It’s FINALLY here! Today’s the day you’ve been waiting for if only because the whole damn thing will be over with so you can get back to your football and beer and pr0n.
Are you someone who did early voting? What was that like? If you could have voted early but didn’t, why did you wait until today?
If you voted today, was it crowded? How long did you have to wait? Any interesting stories about your experience? Any election machine or hanging chad horror stories? We’re especially interested in voter disenfranchisements, police actions, fist fights and riots. Pictures, please.
If you live outside the US, what’s the news coverage like where you are?
Finally, what’s your prediction for the electoral college score? Here’s your chance to sound as smart as the talking heads on TV. At least until tomorrow.
19, 20,
If that’s true, that would be about 50%…
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html
2006
220,600,000
135,889,600
80,588,000
43.6%
2004
221,256,931
174,800,000
122,294,978
55.3
You can take a look at Canada’s rate…
http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pas&document=turnout&lang=e&textonly=false
Also, the last election was the lowest turnout in history for Canada at just under 60%. We may not have the world-class democracy that the US has, but we show up at the polls.
I’m always amazed to hear about 12 hour waits at polls in the US. It usually take me about 5 minutes to sign in an vote.
#14 thanks for wasting everyone’s time with your post. if you don’t vote, don’t bitch. period.
to everyone else:
i was the first person to vote at my polling place at 6:00am!
to all my respected posters here on DU, it’s been great fun sparing with all you this cycle! now is the time that we see america at her finest.
let us all be thankful that we don’t settle these things with guns and tanks and endless coup d’etats!
i look forward to continuing the debate when all the dust settles.
Godspeed ladies and gentlemen!
GO VOTE!
Toledo Police, like me, are expecting problems from the republicans after they lose this evening.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Ohio_police_in_riot_gear_on_1104.html
I voted at 7:00 when the polls opened here. The lines were very long but moved quickly. The people that were in my general vicinity in line were talkative and in a good mood. There was no blather about the candidates but more on civic concerns like schools etc. The weather was great, about 57 degrees and sunny. Took about 45 minutes to vote.
I had a great time and was proud to see so many voters.
As for #14 eric – Since you didn’t vote, you’ll have to STFU until you do.
#31 J “LOL Well? Did you even watch the 2004 DNC? lol I wouldn’t think that was high on your view list. lol”
I didn’t watch either of them in ’04. I didn’t like the candidates on either side in that cycle.
# 30 Paddy-O
You also have to remeber that he is my Senator and has been active in Chicago politics for a bit longer than he has been on the National stage.
#32 Yes, the Canadian turnout was awful. It was also a signal to the politicians that they should:
1. Go back to Ottawa and get back to work
2. If you want to hold an election, get some decent leaders for your parties
Harper, Dion, and Layton are all awful
Hey, if someone suggests a HD video camera that I could pick up at… Circuit City… for example, I will give Dvorak an exclusive on my video of situation in Toledo.
Obama – 353
McBush – 185
#37 J “You also have to remeber that he is my Senator and has been active in Chicago politics for a bit longer than he has been on the National stage.”
Makes sense why you would track him since then.
I do remember why I couldn’t tune in the opening day of the Dem ’04 convention. I had to go live on a nat news broadcast and was busy prepping. I did see some of it on a screen in the studio but was otherwise busy.
I voted on Saturday and waited 4 hours. Most people I talk to here are waiting 30 min to 1 hour this morning. As always, I chose well…
314 Obama
224 McCain
# 40 Eideard
Yeah that’s what I meant. Apparently I having a math problem this morning.
Canada had an election too?
So who won, the old white guy or the young black guy?
I did absentee a month ago. LOVE IT!
Obama won Dixville Notch, N.H. 17 – 10
The first time a Dem has won there since 1968
#44
The middle age white guy beat out the other 2 middle age white guys and the middle age white woman.
It was called, ran, voted and finished in 6 weeks.
None of this silly 2 year stumping crap, what a waste of time and money. If any politician can’t get their platform explained in 6 weeks they’re in the wrong business.
