super tuesday

Super Tuesday is super slow in Dan River Region

At 4 p.m. at ward two in Danville, poll workers could hardly believe how slow the day had been.

It was Super Tuesday and voters had the chance to cast ballots in the Republican primary, but less than 25 people had even showed up.

In one of the smallest voter turnouts that any of the poll workers or local registrars could recall, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney carried Danville and Pittsylvania County with 63 percent of the vote each.

Romney’s only ballot challenger in Virginia — Texas congressman Ron Paul — had the other 36 percent.

In Pittsylvania County, 1,369 people voted of 42,162 total voters — just a 3.2 percent turnout. in Danville, the numbers were even lower with 793 voters casting ballots out of 28,792 total voters — a 2.7 percent voter turnout. Danville’s ward six had no voters at all and ward 14 only had one.

The low voter turnout was expected by many, including the local registrars. both Danville registrar Peggy Petty and Pittsylvania County registrar Jenny Lee Sanders called the turnout “pitiful” but expected it.

“A lot of what we are hearing from some of our voters is why didn’t we hear about it,” said Petty. “I never saw an advertisement from a candidate. and people didn’t like the names on the ballot … the race just didn’t hit them locally.”

Sanders said she had several calls from people who did not know why there weren’t other Republican candidates on the ballot. and many people were not aware of the race because of the lack of campaigning from the nominees.

“There were just the two candidates,” said Sanders. “and there was just this apathy because there is nothing exciting about it.”

The last election with voter turnout this low in Danville was in 2006 during the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate race, which Jim Webb won. That election also had a 2.7 percent turnout.

The last presidential primary in Danville had races for both parties and a higher turnout. in 2008, 19.6 percent of voters had cast ballots in the Democratic primary which went for Barack Obama and 8.8 percent of voters voted in the Republican primary, which narrowly went for Mike Huckabee — with 1,164 votes — over eventual nominee John McCain who had 1,145 votes.

A Guide to Super Tuesday Possibilities

With only 10 states voting on Super Tuesday, it would be easy to dismiss it as a little wimpy compared to past years.

But nearly 20 percent of the delegates to the Republican convention will be chosen on Tuesday night — and the outcome could reasonably range from one in which Mitt Romney seems to have the nomination all but wrapped up to a situation that casts his nomination in doubt.

Mr. Romney is likely to remain the favorite to win the nomination almost no matter what happens. He is also very likely to finish with the largest number of delegates from the evening. He comes into the night with perhaps the most favorable momentum he has had at any point in the nomination process; some of his disastrous outcomes were pushed aside by his wins in the past week in Michigan, Arizona and Washington.

Still, the line between a resplendent night for mr. Romney and a suspect one is relatively slim, both in terms of the delegate count and the narrative it will generate. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have a lot on the line as well, possibly including their continued survival in the race.

We will consider reasonable upside and downside cases for each of the four candidates, as framed in terms of the delegate math. the definition of a “reasonable upside case” is not exact, but I intend it to mean something along the lines of a candidate’s 90th percentile situation — that is, he has perhaps a 10 percent chance of having a night that good or better. the reasonable downside case might refer to his 10th percentile situation instead.

Our reference point will be the delegate projections that I issued on Monday; here they are again:

This possibility assumes that mr. Romney will win Massachusetts and Virginia very easily, and Vermont and Idaho fairly easily (winning all 32 delegates in Idaho because of the way the state’s rules are structured). It assumes a narrow Romney win in Ohio and a narrow loss in Tennessee, and that mr. Romney wins either the Alaska or North Dakota caucuses, but probably not both. mr. Gingrich wins Georgia only, although by a big margin; mr. Santorum wins Tennessee and Oklahoma, although by smaller margins than were expected a few days ago.

If the evening goes exactly according to this plan — of course, it probably won’t — that would leave us in something of a predicament. mr. Romney, by any objective measuring stick, would have had a good night, winning more than half the delegates and at least half the states — including Ohio, a state that inherently isn’t all that favorable to him.

But, as mr. Romney’s position has improved in the polls, expectations have risen as well. the news media have been focused on three contests — Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee. Of these, mr. Romney would win just one, and then by a margin that might not be called until fairly late in the night.

Of course, that these relatively challenging states for mr. Romney are the focus of attention is a sign of his strength — the comparable case would be if, this November, the focus was on whether Barack Obama could win Georgia, Arizona and Montana. there are universes in which those could be the closest states — they are those in which mr. Obama has won a clear victory everywhere else.

