Record early turnout as Georgians, Texans line up to vote

Published October 14, 2020
SANFORD: President Donald Trump speaks during the rally.—Reuters
SANFORD: President Donald Trump speaks during the rally.—Reuters

WASHINGTON: Texans on Tuesday joined a wave of Americans casting ballots at a record-setting pace, jamming early-voting polling places ahead of a Nov 3 election showdown between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Long lines of voters snaked out the doors and down the sidewalks at polling places around big cities such as Houston and Dallas, social media videos showed.

“I’ve lived here 13 years and NEVER had a line to vote,” one voter wrote on Twitter, posting a video showing a line of people curling down a walkway 90 minutes before polls opened in Pearland, Texas, near Houston.

In Georgia, where early voting began on Monday, some people waited five hours or more to cast ballots in a record-breaking early turnout for a state that also features two competitive US Senate races.

Glitches with Georgia’s new voting machines prolonged the delays in some locations, voting rights groups said, mirroring issues that led to long delays in the state’s June primary.

With three weeks left until the election, Americans have cast more than 10 million early votes in person and by mail across the country, according to data compiled by the US Elections Project. A bitter fight for the White House and control of Congress has many Americans seeking to avoid Election Day crowds amid coronavirus safety concerns. By way of comparison, as of Oct 16, 2016, some 1.4 million Americans had cast early votes.

Both Texas and Georgia are normally Republican-leaning but have emerged as competitive states in the presidential race this year as Biden holds a steady lead in national opinion polls over Trump and expands his campaign into new territory.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...