Early Voting Numbers Top 12,000 In Indy

Found an interesting website on early voting numbers. Dr. Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University, has compiled information on early voting across the nation. Some interesting stats, and he includes in person early voting numbers for Marion County (unfortunately no other Indiana county is listed)

As of the 23rd, 12,647 in person early votes were cast. This number is likely to dramatically increase as the numbers from the Northside and Southside early voting centers is added to the total and the absentee votes by mail numbers start to flow in. This is 4.3% of the total number of votes cast in 2004 for the general election of which 8% of the ballots in that election were early votes.

Keeping this number in perspective, the 12,647 number is only in-person early voting and does not count absentee by mail votes. Each precinct in Marion County averages roughly 1000 to 1500 total registered voters. So this is the equivalent of about 10 voting precincts voting at 100% turnout. Spread out among all 590 Marion County voting precincts this is about 22 early votes per precinct. In years past, many precincts received maybe 10 or less absentee votes. The GOTEV efforts by both sides in 2008 is likely to double or triple the number of early/absentee votes precincts will receive on Election Day.