# 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:** 9
**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, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/161 "2008-11-04T18:32:08Z")
Of course not! Trees, lampposts, sure, but not doors! ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/162 "2008-11-04T18:41:18Z")
There are two polling places in my neighborhood here in beautiful Boulder CO. The closer one is, oddly, not mine. I passed it at about 6:30 AM while walking the dog to see just a couple of people waiting outside to vote. Wife and self showed up at our own polling place around the corner at 7:02AM, just after opening. There were only about 6 or 8 people ahead of us, and I got to the booth within 10 minutes. Took a while to fill in the bubbles on the very long ballot, but I was out the door by 7:30. There was a steady trickle of people behind me, but nothing like the crowd I was expecting. I suspect this is because about 60% of Colorado voters cast ballots early this year. Boulder is the whitest of whitebread towns, but is reliably Democratic, so will most likely go heavily for Obama. Here’s hoping that the rest of the state goes the same way! Cheers, Rick ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/163 "2008-11-04T18:47:30Z")
Voted at 10:00am. There was a line of cars to get into the school parking lot, but no lines inside. Plenty of poll workers, and optical scanned ballots were quick and foolproof. Very few Obama signs in the neighborhood, so we were stoked to do our part to keep New Hampshire blue. ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/164 "2008-11-04T18:51:20Z")
Sounds like a lot of you got luckier than me in terms of wait. Not that I minded. I live in SC, and I waited 2 1/2 hours. Got there at 8:20, saw a friend leaving who arrived at 6:45 am. I’ve never seen anything like this. Cars precariously parked within a circular mile around all the schools…crazy for a non-swing state. A woman came in, saw a friend, and began telling him that the poll workers had told her to go to the head of the line. She was 41 weeks pregnant. She told him she felt bad and didn’t want to do that. Everyone in line started saying, “No, no. Go-go to the front of the line! Please!” Clearly none of us wanted to witness the spectacle of public labor on election day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/165 "2008-11-04T18:51:30Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > Awesome, **Shayna**! (nice nails!) Thanks! My French manicure was growing out and I’m too busy to go to the salon to have it redone, so I got some nail decals at Walgreens and covered all the grown out areas on all my nails. 🙂 > [@xanthous](#): > > (but I’m sick with a fever today so it’s just as well I’m not out spreading it around to all the awesome voters!) Oh noes! I have nowhere to go after work but home, and can drive right by New York Deli on the way, so let me know if you want some Jewish penicillin (chicken soup), and I’ll be _happy_ to bring you some! > [@xanthous](#): > > A disheartening side note: Got a call from a family member that they received an “anonymous” mass-mailing text message this morning informing them that due to huge voter turnout, voting is being extended until tomorrow and they should go vote then. He (an Obama voter) was savvy enough to trace it and discovered it originated with another family member (a McCain voter). A confrontation is in the works… At least my Republican family has the good sense not to bother even discussing politics with me anymore. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/166 "2008-11-04T18:52:53Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > Another Missouri vote for Obama/Biden just in! If they carried this state it would be the whipped topping on the cake for me. > > No line at my polling station as of half an hour ago. (I work from home, so I made a point to vote during a dead time, so as not to make the line longer for people who have to be somewhere on time.) There was a short wait for the machines, so I did the paper ballot. > > Wearing my sticker with pride! I arrived at my polling place in St. Louis County at 6am and was #219. Took about two hours… really slow poll workers. The polling station is across the street and I can see that now there is no line outside, although about 150 people can line up inside (I only went this morning to keep my wife company). Knocked on some doors in Maplewood for a few hours this morning getting out the vote - will go back out around 3pm. Beautiful weather here in STL - possibly the nicest day of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/167 "2008-11-04T18:54:04Z")
I voted this morning. There were 2 people in front of me in line and it took about a minute for them to clear out and me to get through. I waited about 45 minutes in 2006 but I don’t know if it’s maybe because the polls are better-staffed this year or I went at a different time of day or what. This will be the first time I’ve voted for the winner in a presidential race (my 3rd pres. election.) I wonder if I’ll feel any different knowing I helped put the bum in there :D. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/168 "2008-11-04T18:56:31Z")
Bay Area. I had a dentist appointment this morning (down the street from my house) so I voted after that, about 9:40. No line. I’m happy to say that two people with No on 8 signs were standing just outside the no canvassing perimeter. I gave them a thumbs up. Lots of no on 8 signs seem to have sprung up over the weekend. Around here, that has a lot more drama than the presidential contest. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/169 "2008-11-04T18:59:57Z")
My wife got to vote for president for the first time ever today! No line at all at my polling station, but on the way into work I saw people lined up out the door and down the street at the Minneapolis urban league. At the University (where I work) there was a carnival atmosphere with Obama supporters rallying on seemingly every corner. You wouldn’t even know he had an opponent. I’ve never seen anything like this. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/170 "2008-11-04T19:03:54Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > [Over 1,000 Students Lined Up To Vote At Penn State (VIDEO)\*](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/04/over-1000-students-lined_n_140859.html). > > WOW! > > \*Don’t watch on a full stomach, it’s very Cloverfieldish. Wow! God bless the young people. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/171 "2008-11-04T19:05:31Z")