Still, it’s only four days until the next contest: the Kansas caucuses are held on Saturday, then Alabama and Mississippi vote on March 13. the history is that the news media look for excuses to string the race along. can mr. Romney win in the South? what would happen if mr. Santorum or mr. Gingrich dropped out? questions like these will probably be asked until the math for the other candidates becomes literally impossible or they simply drop out — whether or not they are relevant to the issue of who will win the Republican nomination.

Mitt Romney FiveThirtyEight projection (most likely case): 224 delegates Upside case: 267 delegates Downside case: 146 delegates

However, mr. Romney could plausibly have such a good night that even these questions will seem moot. That would look something like this:

In this situation, mr. Romney wins eight of the 10 states, losing only Oklahoma to mr. Santorum and Georgia to mr. Gingrich, and achieves a fairly clear victory in Ohio. He would have demonstrated his strength throughout all the major regions of the country. his delegate count would actually not be all that much higher than under his baseline case — 267 delegates won rather than 224 — in part because the baseline case is already pretty favorable to him and he is almost maxed out on delegates in several states.

But the implication would be that the other candidates are uncertain of victory even in what should be some of their stronger states; it would be very challenging to conceive of a path to a majority coalition for them. Remember, most nominations are wrapped up well before the last primaries and caucuses are held, and Super Tuesday has sometimes been the decisive point — most clearly in the Republican race of 2008 and perhaps also in the Democratic race of 1988.

On the other hand, mr. Romney could still easily lose six states and win as few as about 146 delegates.

Under this situation, mr. Romney loses Ohio to mr. Santorum by perhaps five percentage points, finishes third in Tennessee and Oklahoma, loses North Dakota to mr. Santorum and Alaska to Ron Paul, and just misses various thresholds that represent critical break points in the delegate rules in states like Idaho and Georgia. None of these outcomes are all that far-fetched — we are not imaging mr. Romney losing Vermont, for instance — but they would be more characteristic of a worst case than a downside case.

It might seem unlikely that all of these things will occur simultaneously. but it is not impossible — mr. Romney underperformed polls and expectations in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri on Feb. 7, for instance. If the polls are missing something about the way the electorate is likely to behave, chances are that some of those errors will be duplicated from state to state.

This possibility, which would entail wins for each of mr. Romney’s three opponents, might rekindle talk of a brokered convention. mr. Romney would certainly have some positive things to take from the evening — four victories, and the largest delegate count. but his nomination would seem less assured.

Rick Santorum FiveThirtyEight projection (most likely case): 76 delegates Upside case: 135 delegates Downside case: 52 delegates

The upside case for mr. Santorum is fairly similar to mr. Romney’s downside case and would entail mr. Santorum winning about 135 delegates. but it also involves mr. Gingrich having a worse-than-expected night: winning only Georgia, but yielding a fair among of delegates to his opponents there, while finishing third or worse everywhere else. Meanwhile, mr. Santorum would notch four victories: in Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Dakota.

Particularly relative to expectations, this would qualify as a very good night for mr. Santorum, especially if it resulted in mr. Gingrich’s exit from the race. It would not qualify as a great night — mr. Santorum’s upside case is now fairly similar to what his baseline case might have looked like a week ago.

Still, there have been times when the voting results went in the opposite direction of where the momentum had seemed to suggest — like Hillary Rodham Clinton’s win in new Hampshire in 2008. while these nights occur rarely, they can produce pronounced momentum shifts.

Or, mr. Santorum could win as few as about 50 delegates:

This situation gives him credit for winning Oklahoma (but only Oklahoma). but that does not matter so much since the delegate allocation there is quite proportional if the popular vote is close. He would have little to hang his hat on, and might be compelled to drop out of the race, with Colorado and Minnesota having represented his high-water mark. If this were the case, it would seem that mr. Santorum had been an late-blooming prospect who posted promising numbers at Triple-A but failed in his call-up to the big leagues.

Newt Gingrich FiveThirtyEight projection (most likely case): 87 delegates Upside case: 117 delegates Downside case: 56 delegates

Mr. Gingrich’s upside case is lower than mr. Santorum’s in the delegate count because he has shown little ability to compete outside the South. It is possible that he could hit the 20 percent threshold required to win proportional delegates in Ohio and perhaps take a rural Congressional district there. but he is unlikely to be competitive in the caucuses, or to receive any delegates at all in Massachusetts and Vermont, and he is not on the ballot in Virginia.

