Weather and democracy, update
Can't blame weather for "abysmal" turnout, and it looks to be rain-free until closing time.
As we've been reporting all day on our website, the overwhelming majority of voters are taking an electoral holiday, choosing to take a pass on this primary election day.
People certainly have that right, and can choose to do so for a variety of reasons, including a lack of stimulating races. Voting for municipal supervisor or sheriff doesn't have quite the lure of Kennedy-Nixon or Obama-McCain.
But whereas this has been a cosmically gloomy day, it's hard to indict the weather for what is being called an "abysmal" turnout.
We won't repeat what we've noted in previous posts that no one has found any quantifiable link between weather and voter turnout, all myths aside.
And the way things have played out today, in any event it would be hard to site the atmosphere as a cause for the lack of voter participation.
Based on the hourly reports, the majority of voting period has been rain-free throughout the region. Light rain was falling when the polls opened, and right now it's just cloudy in most areas.
A flash-flood watch remains in effect, but radar isn't showing anything immiment. In anything, it suggests that the rains may hold off until after the polls close at 8.
Incidentally, the forecast hasn't changed much. The National Weather Service flood watch continues through late tomorrow night, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible.
It should still be safe to go outside for the next hour or so.