Sherman Oaks, CA. Arrived at my polling place, a residential garage, at 6:30 (7am open time) saw 4 people in line so I stayed in my car. When I saw more people walking up, I jumped in line. 20 minutes later, the line was about 50 people. They swore in the volunteers, and began checking people in. Voted, got my sticker and left. My sister threw her back out a few days ago and can’t walk, I hope she feels well enough to be able to vote. She hopes she can cut in line a-la **sidle** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/172 "2008-11-04T19:06:14Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > Dang. I hate it when I don’t get a joke. So, whatchoo talkin’ 'bout, Willis? Not a joke. All the Lutheran churches around these parts have red doors. Has to do with Martin Luther nailing his protests on the doors of Roman Catholic churches. I was in my forties before I was told that it was a Southern thing. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/173 "2008-11-04T19:16:20Z")
> [@Tabithina](#): > > One thing—and it’s a big thing if you are for Obama in Missouri— The republican-leaning polling areas in our county have also had record turnout so far this morning. If you are in a city with long lines, please stay there and get it done. If you have to go to vote later in the day and anticipate a long wait, bring along some soda and/or snacks for those in line next to you. Tell them that Kris in the SW corner of MO is nicely asking them to please hang in there and VOTE! All the other swing-staters, I’m talkin’ to _you_, too. 😉 > > I’ll be back up at the office after my son gets a good nap in. I am sooo tired. Excited, but tired. **Tabithina** , you inspired me to go make calls into Missouri, using the [tools provided on the Obama site](http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGx3yk) (they make it SO easy!). So far, everyone I’ve reached has already voted, and voted for Obama! This is so incredible! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/174 "2008-11-04T19:20:07Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Not at all unexpected. Rove was the first to put Obama over 270 more than a month ago. He’s had Obama at landslide level for a couple weeks. 338-200 isn’t really a landslide. It might seem that way after 2000 and 2004, but historically, most Presidential elections are more lopsided than that. I’ve provided a chart below, but the upshot is that prior to 2000, the only Presidential election in the lifetime of anyone using the SDMB where the winner got fewer than 300 electoral votes, prior to Bush 2.0, was Carter’s win in 1976, and he just missed: 2004: Bush 286, Kerry 252 2000: Bush 271, Gore 266 (1 faithless elector for Lieberman) 1996: Clinton 379, Dole 159 1992: Clinton 370, Bush 168 1988: Bush 426, Dukakis 111 1984: Reagan 525, Modale 13 1980: Reagan 489, Carter 49 1976: Carter 297, Ford 240 (1 faithless elector for Reagan) 1972: Nixon 520, McGovern 17 (1 faithless elector for Hospers) 1968: Nixon 301, Humphrey 191, Wallace 46 1964: Johnson 486, Goldwater 52 1960: Kennedy 303, Nixon 219, Byrd 15 1956: Eisenhower 457, Stevenson 73 1952: Eisenhower 449, Stevenson 89 1948: Truman 303, Dewey 189, Thurmond 39 The last time before Carter a winner got fewer than 300 was Wilson in 1916. Because of the nature of the EV system, even a slight advantage in popular vote translates to a lot of electoral votes. The effect of more popular votes on electoral votes is geometric. If Obama wins 338 electoral votes his victory _will actually be slimmer than most._ ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/175 "2008-11-04T19:21:55Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Not a joke. All the Lutheran churches around these parts have red doors. Well, I’ll be dipped. I’ve never heard that before, and thus never paid attention. Now I will. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/176 "2008-11-04T19:25:03Z")
P.S. I just got off the phone with a woman in St. Louis who said this is her first time ever voting for a Democrat, as she’s been a Republican her whole life. And she was SO excited to talk about Barack Obama, she almost wouldn’t let me off the phone. So I’m not sure I’d worry so much about the traditional “Republican-leaning” areas! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/177 "2008-11-04T19:27:50Z")
I’m really going to miss Tim Russert tonight and not just for the excellent analysis he always brought. It just doesn’t seem right, him not getting to see how this, of all elections, played out. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/178 "2008-11-04T19:27:58Z")
I just finished voting for Barack Obama half an hour ago. No lines in my northern Atlanta polling place. My address was different from the address on the list, but no problem, I still got to vote. They’re very forgiving of stuff up here where the Republican majorities are so heavy. They figure you’ll vote Republican. Hell, I wasn’t even wearing any pants. No problem. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/179 "2008-11-04T19:34:20Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > Oh noes! I have nowhere to go after work but home, and can drive right by New York Deli on the way, so let me know if you want some Jewish penicillin (chicken soup), and I’ll be _happy_ to bring you some! **Shayna** , you are most kind and I _know_ you would do it for little ol’ me because it’s obvious that you are one of the true good people in this world, but I’m all set with everything I need here. I will be glued to the Dope and the TV all day in my jammies and slippers, with soup and hot tea (and a telephone!) at my fingertips! Thanks, though!😃 ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000/180 "2008-11-04T19:36:01Z")
So slightly off-topic but all day today I’ve had U2’s “Beautiful Day” playing within my head. 😃 MeanJoe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-officially-election-day/471000.md?page=10)