There is already something of a narrative brewing, however, about a Gingrich comeback, and it’s possible that he could do enough to help fuel it:

Under this situation, mr. Gingrich gets 50 percent or more of the vote in Georgia — enough to win the overwhelming majority of delegates there under the state’s rules. He also wins Tennessee and finishes a very close second in Oklahoma.

What would mr. Gingrich do for his next trick? actually, the calendar is reasonably favorable for him. the easy hurdles to clear would be Alabama and Mississippi on Mar. 13 and Louisiana on Mar. 24. the more challenging ones would be Missouri on Mar. 17 — a borderline Southern state, but a caucus — and Illinois on Mar. 20, where mr. Gingrich would hope to supplant mr. Santorum as the Midwestern alternative to mr. Romney.

Mr. Gingrich would start out significantly behind mr. Romney in the delegate count even in this upside possibility — by roughly 210 delegates, in fact. He would need to clear almost every hurdle to sustain his momentum and close that gap. the odds against this are quite strong, especially since mr. Gingrich has demonstrated little staying power after his periodic surges. but he would probably have earned the right to run the course until he stumbled.

Or suppose that mr. Gingrich won only Georgia — and by a lesser margin than polls project — while accumulating only about 55 delegates on the evening:

A normal candidate would drop out under these circumstances — having won only his home state and South Carolina out of about 20 attempts, and having finished third or worse in most others. mr. Gingrich, who has burned his share of bridges with the Republican establishment, might not. instead, he could play more the gadfly role that Jerry Brown did in the 1992 Democratic race.

Still, although mr. Gingrich is clever at drawing the news media’s attention, he might be denied oxygen if he had no rationale at all for his campaign, and this possibility would leave him with little.

Ron Paul FiveThirtyEight projection (most likely case): 25 delegates Upside case: 59 delegates Downside case: 12 delegates

Mr. Paul has the least on the line in terms of the delegate math. one important constraint is that even states that divide their delegates in a relatively proportional way usually establish some qualifying threshold — typically 15 or 20 percent of the vote. With mr. Paul instead tending to finish at about 10 percent in primariy states, his opportunity to accumulate delegates has been limited.

Perhaps if mr. Paul runs again in 2016 — or if his son Rand Paul does — his libertarian philosophy will continue to make gains, especially among younger voters, and he will be hitting those 15 or 20 percent marks more often. on Super Tuesday 2012, however, that seems plausible only in Vermont and perhaps Massachusetts — although he might steal a Congressional district delegate or two in a few places that we don’t expect.

Super Tuesday should, however, offer mr. Paul opportunities to color in his map for the first time. his performance has been pretty decent in the last two caucus states, and both North Dakota and Alaska are reasonably favorable to him.

If he were to win those states, while also securing a few delegates in primary states, his upside case would be about 60 delegates from the evening.

Are 60 delegates useful? It might depend more on mr. Romney than mr. Paul; a poor performance for mr. Romney would increase the likelihood of a contested convention.

But however useful 60 delegates are, 12 are worth less — and mr. Paul could win that few if he gets shut out in the primary states while performing disappointingly in the caucuses:

Keep in mind that each of the three caucus states to vote on Tuesday do allocate their delegates on the basis of the presidential vote — something which Iowa and Minnesota and Maine did not do. so there will be less fuzziness than usual — a poor performance in a state like North Dakota can’t really be redeemed at obscure regional conventions.

The situations listed here don’t account for every plausible permutation: what happens, for instance, if mr. Romney loses Ohio but wins Tennessee?

Chances are that these forecasts will miss in a few places, and the upside and downside cases are by definition unlikely to be achieved. instead, mr. Romney’s performance will probably not be so bad as to be unspinnable (as after Colorado or Minnesota). Nor, given rising expectations, might he deny his opponents any kind of wiggle room. It will be important to look at how influential Republicans behave after the outcome, as well as the signals that we get from national polls.

As we reach a more advanced stage of the race, however, the momentum and the narrative and the spin will matter less and less — and the delegate count more and more. and mr. Romney, even under his downside situations, should expand his lead on that account.

Super Tuesday, State by State

The closest that Americans get to a national presidential primary comes every four years when a large group of states hold their primaries and caucuses on the same day.

It’s called Super Tuesday, a phrase that dates back more than two decades. And it happens again tomorrow.

