By Michael Tackett
That ever-red Indiana is playing such an important role in the Democratic nomination process is its own wonderful irony.
One of the keys to who will win Indiana will be the turnout of the vote in Marion County, the largest in the state and one of few with a substantial African-American population.
So we turn to Brendan O'Shaughnessy of the Indianapolis Star for this take this morning:
"With nearly twice as many Hoosiers voting early as did four years ago, officials say voters in Marion County are requesting Democratic ballots 3-to-1 over Republican ones so far.
Spurred by intense interest in the Democratic presidential race, more than 10,000 people per day have been casting early ballots this week across the state. The more than 113,000 votes counted through noon on Thursday easily surpassed the 57,000 absentee votes from the previous presidential primary, in 2004.
Marion County Clerk Beth White said the nearly 9,000 people who have voted early already outpace recent elections, and she expects it to pick up even more this weekend.
A group of local pastors is organizing a massive get-out-the-vote effort that aims to bring thousands of people to the City-County Building for early voting Sunday. White said the office will be open and ready for a big turnout.
The Rev. Charles Harrison, pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church on the Westside, said he and other pastors plan to bus people from five locations and from up to 100 churches to Downtown after Sunday services. He said the nonpartisan effort aims to get people involved in what he called a historic primary election.
"This is putting our faith into action," Harrison said. "It's the biggest mobilization effort I've ever seen, and I've been here 15 years."
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Comments
Very Good!!! That's good especially for senior citizens and the disable. Also, this prevent standing in long lines on tuesday.
Posted by: yvette | May 2, 2008 10:14 AM
I find this troubling. I am a staunch Democrat and an Obama supporter, so this is nothing but good news for my candidate; however, the fact that churches are getting so involved worries me. Consider the reverse for a moment. When the pastor of a right-wing mega-church campaigns from the pulpit against gays or a woman's right to choose and encourages their congregation to vote Republican, we Democrats rail against them and talk about revoking their tax-exempt status. However, when a small congregation's pastor organizes an early-voting field trip that clearly benefits our own candidate we think it's great. There are certainly differences between the two scenarios, but the similarities are troubling. We'd all be better off if we kept religion out of politics.
Posted by: Brandon | May 2, 2008 11:26 AM
Hillary is showing restraint because thru it all she still recognizes obama as a fellow democrat. .. McCain wont be so gentle.
one AD from the 'patriotic'-McCain reminding Obama is friends with someone who sent bombs that killed TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN NYC, and said on 9-11-2001, he wished he had done more to harm the U.S., is all it will take to make obama's political existence into oblivion, not just for this Presidential bid but forever.
As americans, we are very sensitive to 911, and i can tell you that when i learned about this Ayers guy, it made me shudder.
some think its the Wright thing that is the big curve for obama. I say it was a little Wright and a WHOLE LOT OF AYERS.
Posted by: the AYERS factor | May 2, 2008 11:33 AM
Early AND often? Thanks for highlighting the enthusiasm for Indiana's primary. Indeed a celebration of democracy. However, your headline implies voter fraud doing a great disservice to voting rights.
This, in light of the Supreme Court's decision this week upholding Indiana's strict voter identification law. Despite being able to produce evidence of past fraud, Republican interests convinced the Court that a ID, at the expense of the voter, should be required at the polling both. The result: a modern-day poll tax on Indiana's elderly, poor, and disenfranchised citizenry. I agree with the need to properly identify voters, but not at the expense of marginalizing those who already live on the fringes of society.
Support free and fair elections. Oppose the ID Tax.
Posted by: Andrew | May 2, 2008 12:03 PM
Andrew,
"The result: a modern-day poll tax on Indiana's elderly, poor, and disenfranchised citizenry... but not at the expense of marginalizing those who already live on the fringes of society."
THE ID'S ARE FREE!!!
By the way the democrats couldn't find anyone who couldn't get an ID card either.
I know this much, I feel a whole lot better about the numbers now than before. The 7th congressional district was "Chicagoesque" in its voting. It used to be "often", not anymore.
Posted by: Duke | May 7, 2008 10:32 AM
Correct, the physical ID costs nothing. I should have been more specific. I am referring to the associative costs of obtaining a proper ID: processing a birth certificate at the county seat, transportation to locate required documentation, or buying the photographs for a passport.
While these hurdles are small for the majority of us, some in society find it difficult and a burden on their pocketbook. The end result: franchised voters, who did nothing wrong were turned away from the polls yesterday. A small number, yes. But in a time when we are fighting a global war on terror to bring democracy to those without it, we should be raising standards at home.
This is not a "liberal" issue. Its a small "d" democratic one. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents were turned away without anyone asking their party affiliation.
Posted by: Andrew | May 7, 2008 11:22 AM