| Some NC facts:
2000 Census data on the state. From a 2007 census estimate, the racial makeup of the state is 70% white American, 22.3% black, 1.2% American Indian, and the remaining 6.5% are Hispanic or Latino. In terms of voter, the registration has been explosive:
* More than 165,000 people have registered to vote in North Carolina in the first three months of the year, a nearly threefold increase from the same period in 2004.
* More than 45,000 black voters have registered in the first three months of 2008, compared with just over 11,000 in the same period four years ago.
Voter registration as of today (via State Board of Elections):
Democratic: 2,633,381 Republican: 1,933,658 Unaffiliated: 1,244,739 Total: 5,811,778
* North Carolina Party Statistics Report 2007, Party: Republicans: 34%, Democrats: 45%, Unaffiliated: 21%
* North Carolina Age Statistics Report 2007, Age: Ages 18-25: 10%; 26-40: 27%; 41-65: 46%; over 66: 17%
Absentee Counts as of 05/06/2008 6:00am:
Absentee Mail Ballots Returned: 24,900 Absentee Onestop Ballots Cast: 471,006
% of Early Voters
Men 38.7%
Women 60.8%
White 56.5%
Black 39.9%
White Women 33.2%
White Men 23.1%
Democrat 84.1%
Unaffiliated 15.8%
Here is the voting equipment used in our state. Durham uses optical scan AutoMARK.
Reporting Voting Irregularities
From the News & Observer's Under the Dome, a place to put voting problems in the comments, and links to critical info: Did you have any trouble voting today?
The elections watchdogs at Democracy North Carolina can offer some help. They have set up a Web site to answer questions about elections laws, your rights and your ballot.
They are also working with the national Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to provide a toll-free hotline for voters who have problems.
The Election Protection hotline is 866-OUR-VOTE. It should also be noted that the NC robo-call investigation broadened over the weekend as the local NAACP filed a complaint against Women's Voices Women Vote (the state AG has already declared the misleading robo-calls illegal). See Facing South's "Our voting rights investigation: Where does it stand?"
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One of the great things to report in this election cycle is that so many candidates have participated in liveblogs over at BlueNC -- they put themselves out there to take (or very publicly dodge) the heat. Here are candidates who participated in pre-primary liveblogs at BlueNC:
U.S. Senator - Kay Hagan, Jim Neal
Governor - Richard Moore, Dennis Nielsen, Bev Perdue
Lt. Governor - Dan Besse, Hampton Dellinger, Pat Smathers
3rd Congressional District - Marshall Adame
5th Congressional District - Roy Carter, Diane Hamby
6th Congressional District - Teresa Sue Bratton, Jay Ovittore
9th Congressional District - Ross Overby, Harry Taylor
Labor Commissioner - Robin Anderson
Insurance Commissioner - Wayne Goodwin, David Smith
Auditor - Beth Wood
Jim Neal also participated in liveblogs on Firedoglake and here at the Blend.
I also did an interview with LG candidate Dan Besse on LGBT issues.
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Some notes on the gubernatorial race, via WTVD: Perdue Poised to Win Democratic Primary for NC Governor
In a Democratic Primary for Governor with one day before votes are counted, Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue is well positioned to defeat state Treasurer Richard Moore.
Four weeks ago, Perdue and Moore were tied. Two weeks ago, Perdue led by four. Last week, Perdue led by 9. At the wire, it's Perdue 52%, More 33%. Perdue now leads Moore in all parts of the state and among most demographic sub-populations. Only among Conservative voters does Moore manage to tie Perdue.
Governor's Primary, McCrory Cannot Shake Smith in Tight Fight
In a Republican Primary for Governor of North Carolina with 24-hours until votes are counted, Pat McCrory and Fred Smith run far ahead of other challengers, with McCrory ever-so-slightly likely to prevail when votes are counted.
Charlotte Mayor McCrory ends at 38%, State Senator Smith at 32%. 12% are undecided. Republican turnout will be low and difficult to forecast, since the presidential contest is non-contested. A surprising outcome is possible. If Charlotte area voters turn out in large numbers, that bodes well for McCrory, who leads by more than 2:1 in that part of the state.
If voters in southern and coastal NC turn out heavy, that bodes well for Smith, who leads by 14 points in that part of the state. Fred Smith, for those of you unfamiliar with him, is a far-right reactionary of the highest order, part of the fossilized, backwards-thinking wing of the NC GOP. He is one of the sponsors of the failed marriage amendment in this state. |