Ten states, stretching geographically more than 4,500 miles — from Alaska to Massachusetts — will hold Republican contests on Tuesday, giving the candidates a chance to accumulate delegates and prove their vote-getting abilities.

Historically speaking, Tuesday will not be the most “super.” in 2008, nearly two dozen states or territories held primary contests to choose a presidential nominee. but with 437 delegates at stake in the contests, Tuesday’s results could dramatically shape the direction of the campaign as it moves into the spring.

Here’s a brief look at the 10 states:

OHIO: perhaps the most important state is Ohio, where Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are in a tight race. Its working class population and manufacturing economy make it a bellwether for how the Rust Belt might vote in the general election. And it will be a sign of whether Mr. Santorum’s appeal is growing or fading.

GEORGIA: It’s got more delegates — 76 — than any other Super Tuesday state. And it’s a must-win for Newt Gingrich (he says so himself), who represented the state in Congress for years. the South is an important part of the Republican Party’s winning coalition, and Mr. Gingrich is betting that Southerners will like his chances of beating President Obama.

TENNESSEE: It could be part of a string of victories for Mr. Gingrich if he does well. but it also could be a place where Mr. Romney could prove that his appeal can reach into traditionally conservative communities. Unemployment in the state is almost 9 percent, making the economy a central issue.

ALASKA: Ron Paul actually flew to Alaska over the weekend, giving the state the kind of love it rarely gets during elections. A deeply red, conservative state, it’s not much of a swing state in the general election. but Mr. Paul may see its rugged individualism as a plus in his hopes at winning a state on Tuesday.

MASSACHUSETTS: Mr. Obama is the basketball player, but this should be a slam-dunk for Mr. Romney. He served as governor in the state and remains well liked there. It’s a state that leans liberal in the general election, and with Mr. Romney on the ballot, it has not been contested by his Republican rivals during the primary.

IDAHO: the state is holding caucuses — not a primary — on Tuesday, a fact that Mr. Paul’s campaign thinks is in its favor. Mr. Paul came in second in the state in 2008, and is hoping to do better this year. Mr. Romney campaigned in the state last week, appearing before large crowds of supporters, and could also do well there.

NORTH DAKOTA: Like Idaho, North Dakota is not a state that gets much attention during the general election since it’s considered a lock for the Republicans. but Mr. Romney’s strategy of trying to win as many delegates as possible on Tuesday brought him to the state last week. in 2008, he won the state over Senator John McCain of Arizona.

OKLAHOMA: the third of three Southern states that Mr. Gingrich hopes to win, Oklahoma has plenty of delegates and a sizable conservative base. that could appeal to Mr. Santorum, who has said he might do well there. Mr. McCain won in 2008, but only after a strong challenge from Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas.

VERMONT: the Northeast knows Mr. Romney the best, and Vermont is no exception. Mr. Romney’s campaign expects to do well there. (He didn’t do well in 2008, but only because he had dropped out of the race by the time the primary came around.)

VIRGINIA: the ultimate swing state, Virginia might have been the marquee contest on Super Tuesday had Mr. Santorum and Mr. Gingrich not failed to qualify for the ballot. Mr. Paul is campaigning, but polls suggest that Mr. Romney holds a commanding lead and could snag all of the state’s delegates for himself.

The Secret of Super Speed Learning for Kids

Super speed learning for kids is a simple yet powerful program that aims to make learning fun for any kid in the world. This program for kids incorporates the best learning techniques that will make your children happier and smarter at school.

The first thing that you and your children would get out of the learning program for kids is the knowing what the brain is and how it works. This program will also show your little ones how to learn. The common mistake in school systems today is that it is not going with the changes that the rest of the world is experiencing The traditional way of teaching and learning is really out dated and unfortunately, not enough anymore to make sure that our kids learn as much as they can.

Super speed learning for kids is an innovative and effective way to teach children how to take advantage of the ocean of information that is easily accessible to them via the internet and media. now, there are three programs that you can get out of the this type of learning program for kids: mental arithmetic, speed learning languages and brain geniuses. it is important to note though that this type of program focuses on a holistic development for your children.

