North Carolina - be amazed --no be blown away 1,090,808 already voted in one stop reg/vote

[grantcart]

Something inspiring is happening in North Carolina. More AA have voted in early voting than all Republicans combined.

Never really discussed by the pundits as a possible swing state North Carolina has edged closer and closer to Obama in this election



What makes it possible for the people to express themselves and get truely involved in this election?

The best voter registration law in the country (if somebody has better I stand corrected)

Here it is from the Secretary of State for North Carolina


The deadline to register to vote in this State is 25 days before the day of the election. Forms that are received by the county board of elections office or postmarked by the deadline are accepted as valid applications for the upcoming election. Also, agency and DMV voter registration transactions that are completed by the deadline are accepted as valid for the upcoming election. Applicants will be notified by the county board of elections of their precinct and polling place assignments.

Individuals who miss the registration deadline, if qualified, may register in person and then vote at a one-stop voting site in the person’s county of residence during the one-stop absentee voting period, which begins the third Thursday before an election and goes through the last Saturday before an election.


People can register and vote in NC up to November 1st. That is real Democracy.


Now look at the early voting numbers in NC --- 90% of which are coming from one stop registration/voting





Already voted 1,090,808 One-Stop 90.0 Percent of 2004 total 30.7%

from . . . 2008 . . . 2004

Dem. . . . . 55.2%. . 48.6%
Rep . . . . . 27.8%. . 37.4%
None . . . . 17.0%. . 14.1%

Age
18-29 . . . . 11.4%
30-44 . . . . 19.1%
45-64 . . . . 41.6%
65+ . . . . . 28.0%
Race
White . . . . 68.3%
Black . . . . 28.0%
Other . . . . 3.8%


great early voting numbers here http://elections.gmu.edu/early_vote_2008.html


edited to add


If North Carolina continues this pace next week the campaign of McCain/Palin will be over before the first ballot cast on November 4th because without North Carolina they have no chance at 270 even with PA which is not even close for them.

[knowledgeispwr]

1. Great News for NC and for Dems!

I plan on early voting next week in Forsyth County, NC. I truly believe we can win this state this time.

[grantcart]

4. Oddly enough you and your NC friends have a chance of ending John McCain's campaign

before the first votes on election day are cast.

[nc4bo]

2. Hoping NC goes completely and solidly blue for Obama in 08!! nt

[book_worm]

3. I hope the 18-29 number would go up, but I guess students will wait until election day by and large

but great report overall.

[FLyellowdog]

5. Carolina Blue is looking good.

[InternalDialogue]

6. Our election and registration laws should be based on increasing participation.

Not limiting it. With rules allowing easy access to the polls, coupled with efficient methods of verifying residency and eligibility, we come closer to discerning the true intent of the country's voters.

We need to start with assuming adults have the right to vote and then filter out those who are ineligible, not the other way around -- assuming no one has the right to vote until they jump through hoops to qualify themselves.

(edit to clarify last sentence)

[smoogatz]

17. Commie.

Don't you realize that the system you propose is inherently unfair? To Republicans? Why, letting voters actually decide elections is voter fraud!!11!!

[InternalDialogue]

18. Yeah, I know -- trying to spread the vote around, when it should be

concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few.

[mmonk]

7. Yes, our system is pretty good.

Hard to manipulate or disenfranchise voters because they would have to try and cover too many bases to be successful.

[Lex]

34. To be able to REGISTER and VOTE one-stop up until Nov. 1 is fantastic!

I really like that.

[mmonk]

36. Yes. Very hard to challenge that as well. No list to purge or try and deny the name.

[mimitabby]

8. more AA? what's that mean?

[yellowdogintexas]

12. African American nt

[GreenInNC]

9. Partnerships and coalitions

There are so many people to pat on the back for this turnout it is hard to come up with a list. The North Carolina Board of Elections, our Legislature, our local BOE's, non profits, churches, the list could keep on going.

In my county alone (Mecklenburg) we have twice as many machines up for the early voting and the BOE is looking to add more for the second week. The Legislature passed Same Day Registration and voting and most of the urban and surburban counties have huge GOTV efforts going.

Tomorrow (Sunday) many counties will have Sunday voting for the first time. We have had it for a couple of years and it is a huge success. One of the largest African American churches in the state is right accross the street from an early voting site and tomorrow they are going to march out of church and head across the street. We will have vans ready to take the over flow to other sites so people can vote.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Obama folks. What a godsend to our efforts in NC. If Obama had listened to the naysayers and not followed Gov. Dean's 50 state strategy we would not be in the fight and NC would have been written off months ago.

[wildeyed]

15. We rock!

We have been working hard for a long time to make this happen. And Obama's commitment to the state has never wavered. We turned out for him in the primary and I am praying that we do it again for the general.

[grantcart]

20. you absolutely rock

:yourock:

[GreenInNC]

27. Wildeyed is the voter register guru

Wildeyed has led the voter registration effort for the Mecklenburg Get Out The Vote Coalition for a couple of years and she is the bomb!

