!

Georgia is the only state in the union that requires a 50 percent majority to win. The runoff would take place December 2nd.

So there is still hope . . .

[Nyla785]

A decisive victory. That's what was needed to change things--in order to keep the vote sifting and GOP lawyers at bay. America knew that--and they did something about it. I am so proud to be an American today, for MANY reasons.

[FaceYourFears]

Went to bed at 4am got up at 5am......too excited to sleep! So far, so good, Ashton Kutchner hasn't jumped out and said "America you've been punked!"

[WIpatriot]

lol.

[Grunty1]

What the heck happened in Montana? When I went to sleep, Obama was winning by 11% with over 50% counted!

[WIpatriot]

They hadn't received the rural votes by Pony Express, yet????

[azcamp]

What an opportunity we all have this morning. After almost two years of working for change, we now have all we need to make it happen from the bottom up. Let's not squander one day in divisive chatter!

It does not matter how we got here because yesterday is gone. What will each of us do today to make America a better place to live?

I can make soup for a sick neighbor, tutor a friend's child or hug a senior who lives alone. When Senator Obama summoned our better angels, he understood that we are each more capable of greatness than we ever imagined.

We will never be the same.

[shaaronie]

Ahhh! That made me tear up! So true, so true. There is a man who lives next door to me. He lives alone , is a hermit and is considered a weirdo because he papers his windows and you NEVER see lights in his home. From the outside it looks vacant. On Halloween night, all the neigbors put their porch lights on for trick or treaters and I noticed his light on for the first time I could remember. I had taken my grandchildren trick or treating but skipped his house. Later it dawned on me, that this year he may have wanted to participate and probably received no knocks on his door. It was a little late, but I bundled the kids back up and went to his home and knocked, it opened immediately and the smile he gave us was so sweet. He asked the kids about their costumes, gave us candy and thanked us for coming. We were his only visitors. I really felt good about that experience.

[WIpatriot]

C'mon, just ONE day???

[morenews7]

The Work of Better Angels:

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/11/work-of-better-angels.html

[AHydel]

this is remarkable. To think that 8 years ago we were seeing some of the lowest voter turnout in history, to now the highest in 90 years. AMericans give a s*it again in their country, whatever party they support.

[Grunty1]

Is it a coincidence that the lowest turn out produces the worst president? I don't think so.

And now Obama has to prove that the opposite is true.

[proudem]

After Katrina, Why is Louisiana so red?

[Rapid Ray]

That question may be the one that lingers the longest after this election.

[docron]

Remember that many people who once were the citizens of New Orleans are now citizens of Houston, of Denver, of Los Angeles, and of cities across the nation.

Katrina changed the demographics of Louisiana. And we have not done enough to repair the places where people once lived. We may never do so. A permanent shame for the Bush administration.

[proudem]

Thank you. I contacted a Dem friend in NOLA a couple of months ago and he said the he couldn't vote for a black man. I was shocked and appalled. I have known this person for 20 years and I realize the he was greatly affected by Katrina, but this was unbelievable and very disappointing. I have not had contact since. I was wondering if this was indicative to Katrina victims or was this the overall belief in Louisiana.

[granamica]

Because the poor and affected are flung across the country. There's no low income housing being built.

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

Last spring my wife and I visited NOLA and surrounding areas (we go there twice a year... we love it so much). I observed that every couple of miles or so a big billboard would loom up with R u s h L i m b a u g h's ugly head on it. I felt like I was in a bad dream! There does not seem to be ANY progressive radio available there, except perhaps for those who seek it via web streaming.
So how in the h e l l can folks down in LA hope to get a different spin on things when all they have is non-stop hate-radio filling their minds??
Frankly, I'm surprised at how well O b a m a did in that state

[proudem]

interesting. Thank you

[proudem]

Today I am in tears. I am so proud. We have a lot of work to do. But today I have hope.

[Jlong]

We could get much higher turn out for every election if it wasn't so damn hard and inconvenient to vote.