...how could you have missed that one. He's testifying today, BTW. Salon has an absolute duty to cover this ongoing story. Please don't fail us.

I agree that when Virginia is called it will be the pivotal piece of information. However, don't the networks/cable news wait until the polls close on the West Coast before calling any states? So we won't really know anything until 8:00PM PST.

States get called as soon as networks feel confident enough to call them - sometimes moments after the polls officially close, regardless of who's still voting. The electoral map will be filled in state by state, red piece by blue piece all evening until the electoral vote puzzle is solved. Let's hope one of those "linchpin" pieces doesn't go missing tonight - we all need this thing to be OVER!

This is D-day (I hope B-day) for all who long for the former greatness of the American dream. Good luck to the fearless freedom lovers in our nation.

One more thing I will be looking for, especially since I live in New Mexico, are reports of irregularities at the polls. There are naturally going to be some. Will there be a suspicious number? Will there be patterns to partisan voter challenges, incidents of intimidation? Will there be inadequately equipped polling places in certain precincts, causing long lines that discourage voting or amount to what Rachel Maddow correctly refers to as a poll tax? How many people are casting provisional ballots instead of regular ballots?

In fact, as soon as I finish this cup of coffee, I am leaving to start a volunteer shift with Common Cause as a non-partisan election volunteer, answering questions and helping orient voters as to their rights, reporting anything that needs to be reported.

After 2000 and 2004 especially, a great many of us simply do not trust that our vote will be counted, or that we will even be allowed to cast it in the first place.

I was at my polling place in rural, central VA at 6:45 this morning and waited an hour and a half in the rain. I have never before waited ANY length of time to vote here. I think that says it all.

The exit polls were correct in 2000 and 2004. Unfortunately they forgot to factor in the huge number of stolen votes by Bush and his slithering company.

rubyshoo wrote

... don't the networks/cable news wait until the polls close on the West Coast before calling any states?

I don't believe the networks have ever waited to call the race for any particular state. As soon as they feel confident with the results of a state, they announce it - but only after the polls close in that state. They lose viewers by holding back results on election night, so it's in their business interest to announce the results as soon as they can.

In this case, however, I think they will have to wait until the polls close on the west coast before calling the race for Obama. He is expected to pull in 77 electoral votes from 3 west coast states and Hawaii. Unless it's a 350+ EV win for Obama, he'll need those 77 EVs to win. So it's unlikely we'll see a winner declared before the polls close on the west coast.

I'm in PA. I arrived at my polling location around 7:15 and there was a line already! I waited an hour in line to vote with a damp chill in the air. There wasn't sufficient parking at our semi-rural polling location. It was a disorganized mess getting into the place! People were parking in neighboring lawns, along roadways, etc. But once I got in line, it moved steadily and all was well.

Judging from my experience, the turnout is great! Democracy is alive and well here!! I do think, however, that some changes need to be made in the voting process. It needs to be easier and a more pleasant experience. I was also late getting to work as were many people with me in line. My employer usually has no issues with that and lets you make up the time, but some people would not be paid for that time. Voting should be done over the weekend or election day should be a national holiday.

Hey WES, did you vote for Hillary? or McCain?

As a White, Jewish American I cast my vote this morning at 6:00AM proudly for Barack Obama. I know that he will win and I am beaming with pride about America and I am very proud today to be an American. We`ve come a long way and we still have a long way to go but every American should be thrilled that we chose the content of someone`s character rather than the color of his skin in deciding who our next President should be. I am fifty-eight and have grown up during a time when Blacks could not drink from the same water fountains as whites, use the same bathrooms as whites or eat at the same restaurants as whites. Finally, at long last, America has been transformed into a nation where we judge someone for their ability and not their race. I believe the greatness of America that so many people around the world admire and love will be restored by President Obama. Rejoice America!!!!! We did it right, we did it well, and we just elected a great President!.

sirphred>Exit Polls

The exit polls were correct in 2000 and 2004. Unfortunately they forgot to factor in the huge number of stolen votes by Bush and his slithering company.

No, they were modeled incorrectly, which happens quite often. This bizarre paranoia on both sides does nothing to advance discourse and reflects quite poorly on those making the silly charges.

Diebold machines didn’t steal the elections in 2000 or 2004, and illegal aliens aren’t going to steal the election this time either.

I'm Canadian, and we had a federal election in October. I live in downtown Toronto, and voting was as trouble-free for me here as it was in my former suburban neighbourhood. We line up (for maybe 2 minutes), show a piece of I.D., go to a little cardboard booth, and use a pencil to make an "x" next to the candidate of our choice. Fold up the ballot, and watch the election official stick it in the box. Simple!

I realize your population is 10 times ours, but wouldn't this work if you just had 10 times the number of polling places?

Is there some reason that voting has become so complicated in the US? Perhaps because you vote for so many things at the same time?

Anyway, whatever the obstacles, I hope you will all exercise your right. Even with our smooth process, we had dreadful voter turnout. We sometimes forget how good we have it in North America...