In Anticipation of Election Day

My professor mentioned this morning that approximately 30% of registered voters in Travis County have already voted, a statistic that gave me pleasurable glimmer of hope. According to the Austin American Statesmen, 440,000 voters were expected to vote early. This estimate takes into account the growing number of early voters seen in the past two elections. In 2000, 47 % of registered votes cast their ballots early. Four years later, the number rose almost 20%. It's no surprise that they've reasoned that at least 50% of Travis County voters will have already voted by election day, if not more.

So I think Brother Perron got it wrong. That number just has to be bigger.

What's better is that already 20 million people have voted nationwide and most of these votes are cast for Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. Austin, a city known as the oasis of blue in a desert of red, must reflect that trend. In other words, the majority of ballots that have already been cast in Travis County were no doubt for Obama, a result of his imploring voters to vote early during his campaign.

Obama played his cards right. I only hope that hiccups in the voting process won't lead to a deeply disappointing surprise when all is counted, said and done.

I decided to vote on Halloween, down the street from St. Edward's at the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission off of S. Congress. Even though I had to wait in line to change my address and left without even being offered one of those sweet "I voted" stickers, I was still glowing.