Despite record levels of early voting (roughly double what we saw in 2004), Election Day is already replete with accounts of long lines at voting places all across the country.
In Washington today, anecdotal reports of extremely heavy turnout in northern Virginia are everywhere. It should be noted, of course, that Virginia is not a particularly strong early voting state, since it requires the fiction of absentee voting. But since election administrators typically adjust their expectations based on early voting levels, it won’t be surprising if we see long lines even in states where something like a majority of registered voters have already cast ballots in person or by mail. And before long, we’ll be hearing plenty of stories about foul-ups at voting places, and eventually, some dirty GOP tricks. It would be nice if they don’t matter.