15.2 Million People Have Already Voted

The numbers are coming in on early voter turnout, and by every metric they favor Barack Obama.  Historically, early voting has favored Republicans, but not this year when an unprecedented amount of voters are coming out early to vote.

George Mason University Professor Michael McDonald, whose Web site is counting the vote, says 15.2 million people already have cast ballots, including 2.3 million in California, 2.5 million in Florida, 2 million in Texas and about 1.5 million each in North Carolina and Georgia.

Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina are three states in which early voting has already exceeded its totals from 2004.  In Georgia voting is up 180%, in Louisiana its up 169% and in North Carolina early voting is up 129%.   

The North Carolina State Election Board deputy director, Johnnie McLean, is stunned.  “I was just looking at the totals a few hours ago for the first time this morning and I just couldn’t believe that we’ve had 1.4 million to vote by absentee ballot already,” said McLean. “Of course we also have more than 6 million voters so you have to take that into consideration.”

While past years saw older and wealthy voters coming out early, this year a cross-section of voters, from all different socio-economic backgrounds are coming out to vote.  In some counties the lines are hours long as people wait eagerly to cast their ballot.