A surge of early and absentee voters

Take a muddled Republican presidential field, toss in a pocketbook issue like property taxes and what do you get? Turnout! Seven percent of Florida voters have already cast early or absentee ballots in next week's presidential preference and property tax election. In a state with a history of lackluster turnouts that's a pretty impressive number, and the polls won't open for several more days. Nearly 100,000 people have voted so far in Miami-Dade County alone, according to the county's election web site.

In addition, early turnout numbers indicate that 10-percent of voters not affiliated with either party are showing up to register their opinions about Amendment 1, the property tax. "It's good for democracy," says Democratic strategist Steve Schale. Steve Bousquet's report is here.

Comments

[RJM]

Early/absentee voting is much more convenient. I don't think I'll ever vote on voting day again. I must say though, it cost me this year. I voted for Bill Richardson.

Hmmm...Rudy may not be dead yet if people voted for him before his slide started.

No he's still dead...

Steve Schale and the Democrats spinning how great they are doing in Florida?

Funny, because this video shows Karen Thurman complaining about Democrats disenfranchising Florida voters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DUtLy3Pa4o

Something tells me the voters here in Florida will remember this come November.

Florida Democrats, disenfranchising voters in 2000 and starting all over again in 2008. This time, instead of disenfranchising military voters, they are disenfranchising their own voters, in totality!

I love it, this is just classic!

i will never vote early - i want candidates earning my vote until the last possible minute - i've made up my mind who i'm gonna vote for, but i still think they all should have an opportunity to earn my vote

[MITT RULES]

Mitt is going to win by ten!

Mark my words.

[Crusader]

I hereby declare a moratorium on the use of "surge."

if Mitt wins, Marc R is the man!

if Mitt wins, isnt Sally the man?

When will Katherine Harris endorse Romney?

Sally B gets credit for bringing Marc R into the fold. He is a genius!

I wish I would have waited before early voting for McCain. His NYT endorsement makes me sick.

Right. Like the NYT endorsement is McCain's fault. 10:14 must be a paid political advisor for someone else's campaign.

NY Times luved the old Mitt!! hehehe

[David]

Lets face it. The liberal press loves McCain for a reason.

Our troops are fighting for freedom and for people not to go out and vote is a slap in the face.

McCAIN is the best candidate for President. He is mature, knowledgeable and tells it to you the way he seeis it whether you like it or not. He is no panderer. (Mitt? Charlie??)

McCain is the ONLY Republican who can beat either Hillary or Obama. Look at the statistics. All the other candidates tank.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html

If you are a McCain supporter, I would avoid using his name and the word "mature" in the same sentence.

[peggy arvanitas]

Fact is, Romney has an LNG gas tanker terminal love he and Bush have in common, and it's SUEZ subsidiaries Distrigas and Tractebel. Foreign gas and the extra gas isnt for Florida, it's for the pipelines running to the NE. And Superfund sites that both Jeb and Romney approved for big business. Even though the groundwater and land is contaminated. And Fla Gas Storage sits on the water supply of St Lucie county. Like they have enough problems with FP&L and the gas pipeline leaks. And the FP&L nuclear sludge illegally disposed of 10-20 years ago that gave children cancer.
Jeb and Romney dont put health over the environment.

I would never vote for that flip-flopping panderer Romney