Live Election Report From Virginia

[SamAdams76]

A cold rain is falling in NOVA this afternoon. The timing is perfect. It’s the first really cold unpleasant day of the season.

I never did understand how weather would affect turnout. Are people really that fickle that they won't go out to vote if is raining or cold outside?

[cyclotic]

I got into an argument with one of those guys here on FR last week.

The time for such purity is during the primary. When that’s over, you vote party and who will do the least damage.

Least damage vote never goes to the leftist.

[Genoa]

Snowflakes melt in the rain.

[Nothingburger]

Well stated.

Or as I like to say: If you can’t vote for a candidate, at least vote against a candidate.

[smartin]

I voted at 7am at a blue NoVA precinct in Arlington. Nol lines, no waiting.

[outofsalt]

Me too :( Been quite a few, sadly.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

If I were a federal government employee living in North Virginia, I would do one of two things today, re: voting. I would either vote for Republican, Conservative, Ed Gillespie or, I would just sit home on my hands and not vote at all!!! Why?

Casting a vote for Ralph Northam does you no good whatsoever and may cost you your job with the Federal Government. And, that Clintonite, Uesless, Criminal, Governor of yours, Terry McAullife cannot help you at all, either.

All POTUS, Trump needs to do is look at the voting results and, if he not happy, he just singles out about 100,000-200,000 Federal workers and lays them off, knowing that they will not be missed by one iota at all!!! So....Vote for Ralph Northam at your own employment peril!!! Be smart...think strategically, fools!!

[BlueLancer]

Snowflakes melt in the rain.

Like tears in rain ...

[cyclotic]

It’s very sad that people’s pride overrides the better choices.

The guy I argued with said he was sitting out. I reminded him that he is then voiceless and not allowed to complain or express his opinion, cause he forfeited that right.

[PUGACHEV]

I never did understand how weather would affect turnout. Are people really that fickle that they won't go out to vote if is raining or cold outside?

The short answer is yes, definitely. In NOVA, many Democratic voters are government employees who suffer long commutes in our horribly tied-up traffic. The last thing they would want to do is make another detour to stand in line and vote, especially when it gets dark now around 5:30 and it's cold and rainy, and more so when all the local news outlets are predicting a Democratic win. Republicans are typically more motivated.

[4Liberty]

+1. Good point. Sure hope that happens. RATS would do it, guaranteed, if it would help their candidates. Fight fire with fire..........

[daler]

"What time will they call it?"

If the Democrat leads by 20 votes or more with 12% or more of the precincts in, they'll call it as soon as the polls close.

If, with 99% of the precincts reporting, Gillespie has a 75,000 or more vote lead, they might call it then.

[mrsmith]

“Average” turnout at my SWVA precinct. Maybe up a hair.

[skinndogNN]

If the Democrat wins,

The media will pronounce it is a referendum on Trump’s policies.

If the Republican wins, they will pronounce Russia still has influence in our political process.

[gr8eman]

Zactly!

[Red Badger]

That is good news!...................

[Red Badger]

Yes, it happens over and over.

Democrats don’t come out in bad weather to vote..................

[Cripplehawk]

Just voted in the north.

[jjsheridan5]

I voted at 10:00 am at a blue Northern Virginia precinct in Fairfax. There was no line.

Interesting. I voted about the same time, but at a very, very red NoVA precinct (further out 66). I was shocked to see a line, since this is unusual in this area and, it was raining. They said it had been very steady all morning. Note, that this is a quite deplorable area, chock full of deplorable people, so take it FWIW, but a good sign. I doubt Northam was particularly popular here.

Rain falling steadily. Hopefully, it will suppress the vote in your neck of the woods. I wasn't going to vote (torn between the emotional urge to vote for R over D, and reason which says to sit it out, and let the establishment Republicans wither on the vine), but that ad put me over the top. Plus, Gillespie has been talking a decent game, at least.

[jjsheridan5]

Voted at 7:30AM in Manassas....extremely light traffic. I saw two voters in the whole joint besides me.

~10 miles west of you. As you can imagine, a slightly different demographic and political mindset (/s). Anyway, it may have just been timing, but it was roughly as crowded as the Presidential election.