Of these turnout reports, the first one- south Jackson - is the only one from an African-American part of town. Ridgeland and Rankin County are both conservative Republican areas. I'm not sure which part of Old Canton Road they are talking about- part of it is in a black area, part of it is in relatively affluent NE Jackson.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS/8031102411:30 a.m. in Jackson
The number of voters began to pick up just before noon today at the Forest Hill United Methodist Church at the corner of Raymond and Maddox roads in south Jackson.
More than half a dozen people stood in line at the Democratic polling table, and just more than 400 Democrats had voted since the polls opened at 7 a.m.
However, there was no line at the Republican polling table, and only 12 Republicans had voted.
"It's slow," said Bernard Johnson, a poll worker who manned the Republican table. "A Coke and a smile would be good right about now."
Debbie Magee, 40, said she was down to the wire making up her mind which Democratic presidential candidate to vote for.
"I decided last night," she said. "I voted for Barack Obama because I like his views on education reform, Medicaid reform and the war in Iraq."
Lolita Blevins, 26, also said she voted for Obama and was able to hear him speak Monday night at Jackson State University, where she’s a student.
"Because my major is education, I liked the positive things he was saying about better pay for teachers and better supplies for students," Blevins said.
9:15 a.m. in Ridgeland
A slow trickle of people filed in and out of the First United Methodist Church voting precinct in Ridgeland this morning.
Just more than 100 Republican voters and more than 55 Democratic voters had turned out by 9 a.m. Roughly 2,800 people total from both parties are registered to vote in that precinct on West Jackson Street.
Pollworker Phillip Johnson said the Democratic primary was delayed at that location.
"We were late getting started, but we were going by 7:15 a.m.," he said.
Sue Simmons Welch, a member of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee, said voting had mostly been smooth so far this morning except for a few minor problems with machines at a few Madison County precincts.
"This is the fourth precinct I've been to this morning, and there has been about one machine at each that just needed a little extra work (to get running)," she said.
Two voting machines on the Republican voting side also were out of order this morning, but precinct manager Dorothy Burchfield said there was no rush to get those fixed.
"I don't think they're going to be any problem," she said. The precinct had six other machines for Republican voters.
Simmons Welch said turnout for this Democratic primary has been heavier than others in 2000 and 2004.
"I think the fact that Sen. Hillary Clinton was here Thursday and Friday and (her daughter) Chelsea (Clinton) has been here, too, drew a lot of people. And Sen. Barack Obama came here yesterday," she said.
Nineteen-year-old Ashley Barnes said she voted for Obama.
"I feel that he epitomizes hope and endurance," she said. "He is very courageous."
Despite seeing more Republican than Democratic voters this morning, Burchfield said turnout for the Republican primary has been light for that precinct.
"I think that's because the Republican presidential candidate has already been established," she said.
Martha Stewart said she voted in the Republican primary even though she doesn't support GOP nominee Sen. John McCain.
"I think it is very important for every citizen of our country to cast a vote regardless of what it's for," she said. "I went on and voted for (former Arkansas Gov. Mike) Huckabee. I know that he tends to be on the liberal side — he was when he was governor. But McCain, to me, is more liberal."
-Kathleen Baydala
9 a.m. in Rankin County
While there has been great interest in the Democratic Presidential Primary, voting was light at some Republican-heavy precincts like the one at Pearl United Methodist Church.
The precinct was noticeably bare of campaign signs and at 9 a.m. no more than one of the precinct’s three touchscreen voting machines was in use at any one time.
One voter was quizzing poll workers on whether he could vote in the Democratic presidential primary and then later vote in a possible runoff for the hotly contested Republican primary for the District 3 Congressional seat. When he was told no, he decided to delay his vote and think about it over breakfast.
-Chris Joyner
8:30 a.m. in Jackson
Voter turnout had been steady by 8:30 this morning at precinct 46 on Old Canton Road in Jackson.
About 200 voters had filed their ballots. More of them voted Democrat than Republican, said Frances Greer-Morris, poll manager.
“We’ve had a steady pace, but no long lines,” she said.
She expects turnout to pick up around lunchtime.
7 a.m. in Rankin County
The sky was still dark and the streets still glistened from overnight rain when people began lining up outside the voting precinct at Skyway Hills Church of Christ in Rankin County this morning.
Promptly at 7 a.m., the bailiff unlocked the double doors to the church’s gym. More than a dozen people trickled in and immediately were directed to one of two tables, depending on which primary they were voting in — Democrats to the right, Republicans to the left.
During the first half hour of voting, the table for the Democratic primary remained busier.
Marques Thomas, 30, was one of the first voters to cast a ballot in the Democratic primary.
“I voted for (Sen. Barack) Obama because I believe he’ll make a difference,” Thomas said. “He never flip flops. He’s straight to the point, and we need that in politics.”
Henry Jenkins Jr. also said he voted for Obama, calling him “the candidate of the future.”
“I like his idea to get the underprivileged insured,” Jenkins, 50, said.
Leslie Thomas said she cast her ballot for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.
“I think she is qualified to do the job, and I think our country is ready for a female president,” Thomas, 59, said. “I think a lot of people are drawn to Barack Obama’s charisma, but they’re not sure what he stands for.”
Jimmy Grimes, 49, voted in the Republican primary and picked former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee over Sen. John McCain even though McCain already has secured the GOP’s nomination.
“I’m not a big McCain person,” Grimes said. “I like Huckabee because of his Christian values.”
Despite the early voting rush, turnout seemed to be fairly low this morning, precinct manager Bill Brown said.
“It’s lighter than it usually is,” he said. “Maybe it will pick up about noon.”
The Skyway Hills precinct is one of the largest in Rankin County with roughly 2,600 registered voters.
“A good turnout is usually 1,600 to 1,800,” Brown said.
-Kathleen Baydala
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