# It's Officially Election Day **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 4, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000 "2008-11-04T05:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/21 "2008-11-04T07:38:58Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > Holy FRIGGIN’ Schmoly! > > Almost every registered voter in Dixville Notch is a Republican. In the beginning, they were entirely Republican, giving Richard Nixon 9 votes to John F. Kennedy’s 0 in that 1960 election. > > Tonight’s tally: > > John McCain – 6 votes > Ralph Nader – 0 votes > Barack Obama – **15 votes**!!! > > :eek: Eh, looks like the last time they went Democrat was in '68: Humphrey over Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/22 "2008-11-04T07:46:33Z")
I’ve heard the Elders speak around the fire of the Dark Times. You got to choose between rat rabies and goat leprosy. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/23 "2008-11-04T09:56:29Z")
I’m up earlier than usual, and I’m fixing to go over to my polling place at around 5:30. The polls don’t open until 6:00, but I’m figuring there might be a bit of a line today 😃 . My precinct went 70% for Kerry in 2004; I think we might do better for Obama. Everybody go vote and be careful out there! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/24 "2008-11-04T10:07:42Z")
Good luck, guys. Vaya con huevos. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/25 "2008-11-04T10:30:50Z")
I’m sucking down coffee and heading to the polls in fifteen minutes - to be a poll greeter for the state Democratic Party. Here in NC, the ballots are a little confusing, so I’ll be talking to people about how to vote a straight ticket (if that’s what they want to do) and handing out Democratic voter guides. I’m doing the first shift and the last shift, then I’m heading home to watch the returns. My vote for Obama was cast a couple weeks ago! Go Obama! ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/26 "2008-11-04T10:33:21Z")
Over here in Japan, I get to sleep through most of the election hours, which is good because I’m a total basket case right now. I sent in our absentee ballots a couple weeks ago. When I wake up, it will be pretty much over. Thank god, then I can get back to my real life. GO OBAMA! ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/27 "2008-11-04T10:43:03Z")
Can’t sleep tonight and haven’t for the past 3 days. I may end up just staying up through the whole thing. I can sleep later. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/28 "2008-11-04T10:47:05Z")
Heading out to my polling place right now. I’m all giddy ‘n’ stuff :D. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/29 "2008-11-04T11:13:41Z")
How am I going to stay up late when I woke up at 3am all giddy? “It’s Election Day! It’s Election Day!” Perhaps I’ll take a nap after work. Go vote, people. Even if you can’t decide on a President, you got senators, representatives, state and local races, state and local referendums, etc., etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/30 "2008-11-04T11:13:44Z")
pollls open at 7am eastern in pa. i’m eating the breakfast of the lucky… lucky charms! ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/31 "2008-11-04T11:34:20Z")
Not sure what the debate is about, but I voted about 15 minutes ago. 6:10 AM and the polling place was hopping. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/32 "2008-11-04T12:07:21Z")
Our polls just opened, well, while I was there. There were about 200 people in line. I’ll have to go back this afternoon after work. Keep the faith, guys. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/33 "2008-11-04T12:11:53Z")
OK…I reckon I’ll post this here, but if there’s a thread later about your poll experience, I’ll post it there, too. I showed up at my polling place at 5:40 AM; polls opened at 6:00. A poll worker was counting people in line and a guy right behind me was #100. This was at 5:55. I’ve been voting in this precinct for 10 years now, and I’ve never seen it like this. Usually, the line is about 50 people at 6AM; today, it was around 300. The turnout in my precinct in 2004 was about 1400 people. I wonder what it will be this time! People seemed very calm and determined, but happy. I normally hate long lines with a purple passion, but I gladly and patiently waited my turn. I didn’t know I had it in me! Inside, we had a choice of electronic or paper ballots; a lot of people chose paper, but I voted electronically at 6:25 AM. Good luck out there and go vote, whomever you’re for. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/34 "2008-11-04T12:12:11Z")
I walked to the town hall and got there around 6:10. The parking lot was full (but it’s small). There were maybe 12 people in 2 lines ahead of me, but it went pretty quickly, not much more than 5 minutes. It’s a small town in southern New York. There’s can’t be more than 2,000 people who can possibly be registered to vote there, do I doubt there will be lines. (My last presidential election was in Jersey City, a very crowded and notoriously corrupt municipality.) I like that that they are still use the good old-fashioned metal-lever voting machines here. They make a satisfying clunk when you’re done. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/35 "2008-11-04T12:14:05Z")
I voted early about a week and a half ago, in person at Vets Memorial here in Columbus. Glad I went then, because there was no line. Last night they were doing a live remote from Vets on the 11:00 news, showing all of the people that were still in line waiting to vote. These people were cheerful and happy to be there, for the most part. A few were mouthing “OBAMA” at the camera from behind the reporter’s back. It honestly sent chills down my spine. People waiting in line for several hours, probably until past midnight, to _vote_. I love this country. Anyway, this morning I’m putting in a 3-hour canvassing shift for the Obama campaign and then I’m going to spend the rest of the day biting my nails and watching the news. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/36 "2008-11-04T12:16:39Z")
I have to say, it’s good to see people excited about an election. That can’t be bad for democracy. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/37 "2008-11-04T12:17:02Z")
Whomever you vote for, please go vote. I am off to the polling place in about a half hour and then straight in to work. I get off at 430, though. No rally for me in Grant Park (i **nterface** and **WhyNot** will have to be there for me), but I wish I could be there. I’m watching Jon Stewart tonight and probably Chris Matthews et al. And posting here. I’ll come back in the afternoon (no Dope at work) and post how my polling place was. Obama couldn’t ask for better weather here in Chicagoland. It will feel good to get this over with. My nerves are about shot. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/38 "2008-11-04T12:33:26Z")
Thank god it will all be over soon. ---
**Author:** ![JayRx1981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@JayRx1981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayRx1981)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/39 "2008-11-04T12:39:47Z")
I just voted. New polling location for me this year, so I can’t say how it was last year, however when I arrived at 6:15am, there were already at least 100 people in line. The shocking thing for me is it looked like most of those voting were people in my age bracket. I’m hopeful that this year my age group actually gets off their asses and votes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/40 "2008-11-04T12:50:11Z")
Amazing. I couldn’t sleep so I just waited until 6AM and headed out to vote. In 15 years of voting in this district, I’ve never waited longer than five minutes. At six am the line was all the way around the block! In Manhattan – where the winner’s a foregone conclusion and we have no other races of interest (well, except for a councilperson or two, some judges, and one ballot initiative)! I was chatting with some folks on line and, while none of us actually stated who we were voting for, it was obvious we were all Obama/Biden voters. Lots of discussion about how lucky we were to live in NY, where we have good ol’ fashioned levers and we’ve never had issues with overvoting, undervoting, chads, “poorly calibrated” touchscreens, etc. And also what a pleasant, empowering experience voting is. Of course, as it turned out, a few machines were out of service and the wait was about an hour. But it’s all good. I got my ticket, stepped on in, and two ker-chunks later (one to the right to “set the stage,” then a second to enter my votes) I’d cast my vote for the next President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama. I love voting. I can’t imagine not taking advantage of this precious opportunity to _be heard_. GOBAMA! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000.md?page=3)