Early Fla. Voters Hit Hours-Long Lines

Governor makes move to cut down on hours-long lines

(NEWSER) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist decreed yesterday that early-voting locations stay open 12 hours a day instead of the usual eight, in an attempt to address hours-long lines at many polling places, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Crist's failure to consult with his party's leadership has ruffled some Republican feathers, but the public seems thrilled at the change. More»

(NEWSER) - The start of early voting in Florida today brought hordes to polling places, forcing voters to contend with long lines and voting machine failures, the Miami Herald reports. Miami-Dade and Broward counties added a million registered voters each to their rolls this year. The crowds signaled the usefulness of the state’s early voting provision, started in 2002, but the robust turnout still peeved some. More»

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»

Most problems reported in Michigan

(NEWSER) - The 2008 election is proceeding well in most states. Cleveland polling places were hit with high turnout at the 6:30am open, but voting tapered off as the morning continued, in part thanks to the 250,000 who voted early, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. In South Florida, voters faced one- to three-hour waits, but lines were shorter than those for early voting over the past two weeks, the Miami Herald notes. More»

Sample sizes and enthusiasm gaps can skew results

(NEWSER) - Exit polls can be addictive for those who can't take Election Day suspense, but poll analyst Nate Silver recommends you resist the temptation. Here's why:

1. Exit polls have high margins of error because they are taken at only a few precincts in a state.
2. Exit polls overstated Democratic support in the 2000 and 2004 elections.
3. Exit polls overstated Obama’s support by an average of 7 points in the primary season.