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Elections and the weather

States across the northeast scramble to keep the elections on track


    Washington DC extended polling hours to ensure people affected by Sandy could vote [AFP]

    Weather on Election Day across the United States is always an important consideration. Reasoning would lead you to believe that the better the weather, the better the voter turnout.

    But does a particular party benefit from “bad” weather? One study done in the Journal of Politics found that when bad weather was a factor for voter turnout, it tended to be in favour of the Republican candidate, up to 2.5% for each inch of rain.

    For Tuesday’s elections, most of the country will see above average temperatures and fair skies, except for the northeast where there could be a wintry mix and lower than average temperatures.

    For the states of New York and New Jersey, it is the devastation caused by Sandy that could be the major hitch in the elections.

    In New Jersey alone, 3,000 polling sites are still expected to be without electricity. The Army will be filling in the gaps by providing trucks outfitted so that residents in the affected areas can still place their ballots.

    New York and New Jersey are both considered Obama strongholds, but because of the widespread damage Sandy caused, some are speculating whether the results from these two states could put a delay on the final results.

    SOURCE: Al Jazeera



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