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(Nov. 1) -- Two hours before the polls opened Sunday, the line of voters at the Lemon City library in the neighborhood known as Little Haiti stretched around the corner and down the block. Most people waited two hours to vote.
"I don't care if the wait is four hours," said Ruth Burrows, 48, as she prepared to vote for Sen. John Kerry. "We saw what happened last time, and we don't want it to happen again."
The desire of many Floridians to cast their ballots during the two weeks of early voting has surprised many and led to predictions that Florida may produce a record turnout. In a state where the presidential race has been virtually tied for weeks, the winner of Florida's 27 electoral votes will most likely be the candidate who is best at getting supporters to the polls.
Here in Miami-Dade County, which Democrat Al Gore carried in 2000, at least a fifth of the 1 million registered voters will have voted by Tuesday. Estimates for the rest of the state are the same, if not higher.
"This is wildly popular," said Jim Kane, president of the Florida Poll, an independent polling organization based in Fort Lauderdale. "Old and young find early voting most helpful. It's the feeling of safety that you're going to get it done, and the satisfaction of knowing that your vote is in...that made so many people in a divided state rush to vote early."
Many people in line explained they voted early because they would be out of town. Sandra Colon, 38, of Coral Gables, said she wouldn't be able to get away from work. Howard Talesnick, 61, of Miami Beach, said: "It's going to be a zoo on Election Day."
Jenice McLemore drove three hours from Miami to Orlando so she could stand in line two hours to vote. McLemore, who is voting for Kerry, moved earlier this year but had not yet changed her voting registration. So she had to go back to Orlando to cast her ballot. She said she didn't mind.
The passions of the political debate in this state have not ebbed since President Bush won Florida, and the presidency, by only 537 votes in 2000. Mike Vega, 57, decided to wait in line two hours Sunday to cast his ballot for Bush because "it's a really important election."
Early voting plays to the long-held view that the larger the turnout, the better the chances for Democratic candidates. A Miami Herald poll Sunday shows that among the 16% of voters who cast ballots early, Kerry drew 56%, compared with Bush, who received 39%.
"They feel like early voting works very well for Democrats," said Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida. "If something goes wrong on Election Day, the theory is that these votes will already be in the bank."
But Republicans are also optimistic. While the USA TODAY/CNN/ Gallup Poll showed Kerry with a slim lead here, others gave a slight edge to Bush over the weekend. The Republicans have enlisted about 90,000 volunteers in Florida to drive people to the polls Tuesday. The Bush campaign has had the political benefit of the president's brother, Jeb, who is governor.
In Coral Gables, an affluent community with a large Cuban-American population, Republicans were just as eager to stand in line to vote. Alina Hernandez, 47, brought her mother, three children, a couple of chairs and lunch to vote for Bush.
"It doesn't matter how long we have to stay here, we're staying here till we vote," Hernandez said.
Still, the effects of early voting may be seen in Little Haiti, where voters can't remember when they've had so much attention at a polling place.
As people lined up outside the Lemon City library, volunteers speaking English, Spanish and Creole were ready to assist. Other volunteers, in black T-shirts saying "Election Protection," advised voters to let them know if anyone interfered with their chance to vote. As the line grew longer in the afternoon heat, a van with Kerry-Edwards signs offered rides to a nearby polling place with a shorter wait.
Four years ago in this neighborhood, the voting machines at a polling place malfunctioned. It took more than an hour to repair them. No one was there to help voters. They were simply told to come back another time. Many did not.
Contributors: Kathy Kiely in Orlando
"I don't care if the wait is four hours," said Ruth Burrows, 48, as she prepared to vote for Sen. John Kerry. "We saw what happened last time, and we don't want it to happen again."
The desire of many Floridians to cast their ballots during the two weeks of early voting has surprised many and led to predictions that Florida may produce a record turnout. In a state where the presidential race has been virtually tied for weeks, the winner of Florida's 27 electoral votes will most likely be the candidate who is best at getting supporters to the polls.
Here in Miami-Dade County, which Democrat Al Gore carried in 2000, at least a fifth of the 1 million registered voters will have voted by Tuesday. Estimates for the rest of the state are the same, if not higher.
"This is wildly popular," said Jim Kane, president of the Florida Poll, an independent polling organization based in Fort Lauderdale. "Old and young find early voting most helpful. It's the feeling of safety that you're going to get it done, and the satisfaction of knowing that your vote is in...that made so many people in a divided state rush to vote early."
Many people in line explained they voted early because they would be out of town. Sandra Colon, 38, of Coral Gables, said she wouldn't be able to get away from work. Howard Talesnick, 61, of Miami Beach, said: "It's going to be a zoo on Election Day."
Jenice McLemore drove three hours from Miami to Orlando so she could stand in line two hours to vote. McLemore, who is voting for Kerry, moved earlier this year but had not yet changed her voting registration. So she had to go back to Orlando to cast her ballot. She said she didn't mind.
The passions of the political debate in this state have not ebbed since President Bush won Florida, and the presidency, by only 537 votes in 2000. Mike Vega, 57, decided to wait in line two hours Sunday to cast his ballot for Bush because "it's a really important election."
Early voting plays to the long-held view that the larger the turnout, the better the chances for Democratic candidates. A Miami Herald poll Sunday shows that among the 16% of voters who cast ballots early, Kerry drew 56%, compared with Bush, who received 39%.
"They feel like early voting works very well for Democrats," said Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida. "If something goes wrong on Election Day, the theory is that these votes will already be in the bank."
But Republicans are also optimistic. While the USA TODAY/CNN/ Gallup Poll showed Kerry with a slim lead here, others gave a slight edge to Bush over the weekend. The Republicans have enlisted about 90,000 volunteers in Florida to drive people to the polls Tuesday. The Bush campaign has had the political benefit of the president's brother, Jeb, who is governor.
In Coral Gables, an affluent community with a large Cuban-American population, Republicans were just as eager to stand in line to vote. Alina Hernandez, 47, brought her mother, three children, a couple of chairs and lunch to vote for Bush.
"It doesn't matter how long we have to stay here, we're staying here till we vote," Hernandez said.
Still, the effects of early voting may be seen in Little Haiti, where voters can't remember when they've had so much attention at a polling place.
As people lined up outside the Lemon City library, volunteers speaking English, Spanish and Creole were ready to assist. Other volunteers, in black T-shirts saying "Election Protection," advised voters to let them know if anyone interfered with their chance to vote. As the line grew longer in the afternoon heat, a van with Kerry-Edwards signs offered rides to a nearby polling place with a shorter wait.
Four years ago in this neighborhood, the voting machines at a polling place malfunctioned. It took more than an hour to repair them. No one was there to help voters. They were simply told to come back another time. Many did not.
Contributors: Kathy Kiely in Orlando
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