Election Day Thread

[orulz]

I voted today around 8am. Waited in line for about a total of 30 seconds. The long lines they predicted didn't materialize, at least not at my polling place.

What were your experiences if you voted today?

[Jones_]

I was the only one voting at my place (Project Enlightenment), but was number 138 for the day. I am thinking my precinct was over 50% early voting. NC as a whole was 42% of all registered voters, so at that rate, there aren't a lot of folks left.

[RaleighRob]

I read NC had one of the highest rates of Early Voting in the country. And Wake County surely had a good large number of sites to choose from. My parents in Winston-Salem complained that early voting there had long lines and crappy machines. But so far, sounds like things have done well in the Triangle.

What I'm really worried about this year is Virginia, which (1) didn't have early voting, (2) is a swing state for the first time in ages and (3) is reported to have one of the steepest margins of voters to machines.

[dmccall]

I am totally sick of this election. The amount of bot calls that my household, one on the "Do Not Call" list, has gotten is absurd. This kind of harassment should be against the law.

[Justin6882]

I voted at Chavis Heights precinct around 9:45 this morning and I didn't have to wait in line at all - and there were probably 7 other people voting at the time. I was number 163.

[ncwebguy]

My voting day was last Tuesday. I was going to vote at Chavis, but ended up going to Wake County Elections on Salisbury Street. There were five people in front of me then, but it was mid afternoon after the lunch rush. I was a little sick, but remember the count was either just under 2,000 or 4,000, though I don't know if that was for the day or for multiple days of early voting there.

On Saturday the 1st, the line went out the door and halfway up Davie toward Fayetville Street, but the weather was a lot better then than today.

I was going to drive by my usual precint (Roberts Park on East Martin) but was running late for work.

[dmccall]

I voted at 6pm at Brooks Elementary and there were NO voters present. Early voters who waited are suckers.

[Gard]

Democrats now have the majority on the Wake County Board of Commisioners for the first time in 6 years: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/wake/story/1282886.html

[RaleighRob]

I voted at 6pm at Brooks Elementary and there were NO voters present. Early voters who waited are suckers.

[Jones_]

A photo of Hargett and Wilmington Street shortly after CNN predicted Obama as the winner (after Virginia went blue essentially).

[ChiefJoJo]

^ Yeah, Raleigh Times was "Obama Times" last night... they had drink specials, tents, and TVs facing the street, etc.

I was in the Marriott, and it was crazy. Seemed like thousands of people in there walking around in the lobby and up in the rooms. It was an incredibly amazing moment when Obama was announced... you could see the emotion on people's faces as they realized that what happened was truly among the most powerful, transformative events in American (world?) history. I think even the people who didn't vote for Obama would agree with the significance of the moment.

[dmccall]

Um, if it weren't for all the Early Voting, your fortune of having no lines on Election Day would NOT have happened.

Which for many, like myself, was sort of the point.

[Jones_]

People were crying after it was wrapped up. Lot of emotional investment in this for sure. When my mother, who has voted republican for the 20 years I can remember, switched to democrat this time, you know its snowing in hell.

On election lines, from what I can read between the lines, NC, or at least Wake County is a rare case of lots of polling places. I think there are 6 or 7 I could walk to if I had to.

edit: ok, there 198 polling places listed for wake county....say what about 198k registered voters or so, so thats only 1000 voters per precinct. I am guessing in other parts of the country its as high as 10,000 per precinct though I do not know for sure. Regardless, we our fortunate to have such accessibility.

Another note...there were several election observers sitting behind the voter list folks. A result of the past two elections no doubt. It certainly highlighted the magnitude of the event for me to see them. Call me a wus, but I felt some strong emotion at casting a vote this year....for those that know me, I do silly stuff like save turtles from the road all the time, but having to fight back a tear for filling out a couple of ovals on a scan sheet caught me off guard a little.

Also heard that the free expression tunnel at NC State was covered in KKK and such this morning. Figures.

Also, I can't help but think I heard the two best speeches I will hear in my lifetime. McCain, is a good honest man who was speaking RNC party-speak until last night. The lucidity and sincerity was impressive. Obama has never sounded like someone speaking party-speak. To me its almost more about the man than the party.

My favorite line from the victory speech:

"And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too."

[raleighfan]

"And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too."

[Jones_]

I don't want this to turn ugly, but unless you make over $200k as a single earner, your taxes will not go up, but instead go down (as proposed). Since many more than the 65 million people who voted for Obama do indeed make less than this, its easy to see how he won the election.

[JeffC]

Enough back and forth about Obama and taxes...we just got through with three months of that.

Lets talk about Stan Norwalk taking out Ken "I only pretended to design the aquatics center for free" Gardner. What impact do you think it will have on development issues? I have to say I've been overwhelmed with the council as elected in 2006 so far...

[RaleighRob]

^ I guess more tendency to have development pay for itself. Less confrontation with the School Board, too.

Ideally, I'd like to see them tackle suburban and exurban sprawl some. It's getting way out of control and most of Wake's towns aren't doing anything to reign it in.

[dmccall]

I don't want this to turn ugly, but unless you make over $200k as a single earner, your taxes will not go up, but instead go down

[monsoon]

In regards to what Obama will or will not do, he has already created a website that puts his proposals and anticipated policies in writing which is the first time I have see a President do this. If you have doubts or even if you don't, copy this stuff down then hold him accountable to it in 4 years. I recommend a read of his agenda because it goes into detail what he is planning to do with taxes, jobs, education, and maybe more interesting to the forumers of this site, spending on infrastructure including train transit.

Change.gov

If his plans are sustained, the Triangle may finally get its train system.

[Jones_]

And of course presidential plans are nothing more than plans without congressional bill introduction and approval. Yeah, Dana, the missing capital gains is a huge obstacle....one I assume the bailout package is intended to begin correcting. Until lending increases, productivity increases, things start going up in value, and that capital gain is there to be taxed, then no swapping out of revenue streams can occur.

Did I read correctly (in a glance) that Warren Buffet is part of the economic advisory team being assembled?

Just want to reiterate, I have no intention of this thread going partisan, and as such am trying to look at things like how in fact the money does flow through government, what it means to Joe Plumber and Warren Buffet, etc. This was my fifth presidential election I could vote in and have voted both Republican and Democratic, just to establish that I am not a blind follower of any party.

[dmccall]

I have to say that I really like the ballot system we have. (for those of you not here, we fill in ink bubbles with pen, then run the sheet through a scanner when we exit the polling site. At the end of the day the number of scanned sheets, sheets in hand, and sheets dispensed must all match).

I suppose that partially filled bubbles and errant overfills could nullify a vote without notifying the voter (aka the infamous hanging chad debate), but I still like the fact that there is a quick tally as well as a paper trail should a recount be necessary.

I hear about these purely computer touch screen voting system and they make me really nervous. If there were a quick paper printout verifying the voter of their registered votes, then I could take it.

[monsoon]

^The touch screen systems used in NC print a paper receipt of your vote. You can watch it being printed as you press the buttons.

[dmccall]

^The touch screen systems used in NC print a paper receipt of your vote. You can watch it being printed as you press the buttons.