Kids, unfortunately, hate mathematics. Perhaps it’s the boring way that this subject is being taught or the fact that it really is a difficult subject to understand right away. The program, specifically designed for children uses different mental arithmetic techniques that are presented in a friendly and playful manner. This is why it is very effective- kids learn and most often than not, they aren’t even aware that they are

Super Speed Learning Languages

Being bilingual or multi-lingual can really open doors for a person. Knowing other languages is very handy and will help your kids in their foreign language classes, as well as be very helpful in their life. But the main focus of this kids’ program that is constructed solely for learning languages is to not just to become fluent on a new language, it focuses on teaching the concepts- concepts they can apply in other aspects- that would make learning a new language easier.

Super speed learning for kids wants to help you in moulding a well-rounded person. we know that it is important to develop a child’s skills academically, socially and emotionally.

Obama Surges Ahead, Clinton Cries

With only a few hours to go before Super Tuesday, Democrat Barack Obama’s poll rankings soared, while Hillary Clinton came close to tears. For most voters, used to seeing Clinton as quite tough, even cold, it was a surprise to see a very different side to her.

It happened as Clinton was visiting the Yale University, where she had been a student in the 1970s. Tired from having campaigned relentlessly over days and nights, Clinton was actually seen wiping a tear from her eye.

Questions were asked: were the tears for real? were they a clever-and maybe, desperate-ploy to win her the votes? Or did Hillary for once really let down her guard to allow a glimpse into her emotional side? well I said I would not tear up, already we are not exactly on the path, said an emotional Clinton, even as news of Obama’s surge came through.

Obama, meanwhile, addressed a rally in New Jersey. Increasingly popular in the state that is considered a stronghold of the Clintons, Obama drew applause and even pointed to Clinton’s derisive comments aimed at his call for change, if you will stand with me New Jersey, tomorrow, if you will vote for me, if you will cast off the fear and the doubt and the cynicism . we will not just win in New Jersey, we will win all across this nation on Tuesday. He said, addressing a 4,500 strong crowd. Former President, bill Clinton, standing firmly behind his wife, responded to a question about Obama with, Give me a break. this is the biggest fairytale I have ever seen.

Recent polls predict a close neck-to-neck finish between Obama and Clinton. Clinton retained a 45 to 44 percent in a USA Today/Gallup national poll, while a CNN/Opinion Research national survey had her leading Obama 49 percent to 46 percent.

Clinton’s campaign, Doug Hattaway, said, during this whole election the polls have been all over the map. There are battlegrounds stretching from Massachusetts to California, so it could be a real nail-biter. Obama’s campaign, David Plouffe, too underplayed his position. we fully expect Senator Clinton to earn more delegates on February 5, and also to win more states, said Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe in a memo.

Unlike the democrats who are locked in a close fight, amongst Republicans, Senator John McCain may be on the brink of an overwhelming victory for the Republican nomination. The senior senator from Arizona, speaking to reporters in Massachusetts said, I’m guardedly optimistic.

Romney, however, was not ready to consider defeat. Speaking at a campaign stop in Nashville, Tennessee, he said, this is going to come down to a real battle and I think I’m going to win it.

However, Romney may have reason to worry. a recent poll showed that McCain was up and ahead at 42 percent, with his closest contender, Mitt Romney, following behind at 24 percent, trailed by Mike Huckabee at a dismal 18 percent.

ABC News “Your Voice, Your Vote” Election Coverage for Super Tuesday

ABC News Delivers the Whole Picture on Super Tuesday Election Results with a Special Edition of “Nightline”

Will Stream 4-Hours of Special Live Coverage across ABC News Digital Platforms and the Yahoo! Network

Americans will go to the polls in ten states to make their voices heard in the Republican primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday, March 6.  as the votes are tallied ABC News will broadcast several special “your Voice, your Vote” election updates to the ABC Television Network anchored by Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos beginning at 7:00pm/ET.  They will be joined by “World News” weekend anchor David Muir and senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl.

“World News with Diane Sawyer” will provide the latest results for viewers in every time zone throughout the evening.

As the final votes come in Terry Moran will anchor a special edition of “Nightline” — the #1 show in late-night. Beginning at 11:35pm/ET, Moran along with ABC’s powerhouse political team will deliver the whole picture on how the results impact the race for President.

