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Eyes Turn to California's Early Voters
by
findingDulcinea Staff
California has 370 Democratic and 170 Republican delegates, more delegates than any other state. Half of California’s votes will be cast by mail.
30-Second Summary
Many of California’s early votes won’t count because they are for Giuliani or Edwards, candidates who have since dropped out of the race.
That could be a big loss for the second-choice candidates of those voters.
Mail-in votes could also delay the announcement of the ballot results in California until tomorrow, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Only in Ocean County, N.J., will early mail-voters who voted for a candidate who has dropped out get another chance to vote. But those voters have to request a second ballot.
Paul Gronke, an early-voting expert told The New York Times that early voting is an “extensive, grueling and expensive get-out-the-vote operation” for campaigners. He added that absentee voters “tend to be older, more affluent, better educated and more partisan.”
That could be a big loss for the second-choice candidates of those voters.
Mail-in votes could also delay the announcement of the ballot results in California until tomorrow, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Only in Ocean County, N.J., will early mail-voters who voted for a candidate who has dropped out get another chance to vote. But those voters have to request a second ballot.
Paul Gronke, an early-voting expert told The New York Times that early voting is an “extensive, grueling and expensive get-out-the-vote operation” for campaigners. He added that absentee voters “tend to be older, more affluent, better educated and more partisan.”
Headline Links: Early votes that don’t count
The Kansas City Star reports that as of last week 56 percent of the estimated 4.1 million absentee ballots had been cast.
Source: Kansas City Star
Election officials estimate that more than half of eligible California voters may vote by mail and several states are expected to follow suit. Paul Gronke, an early-voting expert told The New York Times that early voting becomes an “extensive, grueling and expensive get-out-the-vote operation” for campaigners.
Source: The New York Times
Background: Californian delegates
In California, 370 Democratic and 170 Republican delegates are up for grabs in today’s primary, the largest number of delegates in any one state. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters, "The world is looking at California as a big player in the decision-making. That's exactly what we intended."
Source: Mercury News
Stephen Weir, the vice president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, told The Wall Street Journal that one impact of the increased number of early voters in California is that the winner of the election may not be announced until Wednesday “with two million ballots likely to be left uncounted until tomorrow.”
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Related Link: Re-do votes allowed in New Jersey County
A judge in Ocean County, N.J. ruled last week that voters in Ocean County who had cast absentee ballots for a presidential candidate who then dropped out of the race will be allowed to request a replacement absentee ballot and vote again.
Source: Newsday
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