Opinion: Hundreds of Americans show up to vote, but oops!

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Hundreds of eager Americans from Virginia to Texas showed up or called local elections officials today to find out why their regular polling places were not open.

The reason? Their state did not have any elections scheduled for today. Their turn comes later.

Officials in Maryland and Virginia reported hundreds showing up ready to vote, although their primaries are a week away.

Apparently the media coverage and citizen interest in the unfolding campaigns had created such interest the would-be voters forgot to check their local dates. Virginia and Maryland were not among the 24 states scheduled to vote on so-called Super Tuesday.

Election officials in San Antonio reported more than 1,000 calls about today’s Texas primary, which wasn’t today but is set for March 4.

Virginia authorities also reported a surge in new voter registrations, especially among younger people.

--Andrew Malcolm