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More people voting early in 10 states than in 2010

By WTOP Staff

BILL BARROW
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — More people have voted early in at least 10 states than in 2010, and Republicans and Democrats alike say the numbers show they have the advantage in key Senate and gubernatorial races heading into Tuesday.

Perhaps nowhere is the debate over who benefits from the early turnout more fierce than in North Carolina, where Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan is seeking a second term. Her race with Republican challenger Thom Tillis, the state house speaker, is among the matchups that will decide whether Republicans will pick up the six seats they need to retake control of the Senate.

Registered Democrats in the state have out-voted registered Republicans by almost 16 percentage points through Sunday, casting 47.6 percent of the 1.15 million early ballots. The overall total is up by almost 200,000 votes from 2010.

Ben Ray, a spokesman for the Democrats’ joint campaign office in North Carolina, said the gap exceeds Democrats’ 9-point advantage at this point in 2010. The raw numbers also give Democrats reason for optimism, as both blacks and women make up a larger share of the early vote than in 2010, when Republican swept statewide races in the state.

Blacks, who support Hagan by an overwhelming margin, have cast about a quarter of the early vote, compared to 21 percent in 2010. Women have cast 55 percent, two points higher than 2010.

But Republicans counter they also faced a 16-point early voting gap in 2012, but rallied on Election Day to give Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney a 2-point win over President Barack Obama. Said GOP spokesman Michael Short, Democrats “are going into a hostile Election Day scenario without the margin they wanted.”

About 16 percent of early North Carolina voters — 183,523 so far according to an analysis by Democrats — did not vote four years ago. Ray said just more than half are Democrats, while almost 26 percent are Republicans and the rest are unaffiliated.

Nationally, at least 16.4 million ballots have been cast in 31 states, according to a tally conducted by The Associated Press. The figures include in-person early voting and mail-in ballots that have been returned.

Four years ago, 26.9 million out of 89 million overall votes, or about 30 percent, were cast away from traditional precincts.

Along with North Carolina, other states included Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Wisconsin and Utah.

Here’s a look at early voting in some those states:

IOWA

Both parties have increased their totals from 2010, but there are more registered Republicans voting early than registered Democrats — 21,200 to 8,500. The GOP has closed the Democrats’ overall advantage to 1 percentage point, leaving them confident in the chances of their Senate nominee, Joni Ernst.

COLORADO

Voting almost entirely by mail for the first time, registered Republicans have an 9-point lead over registered Democrats in returned ballots. That’s a potentially ominous number for Democratic Sen. Mark Udall. GOP analysts also say they lead among low-propensity and young voters.

LOUISIANA

Early turnout is 181 percent of its 2010 figure, the largest proportional increase of any state. Registered Democrats have a 19-point advantage, compared to 4.4 points in 2010. But Republican Sen. David Vitter still won that year by almost 19 percentage points, and Republicans note Louisiana is another state where many white registered Democrats support the GOP. Polls suggest Sen. Mary Landrieu will need a huge African-American turnout to counter that trend.

GEORGIA

Georgia voters don’t register by party, but African-Americans have accounted for about a third of the early votes, higher than the 2010 midterms and the 2012 presidential election. That’s what Democrat Michelle Nunn would need to capture an open Senate seat over Republican David Perdue.

Of course, as Republicans note, the GOP swept the state in 2010 and Obama still lost Georgia to Romney by almost 8 points two years later.

FLORIDA

With early voting about a quarter higher than four years ago, registered Republicans have a 4.3-point advantage over registered Democrats as GOP Gov. Rick Scott seeks a second term. But the GOP advantage was almost 13 percentage points in 2010.

____

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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