ABC News Digital will provide special live-streaming coverage on Super Tuesday from 7:00-11:00pm on OTUSNews.com, Yahoo!, Yahoo! News, GoodMorningAmerica.com, ABCNews.com, ABC News’ iPad & iPhone apps, as well as on Hulu and ABC News affiliate websites.  Coverage will be anchored by ABC News Political Director Amy Walter and Yahoo! Washington Bureau Chief David Chalian.  They will be joined throughout the night by Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, “World News” weekend anchor David Muir, senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper, senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl, political contributors Matthew Dowd, Sam Donaldson, Steve Roberts, Gary Langer (Polling Director), Kenneth C. Davis (New York Times bestselling author of Don’t know much About… series), and Yahoo!’s Phoebe Connelly, Chris Moody, and Holly Bailey.

ABC NewsOne, the network’s affiliate news service, will have correspondents Karen Travers and Scott Goldberg providing reports from the battleground state of Ohio.  NewsOne will provide coverage throughout Super Tuesday for ABC stations and affiliates as well as to all ABC clients and partners including the BBC, Bloomberg, NHK Japan, CTV Canada, and Univision.

ABC News Radio will offer four hours of live coverage of the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses anchored by ABC News Radio Correspondent Aaron Katersky on Tuesday, March 6 from 7:00pm through 11:00pm ET.  Katersky will be joined by Alex Stone, whowill be with the Romney campaign andSteven Portnoy, who will be with the Santorum campaign. ABC News Radio Correspondent Richard Davies will be reporting from the ABC News decision desk. ABC’s Sam Donaldson and Steve Robertswill provide political analysis.  ABC News Radio will also provide one-minute “your Voice, your Vote” updates from 7:00pm through 11:00pm ET.

There are ten state contests on Super Tuesday with a total of 437 delegates at stake. Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota will hold caucuses while Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Vermont will hold primaries.

Super Tuesday: Macomb bond issue, Presidential primary elections set

Pottawatomie County polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the Presidential Preferential Primary election and voters in the Macomb school district also will decide a $250,000 bond issue to fund new heat and air conditioning units in the classrooms and a walk-in freezer for the cafeteria.

Macomb Superintendent Brett Byrum said passage of the bond will not increase property taxes for those in the Macomb district.

“We’re trying to keep it simple on purpose to meet the needs and keep the kids comfortable in the classroom,” he said. “there will be no changes to any property taxes.”

the $250,000 bond, if passed, will be a continuation of a previous transportation bond set to expire, so there will be no millage change.

with aging hearing and air conditioning units experiencing breakdowns, the school district hopes to save repair and labor costs by replacing units, he said, while also lowering utility bills with more energy efficient units.

the bond also is are expected to pay for a walk-in freezer need for the cafeteria food, he said, with an estimated cost of $25,000 for that unit, so the bulk of the funds are needed to replace most of the heat and air conditioning units.

Byrum, who said they’ll start at the elementary classrooms and go from there, said they won’t be able to replace units on the entire campus, but will do as many as possible throughout all buildings.

with the ballot question being in generic legal language and stating funds are to construct, equip, repair and remodel school buildings, Byrum said he wants Macomb voters to know the bond is strictly for the heat and air units and the freezer.

Pottawatomie County voters who are registered as Republicans or Democrats can vote in the Presidential Preferential primary.

on the Republican ballot, in order, are: Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich, John Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. on the Democratic ballot, in order, are: Barack Obama, Jim Rogers, Bob Ely, Darcy G. Richardson and Randall Terry.

As voters head to the polls, Pottawatomie County Election Board Secretary Diana Knight urges voters to carry their Voter Identification Cards. “your Voter Identification Card can help Precinct Officials find your name in the Precinct Registry and it may also help them resolve the problem if you are not listed in the Precinct,” she said.

Voters who are not found in the Precinct Registry, or voters who disagree with the information shown in the Registry, may need to cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is sealed in a special envelope and counted after election day if the voter’s information can be verified by the County Election Board.

Pottawatomie County polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the Presidential Preferential Primary election and voters in the Macomb school district also will decide a $250,000 bond issue to fund new heat and air conditioning units in the classrooms and a walk-in freezer for the cafeteria.

Macomb Superintendent Brett Byrum said passage of the bond will not increase property taxes for those in the Macomb district.

“We’re trying to keep it simple on purpose to meet the needs and keep the kids comfortable in the classroom,” he said. “there will be no changes to any property taxes.”

the $250,000 bond, if passed, will be a continuation of a previous transportation bond set to expire, so there will be no millage change.

with aging hearing and air conditioning units experiencing breakdowns, the school district hopes to save repair and labor costs by replacing units, he said, while also lowering utility bills with more energy efficient units.

the bond also is are expected to pay for a walk-in freezer need for the cafeteria food, he said, with an estimated cost of $25,000 for that unit, so the bulk of the funds are needed to replace most of the heat and air conditioning units.

