I’ll be wortking the polls later today in Eastern Fairfax.County. I swung by the precinct before running errands.A few quick observations:

1. Dramatically lower early morning voting. In the Obama-McCain election there was a line of several hundred people waiting as the doors opened at 6am. Today I hear there were 4 in line. Yes…four. There were about 20 through the doors in the first 30 min. In this heavy Dem precinct it seems enthusiasm is VERY low… at least in the early AM. Drove past another precinct in an even heavier Dem district and I saw no line and little activity.

2. GOP outside poll workers outnumber Dem outside poll workers 3-2. One of the Dem workers was the mother of a Dem delegate candidate.

I’ll supplement this post periodically throughout the day.

UPDATE 11am

About 20-25% turnout in this heavy Dem district. Usually very high turnout, even in off year.

Very good response to GOP side. If we take 45% in this precinct it is a win.

UPDATE 2 - 12noon
Still a flow in to the polls. Now there is one of me on the GOP side versus 3 to 5 Dems, including a Dem candidate’s wife and mother. They stand and chit-chat. I’m walking to the voters to hand out sample ballots. Several people are happy to get the GOP sheet. Quite a few ask for the GOP sheet.

Overheard one Dem to another “Let’s keep out fingers crossed.”

Update 3 … 12:30pm

Break to get lunch for the GOP pollworkers and head to the local burger joint. Place is a zoo (it’s.a popular spot) and the largest group mulling about was a bunch of college kids in McDonnell shirts carrying RPV totebags.

Definite slackening of the rate. Somewhere around 30% turnout so far I think. 50% to 60% is the norm in off year elections. Will pick up again around 4:30pm.

Stopped at a precinct up the road and they had about 550 voters through in the six hours of 6am to noon. The lone Dem working the polls was the Dem incumbent delegate. He had no helpers. Seems to highlight the enthusiasm gap when the candidate needs to be stuck at one polling station.

Back at the polls greeting voters, getting to them before the Dems workers. Dem workers are all over 60, so we have the face of youth (40ish)

UPDATE 4 - 3:45pm

7 hours in to the poll work. Starting to pick up in number of people. Should get busy around 5.

Some GOP heavy parts of eastern Fairfax have had heavt turnout I hear.

Thids Dem heavy area is seeing GOP turnout of folks we have not seen in awhile. We should hit 50% turnout. Just depends on the mood of the independents.

Overheard one Dem to another “It’s not going to be a good year”.

Call your Virginian friends, relations, colleagues and acquaintances…get them to the polls.

UPDATE 5 - 5:30pm
9 hours outside the polls. Colling down. Still a steady trickle of people. Nearing 900 votes in the precinct, so we’ll end up with about 50-55% turnout in this heavy Dem precinct. Hearing that some of precincts in the 44th District are having disasterous turnout…the Dem precints. I’ve heard as low as 17% from 6am to about 4:30 pm. They may hit 20% there. I suspect the 44th District is moving from Lean Dem to Toss Up. The GOP precincts have seen very good turnout from what I hear.

Also hearing that parts of Arlington are low turnout.

Dreading the post poll closing harvesting of the signs.

MANY people showing preference for the GOP sample ballot.