SHOWING UP: Reader Dave Stewart writes from Lawrenceville, Georgia:

We arrived an hour before the polls opened, and were shocked to see the parking lot at George Pierce Park Community Center already full and the line of early voters snaking out and around the parking lot. As we were leaving (we will still have to vote yet) we noticed people walking up to the community center after having parked in the other adjacent parking lots (some as far as a half mile away). Our eyes welled up with tears at the turn out this morning. Gwinnett County has had 2 1/2 hour wait times most days at the local courthouse since early voting began. We’ve never seen participation in the general election at this level before. Thanks so much for everything you do. By the way, we support you heavily by being Amazon Prime members and clicking through your site to make our purchases.

Thanks! I don’t think these people are lining up to vote for Obama. Meanwhile, reader Charles Fenwick writes from Jacksonville, Florida:

Writing in to report my early voting experience.

On the morning of one of Jacksonville’s showcase events, the Florida-Georgia game, there were more than 50 people in line to vote at my location when the doors open at 7:00 AM. I was 30th or so in line and was in a booth at 7:15.

The big concern about voting in person in Florida is the length of the ballot; two double-sided pages due to the full text of 11 proposed state constitutional amendments being on the ballot. Person in front of me worked around that problem by not voting the second page. Which triggered an error message when he deposited his ballot. Voting official confirmed that it was his intent to cast a blank ballot page and the process continued smoothly. I counted around 60 people waiting to enter the voting room when I left. Brisk business.

Remember, it’s all about showing up now.