  We have two Janes in Texas who both predict major problems with tonight’s Democratic Texas contests. Our Dallas Jane says after-work primary voters, expected to hit the polls any minute now, may be sent to the wrong polling locations, only to run out of time to go elsewhere. Our Austin Jane, or our Jane Austin, reports that some caucus sites are only now figuring out that they actually ARE caucus sites.
Here’s our Dallas Jane:
We are getting a lot of reports today about voter confusion:Â Some people are showing up at the precinct listed on their voter registration only to find that it’s solely a Republican polling place, and the Democratic poll is miles away. Some precincts are hosting both Dem and Rep, but many in Dallas are not. [What is up with that? It seems so strange that we cannot have every precinct hold both the Dem and Rep primary. Isn't that how other places do it?] We’re anticipating big problems with voters who hit the polls after work only to find that they have a few minutes to get to another polling place. Traffic in Dallas at 6 p.m. is murder, and people will be furious if a mandatory relocation makes them miss the vote entirely.
(One local said he felt like the separate polling place was punishment for voting Dem in a Rep stronghold.)
So interesting! I love elections.
And here’s Jane Austin:
I’ve been doing my precinct captain duties today and the polling in my rural South Texas location has been pretty slow. As of noon, 29 Dems and 38 Reps had cast votes. Considering the precinct is 1:5 Dems to Reps and deep in the heart of Ron Paul country, the Dems are doing well today, low numbers aside. No weather impediments here–sunny and in the high sixties.
My prediction–mass confusion when the polls close. The fire house where we vote didn’t know it had to stay open past 7 pm. It’s about the size of my bathroom, and we are having both caucuses there at the same time.
The election judges know nothing about the caucus system, just the voting machines. Only the Dem precinct chair packet was there, and the elections committee posted signs that caucuses would start at 7:30 instead of 7:15 pm. Fortunately I’ve been trained in how to run the 18-step caucus and I have my E-Z math sheet and calculator ready to go and the crisis hot line on speed dial. Caucus like it’s hot!
I don’t know how much Republican cross over vote there is, I can determine that better tonight at the caucus. Burnt Orange Report said about 1-3% of the early voters polled stated that they were “hard” Republicans. I do know that even if Clinton “wins” the popular vote by a slim margin she will still come out behind in delegates in all likelihood due to the way they are distributed, and the caucus system.  It really is neck and neck–there is a poll for everyone and if you look hard enough you can find one that favors your candidate. My personal favorite: Obama: 100% poll sample: 1 margin of error 99.9%
