Evening star., 1940-11-05
Absentee Vote
Here Heaviest
In History
COP. and Democratic
Officials Unable
To Estimate Total

With both Democratic and Re-
publican officials informally report
ing the largest volume OF absentee
voting in Washington history, Dis
trict organizations of both parties
today we're concentrating on get
ting out the vote in the only five
remaining States for which ballots
may be mailed today.
Colorado, Rhode Island and Kan
sas ballots must be mailed today,
and voters of all three States be-
gan appearing in large numbers at
the local absentee voting booths as
early as 7:45 am. 1t is possible
that the mail vote from the Dis
trict Of Columbia may have a decid-
ing effect in some of the States
where margins are close. This is re-
garded as particularly true in Rhods
Island and Kansas.
Nebraska and California both per-
nit their absentee voters 10 cast
mail ballots before or on election
day. and while many of the local
residents of both States already
have voted there still were numbers
Of last-minute voters at the local
booths from both States.
Unable to Estimate Total.
Neither Democratic or Repub-
licacn absentee voting headquarters
we're able to give an estimate of the
total local mail vote.
Gaua
volume of business in my time and
I have been at it "a years" said one
of the directors of the Republican
headquarters. There's no way of
reaching an estimate yet We have
been so busy since week ago Sat-
urday that we haven't had time to
do anything but handle the rush
Of business"
The Democratic Central Commit
tee also reported that voting has
been heavier than in any previous
election since absentee voting be-
came legal Voting booths at the
Absentee Voters Bureau 743 Four
teenth street NV. and at the
Burlington Hotel both handled a
heavy early vote today prior to
a m. and reported booths crowded
| throughout the morning.
West Virginia Democrats. with
two local offices open, sent three au-
tomobile loads of laSt-minute voters
to points in jefferson County today,
it was announced by w w. Ar
buckle, president. They left the
local Offices early today. Mr.. Ar
/ buckle reported the local West Vir-
! gina vote was the heaviest in his
memory.
Voters Driven to Polls.
Many Maryland and Virginia
voters were driving from Washing
ton today and both Republican and
Democratic headquarters provided
transportation for this purpose.
/ The Willkie Washington Commit.
| tee reported that it had Is automo-
biles available for this purpose and
expected to use all of them during
the course of the day.
The last of a series of special rate
trains carrying local New York,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey voters
back home left Union Station at 8
O'Clock this morning. The local
| Volunteer Absentee Voters League
of New York State made arrange
ments for excursion rates on trains
which were run from here Friday,
late Yesterday and this morning.
| With the work of getting out the
absentee vote practically completed,
/ the local organizations of both major
parties TODAY were completing ar
rangementS for getting the election
returns tonight. Groups of both
parties Will hold open house tonight.
4 Open House Tonight.
/ Republican groups will hold open
house for election returns tonight at
the Willkie-McNary Campaign Club
headquarters in the Woodward
| Building, Fifteenth and H streets
/ NV: the Willkie Washington Com
mittee. 727 Fifteenth street NV,
and the Republican Women's Club,
1901 Seventeenth street NV. The
/ Woodward Building headquarters
will have a large blackboard on
which returns received by telephone
and telegraph will be tabulated SIM
! liar arrangements have been made
by the Willkie Washington group.
Two groups will hold open house
/ tonight in the Burlington Hotel
one a Democratic victory celebra-
ton" under auspices of the Ma
tional Democratic League of the
District. and the other under aus
pices of the local Democratic Gen.
trail Committee.
Predictions of Democratic victory
were made by Representative Boy
kin. Democrat, of Alabama and
Seton Darr, former president of
the District Bar Association. at
Democratic rally last night at the
Burlington Hotel Mr.. Boykin. re-
Gently returned from a Western
speaking tour, forecast a Roosevelt
victory in Illinois. but admitted that
Ohio and Pennsylvania are in the
balance" The rally was sponsored
by the Roosevelt for 1910 Club and
the National Democratic League of
Washington.