Our coalition in Mecklenburg includes:

Focus on Future Leaders, Inc.
32nd and 33rd District Prince Hall Masonic Lodge
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Allies)
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Allies)
Center for Community Transitions
CPCC (Central Piedmont Community College)
Charlotte ACORN
Charlotte H.E.L.P. (Helping Empower Local People)
Coalition of Young Black Entrepreneurs
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Allies)
Democracy North Carolina/Charlotte
El Pueblo, Inc.
Generation Engage - Charlotte
Greater Charlotte Apartment Association (Allies)
Homeless Helping Homeless
Latin American Coalition
League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg Voter Coalition
Millions More Movement - Charlotte
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc.
UNC Charlotte
UNITE-HERE
Urban League Guild of Central Carolinas, Inc. (Allies)
Working Families Win NC

[wildeyed]

30. I think you overstate my importance.....

without mentioning your own sizable contributions at all. But our coalition *is* the bomb! I am proud of the way we have grown and the difference we make in our community.

[PBS Poll-435]

10. Poor Barr - Crash and Burn

nt

[LiberalinNC]

11. It truly is amazing here in NC. People are getting out to vote early!!!

Most people I know have already voted...me being one of them! The voting lines are moving quickly, which have helped with people hanging around to vote.

I've heard that NC results could be out by 9PM on election day because of all the early voting.

Am looking forward having NC turn Carolina Blue!

[grantcart]

29. thanks for the update

[NC_Nurse]

13. Hallelujah!!!! I am so proud of all of us who helped do the biggest reg drive

in the history of the state! We started way back in the spring in NC and worked feverishly for the primary.
It was so great to see Barack win the state and make histroy then, and the campaign has been relentless for the GE and I hope to see the same result on Nov. 4th!

Finally, we're redeeming the state for the Helms years. :D

(I voted last week. Yay!)

[Enrique]

14. congrats!

and thanks! :toast:

[smoogatz]

16. It's been my suspicion that African Americans have been consistently

under-represented in the polling this election, particularly in the South. Not because of any racism or bias on the part of pollsters, necessarily, but because they're working with turnout models based on past elections. This election will break the mold on African American voter turnout, I'm pretty sure: in states that actually let black people vote, look for the turnout numbers to be in the 60-80% range for eligible black voters. If that happens, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Missouri will all go blue, South Carolina may also tip, and even bastions of wingnuttery like Texas could be in single digits. I'm really looking forward to the day when we get Texas once and for all: demographically still a generation away, but I'm going to do my best to stick around 'til then.

[phrigndumass]

19. I agree with you! Relying heavily on historic models this year is wrong

They can be used as guidelines, but everything we think we know about elections will change after this year.

Also agreed that the Texas demographics will turn it blue in the not-too-distant future!

:hi:

[Lex]

33. I completely agree with this.

One reason I'm looking forward to seeing what the numbers look like when it's all over.

[grantcart]

49. yes but nationally its not relevent -- its only relevent on state by state

polls and it is very difficult to understand the dynamics on each state.

Also it is now becomming clearer that cell phone only users are under reported. Not only do they favor Obama by large volumes they are much more committed so that a cell phone only user actually has a higher value than a regular Democrat.

[phrigndumass]

21. Rec'ing for the good news

And the messenger, lol

:hi:

[goclark]

22. Yes! Yes! Yes!

[grantcart]

48. and more yes

[Sewsojm]

23. Great News,

I'm in NC too, my rural neighbors are mostly racists republiCons , I can't wait for Obama to win NC and shut these racists A-Holes up!

[Smuckies]

24. Good...

I am happy. Obama, I think, will snag NC on Election Day. Yay NC! :bounce:

[road2000]

25. Good work and a tip of the hat

to my future state of residence. Y'all keep it up!

[dascientist]

26. I voted today in Gibsonville, 2 hour wait

[grantcart]

28. great thanks

[alison]

31. Just give me a couple of hours, and you can add another (2) tallies to the list!

The bf and I will be stopping by to cast our early vote this afternoon while we're out running errands. Add (2) more votes for Obama, the Dems, and the judges (I chose all dem. judges, of course!).

[Lex]

35. cool!

:patriot:

[grantcart]

46. great

[Lex]

32. Go us!

Great post! :thumbsup: :patriot:

[grantcart]

38. yes US

[BleedingHeartRN]

37. This is so encouraging!

It really seems like NC is going to go blue. I was in a room of people the other day and only 1 out 7 supported McLame. My son's class held and impromptu election as well, and he said the results showed all but two of his classmates voting for Obama, which probably reflects their parents' decisions.

I certainly hope Kay Hagan kicks Liddy Dole out too. The Dole attack ads are ridicululous!

Thanks to all of you who have worked so hard to get people registered!

[elkston]

39. Dole is going down.

Did you see her latest ad? She looks right into the camera and insists that she represents YOUR values.

Desperate. And out of time!!!

[BleedingHeartRN]

40. I know, right?

When did Dole decide to start campaigning? Two weeks ago? I think she very foolishly and arrogantly thought she'd win on name recognition alone. Buh-bye Liddy :hi:

[elkston]

43. Yep. SURPRISE! No one will escape the blue O-tsumani.

Hagan was gaining ground already with the very effective "93rd place" ads, but now with Obama surging everywhere, the coatails are going to make this an almost a sure thing.

[NHDEMFORLIFE]

41. This is the sort of registration policy that 50 states should adopt n/t

[grantcart]

45. and that of course is the true lesson

after November we should institute that change nation wide

[tigereye]

42. all this early voting is really interesting

[americanmaverick]

44. NC is extremely important indeed

if Obama takes NC and VA, which is more than likely, he's headed for a landslide.

[grantcart]

47. yes and welcome to DU