So last few times I have voted in person, I have provided a turnout report for my dark blue precinct in Arlington, Virginia. If you don't live in Arlington, Virginia, you are missing out. It's the best place in the country to live!
In 2008, our precinct went 68% for Obama, 31% for McCain. (1497 total votes)
In 2004, our precinct went 68% for Kerry, 31% for Bush (1885 total votes)
(The turnout numbers aren't weird: There were about 34,000 absentee votes in Arlington in 2008, versus about 12,000 in 2004. Obama won the absentees by a much huger margin than Kerry did, as well).
Turnout report after the jump
I went a little earlier than normal this morning - I was in line at 5:27 a.m. It made me a little nervous that I was only 10th in line. But I apparently started a trend, because people really started pouring in after I got there. The line was snaking down the street about 80 deep (with 20 people in the polling place) by the time I finished voting and walked out the door.
This is fairly comparable to 2008, albeit somewhat lighter. In 2008, my wife arrived just about 6:15 or so and it took her more than an hour to vote. Not sure the voting line will be that long. The party has really focused on absentee balloting, even having a singer camped out at the Clarendon metro station singing a vote absentee song.
Turnout crushes 2010, even in our highly motivated, rich white suburban district. In 2006, I arrived at 7:15 and was about the 300-350th person to vote at 800 am.