So much wasted effort to get to the job and keep the job instead of doing the job.
The Canadians had 49% vote turnout. Only now has it come out that Harper, (the Canadian Bush) has wiped out all the moneys left from the previous administration.
And before you Canuks get to cocky, keep in mind there are more people in suburban Chicago than in your entire country.
#48 Nth of the … said, “It was called, ran, voted and finished in 6 weeks.”
Yes, but you aren’t voting for a new Head of State.
I early voted.
In Texas, over 90% of the offices up for grabs had a Libertarian candidate running. We’ve never had that many L’s before.
I’m suspecting an upset but I don’t think it will be a two-party upset.
Of course, it’s Tuesday and I haven’t been wrong this week yet. I’m due.
You have interesting story board for the election… The vote is ongoing now and I have been stay watching the news the whole day here in Hong Kong : )
On a side note, for the life of me I couldn’t understand why last night it was constantly being referred to as an “historic” vote.
It wasn’t a goddamn surprise you vote every 4 years.
Then the light came on you americans are stuck in the 19th century with regards to race and women.
Now I remember why I used to snicker to myself when I crossed the border and was asked “Do you plan on staying”
I had a hardly repressed urge to reply “Good fucking god no, if my flight didn’t stop here I wouldn’t even be here this long”
Got to the polls at 8:15, was out by nine. Lots of voting booths, but most of them were empty and the waiting line was long because the poll worker was having trouble with alphabetic order. My last name starts with S, but she was searching through the Z’s. Also we use paper ballots where you have to fill in little ovals. I took extra time to make sure I filled them in very, very neatly so some damn machine didn’t misread my ballot.
#49
“And before you Canuks get to cocky, keep in mind there are more people in suburban Chicago than in your entire country.”
Quantity does not equal quality.
#50
We were voting for a new prime minister, the equivalent to your president.
Now I may be wrong but I consider the PM to be our head of state.
Just a friendly reminder to Democrat voters in California: it is a foregone conclusion that a majority of voters in California will vote Democrat, giving all the state’s electoral votes to Obama.
All that’s required is a 51% majority of voters. But it’s also clear that Obama has significantly more support than 51% in California. But even if he gets 90% of the popular vote, the same number of electoral votes will be cast.
So if your a Democrat in California, just remember: it’s really just a waste of effort to vote. Your candidate is going to win. So don’t bother. Show a little sportsmanship – a 90% Obama blow-out really looks bad. Does anyone enjoy watching the super-bowl if the score is 47-3 in the first quarter? No!
And don’t worry. If by some random chance, or maybe a few 1000 rigged voting machines, McCain somehow squeaks out 50.1% in California, I’m sure some of the other, less important states, will probably vote for Obama anyway.
So sit back, enjoy your latte, and book your plane tickets to France.
I’m still waiting for the “terrorist” attack financed by Cheney that will hit sometime this afternoon.
Then we’ll see old GWB come on TV and regrettably suspend elections and declare martial law. For our “safety.”
Praise God.
38,
Yeah, we had a lousy crop of effective bureaucrats. No personality. Harper especially is distasteful. Wet lips and dead eyes…
44,
Good one. No, Mr Sweater Vest won…
http://www.dailyseagull.com/sweater-vest-sales-down-110-cause-stephen-harper/
Then the light came on you americans are stuck in the 19th century with regards to race and women.
FWIW, I don’t think the Canadians are in any hurry to elect a black guy or a woman as PM. Same for the Mexicans. Central and South America are rather heterogeneous populations, so it isn’t likely there, either. So my barstool analysis says we’re on the cutting edge in this hemisphere.
I voted around 8:30. There was a long line (for my little town), but they opened a second line right after I walked in. It took less than ten minutes all together.
56,
Fellow Canadian… The Prime Minister is not the head of state, he is the head of the government. The Queen, and by extension, the Governor General is the head of state. In Canada, it’s a symbolic role.
One beauty of Parliamentary systems is when a government puts through a bad law, they can be tossed out on a vote of non-confidence. In the US / Presidential system, you need to get a blowjob before you can be brought down.