Eager Voters Crowd South Florida's Early Voting Sites

Early voting started here in Florida today and voters are turning out in droves, lining up despite rain showers and gusty winds. In Boca Raton, some anticipated the long lines and camped out overnight to be the first in line to cast their votes. The enthusiasm, however, seems limited to Obama supporters.

In Boynton Beach, the early voters line was swamped by an even longer line of citizens waiting at the Civic Center next door, where the Obama campaign was giving out 500 tickets for an Obama appearance tomorrow in nearby Lake Worth. The tickets ran out in a matter of minutes, many in the crowd turned away empty handed.

Susan Horne, a Boynton Beach resident proudly said she was the second voter in Palm Beach County. "I voted for Barack Obama and I hope he's our next president."

Sonya Mitchell, another early voter said she was voting for Obama, too, "and it's not because he's Black, either. I'd vote across party lines for a good candidate, even though I'm a registered Democrat."

John Gavriluk of Delray Beach said he's a small-business owner voting for Obama. "Yes, enthusiastically so. He is visionary, like Colin Powell said in endorsing him. And he does represent a new generation of Americans who are united because he's a 'new breed of politician.' He's articulate, he's bright and he has an even, thoughtful temperament. Our country needs that right now."

Florence Rein and her husband Rubin were waiting, too. "I'll be 89-years old tomorrow and if Obama wins the election I'll think of it as a birthday present. My husband is 93 years old, and we're both voting for Obama." Said Rubin: "It's all about the issues facing our country right now. This crisis has forced Americans to think hard about the future."

"It's also time for us Caucasians to put aside any remaining prejudice. Barack Obama is a beautiful young man," said Florence. "Although I was originally a Hillary supporter, I'm voting for Barack Obama because he represents our future as a country."

Mac Arthur of Boynton Beach emigrated from Haiti and became a citizen only last year. "We really need to reset the button on the way we are seen in the world. Barack Obama represents that change. For the last eight years the way we have been viewed is not what we are about in America."

No McCain supporters in line were willing to step forward.

Comments

[FloridaMalamute]

I voted yesterday. The line was long and I chose the absentee ballot. It was simple, I could fill it out and bring it back the same day. Later that day, after I handed in the ballot, I was watching a local news program and they were interviewing a poll worker. The reporter asked the poll worker about the security of the absentee ballot. The answer was that each ballot was signed by the voter and they had their signatures on file. I had a sinking feeling that the geriatric volunteers at the polls here in Florida were being thrust into the role of handwriting experts. I felt despair when I realized that this gave the poll workers the right to reject any and every absentee ballot. It has been noted in this comment list that it is Obama fans that dominate the early voters. I hope all the votes are counted.

[dubbled]

Please people remember to check your ballots for accuracy there are a growing number of reports that votes are being changed from Barack to John McCain and we can't let them steal this election again!

[Voltage]

Startling contrast between the people lining up to vote and the thugs who accost them.

[RAWhite]

Nationalizing the voting machine industry won’t solve all problems, but it sure would be a good start.
A federal government monopoly would manufacture voting machines with the same degree of security enforced by the Treasury to print currency.
To further guard against tampering, the voting machines would be shipped under security to election commissions around the country. In between elections, their integrity would be safeguarded by storage in a secure federal facility.
The 2002 Help America Vote Act funds states to purchase or lease voting machines from private companies. The government would offer honest voting machines at little, or no cost. By furnishing all polling places with sufficient machines, people no longer will be forced to wait hours in line to vote. To minimize the inevitable delay causing glitches, the contract could provide for a standby technician on election day.

1- Because of the very reasonable doubt that voting machines will truthfully count their votes, in this election many people will not bother to go to the polls.
2- In a show of disrespect that does not go unfelt by those already alienated by the campaign, neither candidate has even mentioned, never mind offered a solution for, this widespread legitimate concern.
Ergo- A credible promise by Obama to nationalize voting machines - assuring the disillusioned that they will never cast in doubt another election - might well be the election issue to win over more than a few of those still undecided voters.

[justoverit333]

I think a LOT of people are going to the
polls. I'm seeing a lot down here in
Florida voting early. OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[DamianG]

From the Battle Ground Colorado:

Family votes For Obama:
Me
Wife
Mother In-Law
Sister In Law
2 Sisters
4 Nephews (First Time Votes)
1 Niece (First Time Vote)

More to come....

And I got a Republican who works with me to Vote for O.

[Julie02]

Way to go! Keep up the fight.

[redpepper]

Funny thing! It doesn't talk about all the voters going to the polls for McCain/Palin. I doubt if anyone will say who they voted for for fear of retaliation if they vote for McCain/Palin.

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

The last sentence

"No McCain supporters in line were willing to step forward"

[JXJASON]

My girlfriend and I voted for Senator Obama and Senator Biden on Oct. 17.

PA. FOR OBAMA/BIDEN 08

I received my OBAMA/BIDEN 08 teeshirt from Moveon.org yesterday. I will proudly wear it as I campaign in NEPA this week.

[Jules1]

I voted for Obama?Biden today here in WAshington State, my absentee ballot came in the mail and I was trilled, I am driving it to the government office tomorrow, I won't trust the mail this time around, I am so happy.

[meltingpot101]

I sure am sorry I missed those tickets for Lake Worth...but that's ok. A bunch of us are driving down to MIAMI to see Barack and Michelle tomorrow.

Best wishes and prayers for Barack's grandmother.

I am voting early too...gonna turn Fl. Blue,Blue,Blue.

[DaveC19]

What I don't understand is how the ballots cast are protected? What if early voters cast ballots, then the ballots are rifled through with many Democratic ones discarded? How are they protected?

Maybe it would be better to do on election day as they won't have time to tamper?

[JLee]

Straight from the horse's mouth. Contrast these words of hope and change with the increasingly ugly rhetoric from McCain and his supporters. It's a new day in America. (Keeps fingers crossed)

[OmnesOmnibus]

Nice post! It's the strategy of the Obama campaign to get as many of their supporters as possible to vote early. It's the strategy of the McCain campaign to tamp down this vote and make it as hard as possible for the poor and disenfranchised to vote. The McCain people are well aware that a high turnout and an early one is their certain doom.

[HappyChick]

It's awesome to see the enthusiasm the voters are exbihiting. I voted back on September 23rd. It took me about ten minutes to go through the line to vote. VOTE EARLY!!!!!

[jackson1015]

I admire the people who've stood up to hecklers in order to vote early. It shouldn't take an act of bravery to vote in the United States of America, but it seems to have swung back aruond that. We're witnessing history being made and it's exciting.

[Bess]

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!