Byrum, who said they’ll start at the elementary classrooms and go from there, said they won’t be able to replace units on the entire campus, but will do as many as possible throughout all buildings.

with the ballot question being in generic legal language and stating funds are to construct, equip, repair and remodel school buildings, Byrum said he wants Macomb voters to know the bond is strictly for the heat and air units and the freezer.

Pottawatomie County voters who are registered as Republicans or Democrats can vote in the Presidential Preferential primary.

on the Republican ballot, in order, are: Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich, John Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. on the Democratic ballot, in order, are: Barack Obama, Jim Rogers, Bob Ely, Darcy G. Richardson and Randall Terry.

As voters head to the polls, Pottawatomie County Election Board Secretary Diana Knight urges voters to carry their Voter Identification Cards. “your Voter Identification Card can help Precinct Officials find your name in the Precinct Registry and it may also help them resolve the problem if you are not listed in the Precinct,” she said.

Voters who are not found in the Precinct Registry, or voters who disagree with the information shown in the Registry, may need to cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is sealed in a special envelope and counted after election day if the voter’s information can be verified by the County Election Board.

Voters who want to get through the line quickly also should plan to vote mid-morning or mid-afternoon, Knight said, because those usually are the two slowest periods for voting during the day.

 “anyone who is eligible and in line at the polling place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday will be entitled to vote,” she said.

Voters also should remember to take a photo ID with them to the polls, as required by state law. 

  “This new law requires all registered voters to show proof of identity in order to vote at the polling place on election day or to vote early at the County Election Board office,” Knight said.

Early voting is allowed by absentee ballot from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at the County Election Board inside the courthouse in Shawnee, 325 N. Broadway.

When casting the ballots associated with the state’s new electronic voting system, Knight said voters should remember that a valid marking — a filled-in box — is shown on posters at the polling place and inside the voting booths.  If voters make mistakes marking their ballots, Knight said they shouldn’t try to correct the error, and instead, return the spoiled ballot to the Precinct Officials, who will destroy it and issue a new ballot to the voter.

Super Tuesday Preview

While Mitt Romney is on a four state winning streak and is out-pacing John McCain’s 2008 performance on most fronts, he still has a very long way to go. Super Tuesday can either solidify his standing as the front-runner or allow for a competitor, most likely Rick Santorum, to re-emerge.

Some of the 10 Super Tuesday states are easy to predict, but others remain a big question mark. Polls of individual “Super Tuesday” states have been rare and, in most instances, only poll a handful of the larger contests. the impact of the recent Romney victories and Santorum losses has yet to be determined. National polls suggest he has lost most of his momentum.

As of today, here is how things look to be shaping up:

Three Easy Romney Wins

Romney will be an easy winner in Massachusetts, where he was governor, and most likely in demographically-similar Vermont. he was handed a gift in Virginia where longtime residents Newt Gingrich, who failed to submit enough valid signatures, and Rick Santorum, who didn’t even try to submit signatures, won’t even be on the ballot.

Newt Good for Georgia, Maybe

While he once was a major favorite in the state he represented in congress, four straight polls have Newt hanging out in the 24-39% range. Really any of the candidates could pull out a win here, but Newt will still be favored. Romney, the toughest challenger, would need a big enough boost from his recent wins and for Santorum to grab enough votes from Newt for that to happen.

Santorum “Must Wins”

While Santorum has yet to notch a big win (he had less than 30,000 votes in all three caucus victories) he is still considered Romney’s main competition and is the favorite in both Tennessee and Oklahoma. In 2008, Mike Huckabee won Tennessee while McCain pulled out a win in Oklahoma on Super Tuesday. Santorum must win both of these states to remain competitive in the long run.

Ohio: the big Get

Certain states always get more attention than others. on Super Tuesday, Ohio is that state. Newt has split his time between Georgia and Ohio for the better part of a month. Santorum has been busy battling in Michigan with Romney and probably missed out on precious opportunity to collect early votes. Romney has been the only candidate with an early-vote operation and the ability to launch a campaign in multiple states at one time. these factors, combined with momentum, could give Romney the edge.

