Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Lining up to vote

kw: voting

The key parameter to emerge from today's election is percent of eligible voters who vote. I learned decades ago that when the population is mainly satisfied, voter turnouts are low, and rise with rising distress. I expect this turnout to set records.

On the way to work, heading south on US 202 towards Wilmington, Delaware, I heard on the radio (WPHT 1210) that there were lines of up to 50 people waiting for the polls to open, reported from all over the Philadelphia area. A few minutes later, just after 7 AM, I passed a polling place on 202, and saw the parking lot half full, with perhaps 50 cars. The tail of the line consisted of a dozen or so people just outside the door. I don't know how many people fit inside.

I plan to leave to vote in a minute or two, hoping that the pre-pre-lunch hour will have shorter lines.

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