Election Day in Nevada

     For Nevada residents, election day is here starting with the state's Senate campaigns battle for votes.  Early voting is a unique voting technique that many states have adopted over the years.  Early voting is for you if you can't, or just don't want to go to your specified polling place on November 4th.  With early voting, you have a two-week window in which you can cast your ballot at numerous locations around the state.  Early voting can oftentimes take up a majority of the votes cast in some elections.  In the 2008 election, early voting was responsible for 58 percent of the votes cast and in this year's election it is estimated that early voting will count for 40 to 50 percent of the vote.  Candidates use early voting numbers to determine how they stand now, and how they'll stand in November.

     In preparation for early voting, incumbent Senator Harry Reid directed his getting-out-the-vote campaign and has focused its efforts on the Latino community in particular. 

"For the last four years, we have been building a state-of-the-art get-out-the-vote operation geared toward getting our voters to the polls during the final two weeks of this election," said Jon Summers, a Reid campaign spokesman.

     Republican Sharon Angle, Reid's challenger, is famous for her grassroots get-out-the-vote initiative.  "She will personally be precinct walking and knocking on doors throughout early voting to get people to the polls."  Also, the two campaigns are being aided by; President Obama (Reid), Sarah Palin (Angle), and others.

  --After a semester and a half of studying American Politics, I have never come across the "early voting system".  I researched the topic after reading the article, which is found on CNN.com, and I am a fan of it.  Early voting seems to be easier on the voter, and more convenient and accomodating to citizens (especially those who cannot make it to the polls on election day because of work, childcare, etc).  I also like early voting because you can keep a close eye on the candidates' progress all the way to election day, which may also urge more voters to get out and vote.  It will also be interesting to see how Obama and Palin's influence pays off for the two candidates...