The Unpredictable Rest

Alaska, Idaho, and North Dakota round out the rest of the Tuesday contests. All three will be low-turnout caucuses and will be somewhat unpredictable. Romney actually won Alaska and North Dakota in 2008, while Idaho held a primary after Romney withdrew. Santorum has done well in smaller caucuses like these, but only when he has been able to heavily out-campaign his opponents. this won’t happen here. it could be a clean sweep for Romney once again based on his continuing momentum and the fact that his competition has been able to spare little resources outside of the main Super Tuesday contests.

The Bottom Line

To really secure the nomination lead, Romney would need to win Ohio or to pull off an upset in Georgia, Oklahoma, or Tennessee and take the three small caucus states. If he wins seven states, it’s hard to see his momentum derailed. Gingrich will probably only win Georgia and anything beyond that will give him reason to continue on. Santorum really needs to win Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. since he is considered the favorite in those states, he would also need to steal a caucus state or two. If he leaves Super Tuesday with only two victories, the road ahead becomes increasingly difficult.

See Also: Super Tuesday Forum Predictions

Gingrich launches 30-minute ad in Super Tuesday states

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who has recently shifted his focus from the economy to gas prices and energy policy, is set to air a 30-minute speech on those issues in several states that vote on Super Tuesday on March 6. (watch at left)

As prices at the pump continue to inch upward, the former House speaker has seized on the issue and blamed President Obama’s energy policies as part of the problem. he routinely calls for a new “American energy program” that will allow energy development on federal property and in federally controlled waters.

“I think our goal should be simple,” Gingrich said Tuesday in a speech to Oklahoma state legislators. “We want to be so independent in energy production that no future president ever again bows to a Saudi king.” The line is a reference to Obama’s deep bend at the waste when greeting King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2009, which the White House has insisted was not a bow. but the reference usually draws enthusiastic applause from Gingrich’s crowds on the campaign trail.

The focus on rising gas prices has the Obama administration on the defensive, with White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday dismissing the idea that the president is to blame for the increases.

“The rise in gas prices is clearly the effect of a variety of factors on the global price of oil around the world,” he told reporters at a press conference. “They include unrest in certain regions of the world. they include growth in places like China and India.”

In the video, which was filmed last week in California while Gingrich was on a fundraising swing through the state, the candidate speaks directly to the camera for 28 minutes with a simple blue curtain behind him. The campaign points out that he is speaking “without a teleprompter or text,” a dig at Obama’s use of teleprompters in his speeches.

In his talk, Gingrich calls for an expansion in American oil and natural gas supplies through increased production and the utilization of new technologies in shale exploration and hydro-fracking, the process of extracting oil from rock with pressurized water. and he promises to expand the areas where the U.S. drills for oil.

“What we should do and what I will do as your president is I will authorized the development of offshore as long as it is far enough out that it is not visible, and it is not a threat to tourism or the fisheries,” he says. “And I will authorize the development of federal lands that are appropriate.”

The campaign has not yet announced the air times or specific locations for airing the ad, but says it will play in key Super Tuesday markets. ten states hold primaries and caucuses on March 6, including Gingrich’s native Georgia.

full CBS News coverage: Newt Gingrich

Super Tuesday voters should check polling places

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Oklahoma Republican and Democratic voters who will be in the national spotlight when they vote in next week’s presidential preferential primary may want to check their polling places beforehand to make sure they haven’t changed since the last time they voted.

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In counties where the presidential candidates are the only ones on the ballot, independents can stay at home.

The March 6 presidential preferential primary will be the first time voting will take place in all counties in the state since precinct lines were redrawn late last year.

Precinct lines, similar to legislative, congressional and county commissioner districts, are redrawn every 10 years after the census to reflect population changes.

After redistricting occurred, each county election board had to redraw precincts to conform, Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said.

“In some counties, there were very few changes and others there were very large changes,” he said. “Just because a person voted last year or in 2010 at a particular polling place, they may be in a different precinct with a different polling place.”

“It’s very important that voters know where they’re supposed to vote,” Ziriax said.

each county election board mailed cards to voters detailing polling-place changes to residents, he said.

But if residents had moved and had not changed their voting registration address, they would not have received the cards, he said. The cards went to the old address; they are not forwarded to the new address.

Residents may check their polling place by going to the Election Board’s website, elections.ok.gov. at the bottom of the page, go to Polling place Locator and fill out the required information. They also may call their local county election boards.

While 73 of the state’s 77 counties had school board or other elections earlier this month, turnout was light. many more voters are expected to vote March 6, or Super Tuesday, when several states are holding primary elections.

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