Boston (CNN) – Officials in Massachusetts are expecting a "pretty good turnout" Tuesday in the special election between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown to fill the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's U.S. senate seat.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Gavin on Monday predicted that 1.6 to 2.2 million votes would be cast in the pivotal election – more than double the number of votes cast during the primary elections. Gavin also said over 100,000 absentee ballots have been requested, though the actual number that are returend could be lower.
"People are coming out," Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Gavin told CNN on Tuesday. "Although it is hard to tell how well final turnout will be since they vote in waves."
A light snow is falling throughout most of the state, but McNiff says he doesn't think it is enough to keep many of the state's 4.5 million registered voters from casting a ballot. "I think the interest in this election will trump any bad weather," McNiff said.
From CNN Politics
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I just love absentee ballots. Brown may be up in most polls, but the polls don't count absentee ballots.
The country is hoping MA will send a message for us that the broken promises, arrogance, and corruption must end. Send message MA, send an unmistakeable message!!!!
Wow – since President Obama became president we have had voting in MASSIVE NUMBERS!!! People I know that NEVER voted in their life came out to vote last year... and now MA....
Whether you LIKE President Obama or NOT – he does have an impact on things............................GO COAKLEY ................. PLEASE WIN!!!
If the people of Mass. vote for this Ken doll,they might as well start flying the bars and stars over their capital building.I thought they were smarter than the people of S.C,
Go Brown – time for real change!
Either way the healthcare bill sucks! It is a testament to the FACT that Capitalism is on it's DEATHBED! Give-aways to Big Pharma and the true Big Death Panels!
We are running out of time for partisan politics as usual. We REQUIRE TRUE Leaders who hold Integrity higher than personal gain! Why is the Palin story above this one on the Ticker, CNN?
As a Democrat, I think a Palin presidential run (and GOP nomination) are the best insurance we could ask for – for Obama's re-election, that is!
RUN SARAH, RUN!
It seems we the people want instant change. It took the previous administration 8 years to drive us into the ground and now we want this new administration to clean it up in less than one year.
For the sake of the country, give them the chance to fix it.
With apologies to my fellow Democrat – I will be one of the few passionate Democrats (or many?) staying home today.
I thought I was bi-partisan – after Bush, I cannot be – however I do NOT respect Coakley's pandering to Obama, because frankly Obama has not turned out to be what he promised either.
If Brown wins because some of us are disllusioned then so be it – maybe he can redeem his party and hold Obama accountable.
I hope voters remember that the Republicans brought us to our present economy, and that Obama and the democrats probably averted a depression. George kept taxes down for the rich at the expense of our children, and local taxes just went up to make up for it.
I hope the "teabaggers" remember it was their boy George who manufactured a war against the wrong country that will eventually cost us trillions, and that George and Ronald brought us massive debt. More republicans in the Senate will bring us more of the same.
I hope the Republicans realize that just because they get healthcase from their employers, they won't always...when the premiums go up high enough, their employers will dump that benefit. What has Brown said about health care reform? He wants to force insurance to accept pre-existing conditions. Wow. Thats all??? That will drive premiums up. up. up.
If the dems lose this election and ultimatly healthcare.... you can blame the people of Massachusetts. What is it with people forgeting everything the "conservatives" did to this country the last 8 years...?
Martha Coakley will win in a land slide, with all the dead people voting , she will win, the dead out number the living by 100 to 1
The interesting thing will be to watch how the hypocritical democrat leaders pull every dirty political trick to seat Brown as late as possible so they can pass their ill-conceived health care bill–a bill that only 1/3 of Americans support.
Just more proof the dems are out of touch with the people of Mass. and the American public as a whole.
Get out and Vote MA. You can't complain about the outcome if you don't.
And here's a clue for you all out there.
The reason voter turnout is "pretty good" is because all of the independents are coming out in droves. Independents typically don't vote in primaries because they don't want to be bothered declaring for a party and then having to redeclare as unenrolled.
Independents make up 51% of registered voters in Massachusetts.
And independents are going for Scott Brown nearly 2 to 1.
This is a big deal. The turn out should be huge.
What a SuperiseWho in their right mind
would have thought diffrently????
I can't believe that anyone so soon after an election would support the Republican party after 89 long years of destruction. It is because of the leadership from the republican party that this country ins in disarray!!!! Why would you go back? I guess that it is true...insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different outcome.
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand the thought of health reform being killed and republicans being able to filibuster everything in congress really sounds awful.
However, the Dems really messed up. HCR should have been passed ages ago with a public option. This disaster of a bill we have now is a shameful money grab from insurance companies and greedy lawmakers. I almost want them to pay for being so utterly stupid in this entire process.
No matter what happens, the big losers are the American people. Our political system is a disaster, and this election proves it.
I think Dem will win this election by a small margin. Forget most of the polls since they are mostly conducted by GOP "pollest"/activist. The only purpose these polls server is to fire up their base.
But I wish Dem had a better candidate. It shouldn't be even like this...
Ah, the US Senate. The only place I can think of where 41% is a majority. Have a nice day, consumerbots!
If the good people of Mass vote a republican into Ted Kennedy's seat, they DESERVE what they'll get. Backwards isn't the answer!
I love all the misguided let's blame Bush for everything proclamations by the libs. I suppose it will be Bush's fault if Coakley loses. The libs forget a few inconvenient truths like the Dems controlled Congress starting before the financial crisis in 2007 and the Dems controlled the Senate from 2001 to 2003 when all the Bush tax legislation was passed.
You can't logically blame everything in the last 8 years on Bush and still blame everything on the Republicans even after they have completely out of power for a year. But then again, logic and libs go together like oil and water.
I bet Ted Kennedy is turning in his grave at the thought that MA will undo everything he has worked for nearly 50 years. The only thing Brown and the repubs care about is derailing anything Obama fights to get for the middle class, and Stalling the healthcare debate. When will you dumb Americans and some independents realize all repubs care about are the top 1% and wealthy. George Bush and the repubs had 8 years to fix things, including healthcare. Guess what, they didnt. So now, what ideas have they offered other than stall tactics? Do you expect Obama and congress to fix this mess in 1 year? I'd rather take this reform than leave healthcare the way it is. Ma will you deny 40mil americans healthcare? I swear Americans have short term memory and shoot themselves in the foot. You are "worried" about jobs and the economy-guess how it got this way-REPUBLICANS.
VOTE Coakley-Otherwise do what repubs would and rush it through!!
Wow we vote back in a GOP when they did nothing for a whole year but sit on their hands and spread fear and critism. So i guess you'll get what you pay for.