Election Day is here!!!

[penguingrrl]

I was up bright and early to head to the polls! We went as a family and H said he’s never seen it as busy as it was at 6:20, which is when he always goes. Several cars who resist bumper stickers, which is unheard of in my town. We voted then walked to the bagel place where I ran into our town’s only councilwoman (who is R) so we chatted for a minute.

Now we wait! I’ll need to wait until Thursday or Friday for the mail in ballot results are released because they exceed our expected margin by a lot!

@family pic in spoiler

SPOILER: Click to show

[isabel]

Democrats have been trailing republicans by about 1,000 ballots since voting started here. Yesterday they surpassed Rs by over 5,000 ballots. There’s tons of independent ballots too.

And that’s about all I’m going to say because I’m way too anxious about this whole thing to start speculating.

[lexus]

Fingers crossed for you!

[candreco]

Eeeek, good luck penguingrrl !


No line to vote but there was steady traffic at 7am on a rainy day. Lots of Dem presence outside passing out sample ballots and chatting with people as they came by, and just two really sad looking GOPers. I know I'm in a deeply blue district, but the contrast between cheerful, enthusiastic Dems and the gloomy Republicans kinda made my morning. I'm almost wishing I were in the office, today is going to drag waiting for results to start coming in.

[eddy]

I am buying one can of wine tonight. Not a bottle.


I do not want to risk reliving the feeling of being drunk, then actively hungover as I watched results come in.

But today I feel hopeful. I think Iowa turns blue for gov, potentially state house and 3 of the 4 National house seats. And maybe as a bonus, Steve King gets kicked to the curb today.

[munkii]

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

[boiler717]

munkii I’m also not feeling good about IN today. I canvassed a lot of Dems who said they were undecided / voting for Braun.

[shortstax]

I've never waited in line to vote at my precinct. Today? 35 minutes with highly efficient poll workers. This seems promising, despite the advanced age and typical right-leaning of my neighborhood.

[shortstax]

Nov 6, 2018 8:03:51 GMT -5 munkii said:

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

What's up with that clipart?  Is that a rooster?

[munkii]

Nov 6, 2018 8:18:19 GMT -5 shortstax said:

Nov 6, 2018 8:03:51 GMT -5 munkii said:

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

What's up with that clipart?  Is that a rooster?

It's my ballot! 

ETA: It's early. I'm only partially functioning. Yes, it's a rooster! I looked up what it meant once, but I remember nothing.

[aurora]

Nov 6, 2018 7:23:35 GMT -5 isabel said:

Democrats have been trailing republicans by about 1,000 ballots since voting started here. Yesterday they surpassed Rs by over 5,000 ballots. There’s tons of independent ballots too.

And that’s about all I’m going to say because I’m way too anxious about this whole thing to start speculating.

Yeah, but according to this

www.9news.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=politics&headline=colorado-democrats-lead-in-ballot-returns-slips-away

Ds trailed Rs by ~100,000 at this point in 2014. Granted, Cory Gardner won that year, but so did our D governor. I think CO's large unaffiliated population leans left.

[ECB]

I love my voting location - it's actually 3 different precincts that are located in 3 different areas of one school. They changed the set up from 2 years ago and it turns out that my neighborhood is it's own very small precinct. We were set up in the rec room and I was the first in line and when I left at 7:15, there were still only about 3 people in line. Our neighborhood is about 175 houses so not THAT many voters.

Of course, parking was a bitch because of all the other people there voting (which had lines). But regardless - loved being in and out so fast.

[Deleted]

Nov 6, 2018 7:23:35 GMT -5 isabel said:

Democrats have been trailing republicans by about 1,000 ballots since voting started here. Yesterday they surpassed Rs by over 5,000 ballots. There’s tons of independent ballots too.

And that’s about all I’m going to say because I’m way too anxious about this whole thing to start speculating.

Are you talking CO? Our independents lean pretty left so somehow we do usually vote left even if Reps outvote Dems.

Except fucking Gardner.

[downtoearth]

Nov 6, 2018 8:19:58 GMT -5 munkii said:

Nov 6, 2018 8:18:19 GMT -5 shortstax said:

What's up with that clipart?  Is that a rooster?

It's my ballot! 

ETA: It's early. I'm only partially functioning. Yes, it's a rooster! I looked up what it meant once, but I remember nothing.

Rooster is officially the Dem’s symbol, but the newspapers used a donkey because of Andrew Jackson was called a jckass, and some Dems reclaimed it, and newspapers were powerful so it stuck.



www.ithaca.edu/rhp/programs/cmd/blogs/posters_and_election_propaganda/the_rooster_as_the_symbol_of_the_u.s._democratic_p/

[downtoearth]

Nov 6, 2018 8:03:51 GMT -5 munkii said:

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

I can’t find anything on why the Libertarian symbol is milk weed or a dandelion?! I see they adopted a porcupine as their symbol, so what is that?

[thebulldog]

my fb feed so far has people complaining of long waits....and how many young people there are to vote. so positive sign.

i am also curious how many people up in arms about how taking a knee disrepects the flag won't vote today...because you know what REALLY disrespects what people fought for and are trying to protect?...,not voting.....or at least something of this connection make sense in my head.

[lilac05]

Nov 6, 2018 7:48:08 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am buying one can of wine tonight. Not a bottle.


I do not want to risk reliving the feeling of being drunk, then actively hungover as I watched results come in.

But today I feel hopeful. I think Iowa turns blue for gov, potentially state house and 3 of the 4 National house seats. And maybe as a bonus, Steve King gets kicked to the curb today.

