Four Hours To Go

There is no exit polling in the Massachusetts special election, so it’s too early to even take a stab at what might be taking place. We can judge the turnout: multiple reports of long lines at polls in busy districts, and adamant supporters breaking laws to campaign too-close to polling places. Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin predicted a 40% turnout for the state despite inclement weather; reports are that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s district saw 60% of voters at the polls.

Boston is a city of about 600,000; the Boston Herald reported that 23,000 people turned out in their city in the first two hours of polling, and the Boston Globe had 55,000 people turning out by lunchtime. Boston normally isn’t the place where Republicans want to hear about high turnout, because the city skews heavily liberal. But the word on the street is that Democrats are abandoning ship this year, so anything’s possible.

1.2-1.6 million voters are expected by the end of the day. Polls close at 8pm; results will come in shortly after that.