Election Day Live Blogging, Part 1

I'm so excited to watch history unfold today. I could barely focus at work & wanted to track all the updates.

2:25 AM

Obama defeated McCain 15 to 6 in the tiny town of 21, which started voting at midnight.

7:00 AM
Lots of signs & a full parking lot at the Holiday Inn at the front of my neighborhood. Glad I voted early!

7:30 AM

Obama and his wife show up at a Chicago elementary school gym to cast their ballots shortly with their two daughters by their side. Read pool report here.

10:32 AM

What is at stake today: 1 President, 35 Senate Seats, 435 House, 11 Govs...

12:26 PM

My favorite polling guru at 538 has his final projections: Obama-349, McCain 189. H & I both have our best guesses at the final map, with a friendly little wager on who most correctly predicts the results.

12:48 PM

Safely made it through lunch without any nasty political conversations. I'm very much in the minority here, but I'm glad to see so many people interested & out voting.

1:35 PM

Starting to get a few stories of fishy things going on or voting problems. Hopefully they will all get resolved without too much drama. It's been a quieter than expected day. I'm LOVING reading some of the amazing first hand, inspiring voting stories that are being shared today.

Here's one report from Maryland ...

My polling place is at the fairgrounds in Southern Maryland, about 40 minutes
from Washington, D.C. This used to be tobacco country, but is slowly being
developed, or other crops are grown. We waited until 10:00 to vote, to avoid the
lines. When we got there a 97-year-old Black man was being wheeled out of the
polls in his wheelchair. It was the first time he had ever voted in his life.
When he came outside he asked if anyone could give him an Obama button. There
were none left at the Democrat's booth so I gave him mine. He was so proud and I
started crying. He looked at me and said, "why are you crying? this is a day for
glory." I am still crying.

(hopefully a very large victory party here tonight in Chicago!)

3:30 PM

Last stop at the grocery store to pick up some treats for our mini-party tonight. I've printed out all relevant maps, articles, fact-sheets & information for watching the news tonight.