7 million votes are missing

phhhhtttt! gone! lost! DISAPPEARED!

We were supposed to get about 20 million new voters this year, and only about 13 million showed up. Does that make sense? I don't think so.

Not everyone showed up who said they would, just like always.

Where are the votes of those people?

and this time, it will come to light. i am sure of it.

did the actual votes go? INTO THIN AIR???

In lots of places, they only count the absentee ballots if the race is close.

Next time, DO NOT vote absentee. They won't count them.

I was working in FLA. We were hearing Kerry by 16, solid wins Minnesota, Wisconsin, ahead in FLA, close in Ohio. Then I finish at 9 and the results come in and they're nothing like the exit polls. So what happened? Two possibilities - election stolen or exit polls wrong.

I've been amazed all day at the excuses these kids have given for not voting yesterday, but the simple and undeniable reality is that many youth voters still do not take voting seriously. I had one girl this morning who ORGANIZED THE DAMN K/E RALLY on campus a few weeks back admit that she didn't actually make it to the polls yesterday.

I've asked students in each of my three classes today whether or not they voted, and it's consistently about 10% of the class that did. Listening to the political debates in my classroom and on campus for the last few weeks, I'd have expected AT LEAST 50%

The youth vote projections were simply unreasonably high. That group has NEVER turned out in ANY election in any kind of appreciable number, and it was probably unrealistic to expect them to for this one. Most college students still have a high school mentality...they'll agree and go along with anything to "fit in" with the crowd, but their opinions are easily swayed and rarely backed by real conviction. They talked the talk, but couldn't be bothered to walk the walk.

that their votes might have made a crucial difference? Did any of them feel silly for not bothering to follow through on their convictions, and make the possible connection between their inaction and the results?

I don't want to sound like I'm blaming them, because no one particular demographic group is to "blame" - the circumstances are far too complicated for that. I'm just curious how many of those who registered but didn't bother to vote now wish they had.

That was the only thing in the 1960s that mobilized the young vote - direct threats to their lives.

And give their names & phone numbers to the nearest enlistment office. Remind them that because of their neglect, they most likely will be in a unpleasant, far away land where the people hate them by the end of next year.

Only guess what: this is not a video game.

But an important insight...Unfortunately, many of them may very well end up paying the ultimate price for their apathy...

I STILL think there was more going on (gut instinct), if only for the fact that this is the 3rd election in a row in which the exit polls were supposedly fucked up somehow...