quote:Originally posted by ElJay: Starbucks at least has changed it to a free coffee (brewed only) for everyone, because it's been pointed out that it's illegal to offer gifts as incentive for voting.
Duh! Yeah, I'm hearing now that these places are just giving away freebies. I think I'm going out for ice cream tonight! Posts: 2392 | Registered: Sep 2005
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I just saw a thing on CNN. There was a text message apparently sent out to thousands of Obama supporters in multiple states that told them due to long lines, they were being asked to vote on Wednesday instead. I hope no one would fall for that, but sheesh.
quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: We had nearly two dozen voting stands at our polling place, in Troy, Michigan. Actually, they set up four more cardboard dividers on round tables with chairs, so I got to sit down while I filled out my ballot. We use basically a black magic marker to fill in an oval by the selected name on the cardboard ballot. Then all the ballots are fed into one optical scanner. It is fast and cheap, and has worked well for us for the six years or so we have been using it. A technician stands right there watching the readout to make sure each ballot was fed in and processed properly. The ballots remain stacked inside the machine, until emptied. So there is a paper trail.
Two precincts share our polling place, and the line for our precinct was much shorter. It was hard not to gloat while we passed by the long line for the other precinct.
I didn't realize you lived so close! Do you ever eat at Champps on Big Beaver?
I like the optical scan ballots personally. They have a paper trail and they are quick and easy to use. My brother caused a backup this morning when he accidentally filled in three bubbles when you were only supposed to pick two candidates. The machine buzzed and spit his ballot back out. It was very amusing. Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I read the things they put before me, and explained why some of them were spurious, some seemed like coded messages meant to play on racial fears, and others were absolute worst-case scenarios of the future in an Obama presidency.
Then I smiled and said I refused to cast a vote from a place of fear. I didn't do it in the last election, or the one before that, or the one before that, and gosh darn it, I'm not starting now.
I'd rather vote from a position of hope, even if it turns out to be a misplaced hope.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Well, Obama is winning in Indiana but losing in KY. Hows that? Oh and somehow, Obama is leading in Maine, 2-1. I have no idea how that is possible.
Edited: Nevermind, he is now losing in Indiana.
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
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(I apologize if someone already posted this. I don't have time to catch up on this thread right now, but this was too beautiful not to share, regardless of which candidate you support. It's from an email I just received, and originally from TPM.)
quote:My polling place is at the fairgrounds in Southern Maryland, about 40 minutes from Washington, D.C. This used to be tobacco country, but is slowly being developed, or other crops are grown. We waited until 10:00 to vote, to avoid the lines. When we got there a 97-year-old Black man was being wheeled out of the polls in his wheelchair. It was the first time he had ever voted in his life. When he came outside he asked if anyone could give him an Obama button. There were none left at the Democrat's booth so I gave him mine. He was so proud and I started crying. He looked at me and said, "why are you crying? this is a day for glory." I am still crying.
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Is it just me, or does all of this early "calling" by the major news sources before any or most actual numbers come in actually take some of the fun out of election night?
Posts: 382 | Registered: Jan 2008
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It's all exit polls Strider. Most places will call a state if the exit polls show one person dramatically ahead of the other. If it's within 5-10 points they'll wait for some results to come in before they call it one way or the other.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Morbo, no, I just wish they'd wait 'til I got home from work... It's like missing the first 3 innings of Game 7 of the World Series.
Posts: 382 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Also they use key bellwether districts in key counties to call states. So if you can call a few of those districts, and your voting statistical model is good, you can predict the whole state.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Well, I'm going home... Here's my prediction: I'll have more fun and probably gain as much insight into today's election catching up with this thread in the morning than I will watching the coverage tonight.
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Big precincts like cities, where Obama is strong, take the longest to count and therefore report last. So early Republican leads, even if large, can be caught up. Hence TCTC.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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In Kentucky, Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford is running neck and neck with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell with 50% of the precincts reporting. KY, GA and MS were the longshot states where the Democrats were hoping to get a ninth seat and win a supermajority, but everyone assumed that Georgia would be the best place for a pickup (especially given how AWFUL a candidate Lunsford is).
And Obama just got Pennsylvania called for him. As far as I can tell, that's the ballgame for McCain. Obama is going to win every other Kerry state plus IA, NM and CO. I think that's it. McCain NEEDED Pennsylvania. Any other pathway to victory is exotic and EXTREMELY unlikely.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Hmm.... 100,000 votes difference, can Obama catch up? MSNBC has it as "Too Close to call" but quite the difference... /insecure.
Easily.
Northern Virginia has barely started reporting, and I'm pretty sure that Richmond will go Obama and it hasn't started counting at all.
Edit: Well, they hadn't started counting Richmond as I wrote this, but it is closing a lot of the gap. + 40000 to Obama just from that.
Posts: 1831 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:And Obama just got Pennsylvania called for him. As far as I can tell, that's the ballgame for McCain. Obama is going to win every other Kerry state plus IA, NM and CO. I think that's it. McCain NEEDED Pennsylvania. Any other pathway to victory is exotic and EXTREMELY unlikely.
Agreed. If either Ohio or Florida fall to Obama, both states he is up in, the game is over. They could announce as early as 9ct or 930ct.
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Barack Obama is the next president of the US. And it looks like it is alot bigger a win than I thought.
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Projections are fine, but there is no way I will be 100% confident of the outcome until all votes in all states are counted and any lawsuits brought are settled.
Posts: 155 | Registered: Apr 2005
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CNN has New Mexico going for Obama, but they report him having 37% of the vote. (And their exit polls say he has 53% of the male vote, and 58% of the female... I think someone is getting punchy trying to keep up with incoming data.)
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by jh: Projections are fine, but there is no way I will be 100% confident of the outcome until all votes in all states are counted and any lawsuits brought are settled.
QFT. Only 20% of the precincts in Ohio are reporting right now. Let's wait until it hits 100% before we start celebrating, mmkay?
Posts: 1591 | Registered: Jul 2005
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As long as he picks up Washington and California he will win even if he loses all other states that haven't been called so far.
Posts: 1327 | Registered: Aug 2007
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Iowa has gone to Obama, with Kansas and Utah to McCain.
Edited: There are 73 electoral votes in the west from CA, OR, and WA and Obama has won 202 electoral votes already. If he wins those three states in the west, which he is almost surely to win, then he is the president even if he does not win NV, CO, FL, Virginia, NC, Indiana, and MO.
Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I think Obama has California. Just a hunch. Though 0% polls reporting atm. So don't bet the house on it. Maybe just the garage and the backyard + the kitchen.
Posts: 262 | Registered: Oct 2008
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Who has called Florida? I can't find anybody calling it yet.
But yeah, it's over. Florida is not even necessary for Obama at this point.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
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Apparantly Daily Show will have a live showing with Steven Colbert and Stewart doing a live thing about the election but I can't figure out how to watch it online.
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quote:Originally posted by Unicorn Feelings: I think Obama has California. Just a hunch. Though 0% polls reporting atm.
The polls don't even close here for another 30 minutes!
I voted. I'm glad I didn't try to deal with that awful line and no-parking-zoo this morning. The line 45 minutes ago was much better.
There was one person in front of me. Including parking and walking to and from my car, the whole thing took 15 minutes. Maybe 10.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Obama has fallen behind in NC, it looks like the only way he can take that is with the rest of Mecklenburg being counted.
(I worry about NC because my guess was 353 to Obama. Another possibility to get my guess is if Obama takes MO, MT, and one electoral vote from Nebraska.)
Posts: 1831 | Registered: Jan 2003
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