I’m cautiously optimistic about IA, too.  

I’ve heard fewer white women saying, “I don’t follow politics because it doesn’t affect ME” this time around.  I’m not sure, however, if fewer think that or if they just know now that they’ll get an earful from me if I hear it.  

[eclaires]

My husband just left to vote (I voted last week) and as he was leaving he said “anything I need to know about on the ballot?” He meant ballot initiatives or constitutional amendments because during our last gubernatorial election we had some. We don’t this time so I replied “there are five races. Vote for the Democrat in every one.” Lol.

[msmerymac]

Add election day to the Superbowl and the Oscars as "things that are actually better to experience on the west coast."

In 2010, it was probably 6ish PM (I was on my way to meet with my graduate advisor) when it was confirmed that Obama was going to win. The danger, I guess, is that it kind of depresses the vote in the West when the results aren't close for a national election, but you don't need to wait until 8 or 9 to start seeing the results come in, and you don't need to stay up until 2 AM only to see both Toomey and Trump win in PA.

[notreal]

I voted. The stink of my choices was strong, but I voted.

[thebulldog]

i have a doc appt later today....DH took off work to go with me and he says...hey i am going to go up the street to the polling place for a few hours to help the volunteers pass out stuff. is that ok?

um yes you sexy beast....

[mrshandy]

Weather is miserable here! I was at my elementary school at 530 to get set up for the PTA bake sale. There was a good crowd voting from 6-8AM. I actually vote at another school so I went after I was done with my shift. It wasn't too crowded there, but they are never crowded even for Presidential elections.

I hope the thunderstorms go away, we'll have to shut down the bake sale if they come.

[Smolinsk]

Nov 6, 2018 8:03:51 GMT -5 munkii said:

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

That’s interesting, I’ve never seen a ballot that gives you the option to vote a straight party ticket. Do a lot of states do it that way?

[secretlyevil]

Nov 6, 2018 8:34:59 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Nov 6, 2018 8:19:58 GMT -5 munkii said:

It's my ballot! 

ETA: It's early. I'm only partially functioning. Yes, it's a rooster! I looked up what it meant once, but I remember nothing.

Rooster is officially the Dem’s symbol, but the newspapers used a donkey because of Andrew Jackson was called a jckass, and some Dems reclaimed it, and newspapers were powerful so it stuck.



www.ithaca.edu/rhp/programs/cmd/blogs/posters_and_election_propaganda/the_rooster_as_the_symbol_of_the_u.s._democratic_p/

I never knew that! I want to reclaim the rooster.

[tacokick]

Nov 6, 2018 8:50:07 GMT -5 eclaires said:

My husband just left to vote (I voted last week) and as he was leaving he said “anything I need to know about on the ballot?” He meant ballot initiatives or constitutional amendments because during our last gubernatorial election we had some. We don’t this time so I replied “there are five races. Vote for the Democrat in every one.” Lol.

We always vote straight Democrat but I made an event called “vote yes on all ballot initiatives except G” on our shared calendar as a helpful reminder for him lol

[hocus2]

I live in a district that doesn't have any competitive races so I was surprised by the turn out. I was at the primary which was more competitive and it was a ghost town. We use paper here and there was lines for the privacy booths and to scan. Our local election is so noncompetitive one person on the ballot had his volunteers phone banking for other folks races last night.

[aurora]

I love having mail-based voting (especially since they installed ballot boxes around town where you can drop yours for free!) but I do miss the energy surrounding polling places.* Everybody here just seems to be going about their normal day.

*This may be because I've never had a polling place with long lines.

[isabel]

Nov 6, 2018 8:29:06 GMT -5 @lindy said:

Nov 6, 2018 7:23:35 GMT -5 isabel said:

Democrats have been trailing republicans by about 1,000 ballots since voting started here. Yesterday they surpassed Rs by over 5,000 ballots. There’s tons of independent ballots too.

And that’s about all I’m going to say because I’m way too anxious about this whole thing to start speculating.

Are you talking CO? Our independents lean pretty left so somehow we do usually vote left even if Reps outvote Dems.

Except fucking Gardner.

Yes, CO.

[isabel]

Nov 6, 2018 8:25:35 GMT -5 aurora said:

Nov 6, 2018 7:23:35 GMT -5 isabel said:

Democrats have been trailing republicans by about 1,000 ballots since voting started here. Yesterday they surpassed Rs by over 5,000 ballots. There’s tons of independent ballots too.

And that’s about all I’m going to say because I’m way too anxious about this whole thing to start speculating.

Yeah, but according to this

www.9news.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=politics&headline=colorado-democrats-lead-in-ballot-returns-slips-away

Ds trailed Rs by ~100,000 at this point in 2014. Granted, Cory Gardner won that year, but so did our D governor. I think CO's large unaffiliated population leans left.

Yeah, I mean, I meant that statement in a positive way. 

I'm still really anxious about the final results (country wide, not just here).

[aurora]

Nov 6, 2018 9:03:08 GMT -5 Smolinsk said:

Nov 6, 2018 8:03:51 GMT -5 munkii said:

My vote is in. I'm not feeling good about Indiana today, but we'll see.

That’s interesting, I’ve never seen a ballot that gives you the option to vote a straight party ticket. Do a lot of states do it that way?

I asked this question here in 2016 (or maybe 2014?) because I had always assumed "straight ticket voting" meant you filled in every circle for each candidate accordingly. Apparently it's not uncommon, but not the majority, to have such a single-box option.