Voter registration reaches all-time high in California
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-03 08:01:09
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Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 1 million Californians have
registered to vote at the presidential election since Sept. 5, raising the
state's voter registration to an all-time high of 17.3 million, election
officials said on Sunday.
This was up from 16.6 million in the 2004 presidential election, which saw
a 76 percent turnout.
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said "voter interest in this
historic election is enormous, and I expect to see a record of Californians
cast ballots on Tuesday."
Nationwide, about 13 million people have already voted early and 9 million
newly registration people are expected to vote in the historic election,
placing additional strain on the nation's voting system.
In the Greater Los Angeles area, registration now stands at 4.3million,
also a record high, and up more than 350,000 voters from 2004, Los Angeles
County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said.
Logan said he expected a turnout exceeding the 79.1 percent from four years
ago. That means about 3.4 million votes will be tallied in the Los Angeles area
alone on Tuesday night.
With official turnout estimates exceeding 80 percent, voting rights
advocates demanded that Los Angeles officials print and rush printed ballots to
every precinct to ensure that a 100 percent turnout could be accommodated.
Logan appealed to voters to cast their ballots between 9-11 a.m. and 1-4
p.m. on Tuesday to avoid lines that could last several hours at peak voting
times.
Logan said so many voters are calling his office with questions that "the
phone companies are telling us it's equivalent to what happens when there is an
earthquake, and it jams the phone lines."
Elections advocates sent a letter to Logan demanding that sufficient
ballots be printed tonight and Monday to handle every inactive and active voter
who might present themselves to vote Tuesday.
If turnout exceeds 80 percent, as expected, 3.44 million Los Angeles County
votes will be cast.
McCain, Obama compete across reshaped U.S. electoral map
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and
Barack Obama are making their final push for the White House across an
electoral map markedly different from four years ago.
It proves Obama's success at putting new states into contention and
limiting McCain's options in the final hours, the New York Times reported
Sunday. Full story
U.S. presidential race back to basics in final days
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- In its final days, the long 2008 U.S.
presidential campaign has gone back to basics, analysts said.
For Republican presidential nominee John McCain, it is reiterated that he
is "an experienced leader, tested in crisis, who advocates the low-tax economic
approach best able to spur a recovery".
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama counters that his agenda
"embodies the change sought by a worried nation" and that his rival offers
"only a continuation of the failed policies of President George W. Bush."
Full story
Obama's campaign steps up canvassing as election day looms
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- With days to go before the U.S. election day
on Nov. 4, a campaign office of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
in Virginia, a key battleground, indeed became a "war situation room."
With various campaign posters, work schedules and self-encouraging banners
stuck on the walls, Obama's campaign office in Arlington witnessed scores of
staff and volunteers running back and forth to pick up phones, talk to visiting
supporters and sell souvenirs with Obama's image. Full story
Obama, McCain compete in battleground states as presidential race approaches
finish line
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The two U.S. presidential candidates
intensified competition in their respective battleground states as the
elections drawing to an end, ABC News reported Saturday.
Democrat nominee Barack Obama, who is leading in the polls, campaigned to
secure victories in traditionally Republican states Nevada, Colorado and
Missouri on Saturday. Full story
Editor: Yao
