Nov. 4, 2008

Where were you on Election Day? Members of Salon's Table Talk community share their voting stories.

Published November 10, 2008 6:14PM (EST)

White House

Today's the day. Did you VOTE? 

Bouteloua - 05:13 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008

You voted yet?

Nancy Richardson - 05:18 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #2 of 94

Weeks ago. I am getting ready to set up a polling place in a mission on LA skid row ... in a Woman's Center endowed by Anne Douglas, Kirk Douglas's wife. I am really proud!

Angry Liberal - 05:59 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #10 of 94

In New Orleans, Louisiana, a state Obama has NO SHOT at winning, I drove my mom to the polls (I voted absentee in Wisconsin). At 6:06 am, the line was a block and a half long! It took her an hour to get through to vote. People let old folks get in front of them! Also, the Times-Picayune, the New Orleans major newspaper, endorsed Obama. That sound you hear is hell freezing over!

MQS - 06:35 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #17 of 94

In this "Blink and you miss it" town, NH, we have more moose than people. You can't get a line formed for free money. At 8 am the line at the poll was out into the parking lot. I think we're going to have a great day.

Randall - 06:47 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #18 of 94

I've been voting for 35 years and this is the first time that it ever made me feel like crying. Maybe I'm celebrating too early, but I feel so happy today. Now to go get more people to the polls.

Ant Soozie - 07:10 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #22 of 94

I voted two weeks ago by mail here in WA, but I just talked to DD. She just voted for President for the very first time in DC (she was too young last time), and was so excited she could hardly talk. She's been volunteering for Obama since early in the primaries, before anybody thought he had a chance for the nomination, so this is a pretty amazing day for her.

skygge - 07:19 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #23 of 94

DH decided he was not going to vote. I'm very disappointed, but he says that his choice is based on the social contract theory which says, in his view, that if he votes at all, even for propositions, he ratifies Congress and its right to do things like the bailout bill, which he opposed. I'm not arguing; he was going to vote Nader anyway if he had. I do agree with him on some levels, but I feel this election needs to say NO!! to the right wingers definitively. And I feel we need Obama's hope.

kenziegirl - 08:17 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #31 of 94

I voted for "that one" in Madison, WI today. Went at 9, only took about 10 minutes to get though. I choked up a little as I penned in my vote. Then, I evilly considered writing in "Sarah Palin" in all the races where Dems are running unopposed so that I could vote against her 6 times. I did notice several people with tags identifying them as "Poll Observer" with no other identifying information, such as party affiliation. I also noticed one of them was writing down people's names as the poll workers asked for names and checked them off the list. I've never seen a poll observer writing down voters names before, so I'm going to contact some folks and see what's up with that.

Jo M - 09:10 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #35 of 94

I voted in conservative Orange County, California this morning right when the polls opened. I felt excited and could not wait to get in and vote. There was a modest line and I had to wait a few minutes. I sense Republicans lack enthusiasm (and rightly so), so the mood was somber.

borregopass - 10:26 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #61 of 94

I voted in Chelsea in NYC. I have been voting here for over two decades. And with the exception of a couple of elections every time I have voted has been at this location.

The community center is in the center of the block on 13th Street. I went late in the morning to let workers and people with children have a free shot at getting through. When I arrived, the line had made it from the Community Center to 7th Avenue and around the corner halfway down that block to 12th Street. I have never before seen the line make it to two buildings over from the community center.

I think she will finally be able to open that bottle of champagne this year. Waiting for 45 minutes to vote in Greenwich Village/Chelsea NYC made me light-headed and giddy, thrilled and proud.

mayberry - 11:42 am Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #66 of 94

Preachin' to the choir here, I know, but I'm getting that offa my chest. I cannot fathom people who don't vote. Their reasons always seem so contrived and thin. It is a shame we don't have 100% of the people qualified to register, registered, and it is a shame that voter turnout isn't 100% across the nation. The US of A is supposed to be the bright, shining light of democracy--a beacon to the rest of the world--but we can't even get it together ourselves. Which if you think of it is pretty hypocritical when we try to evangelize democracy across the world.

Bonita - 12:39 pm Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #74 of 94

Delurking to chime in - I voted. I'm in Indiana, where I have been pushing with all my might to get my state to turn blue for the first time in 44 years. It felt SO GOOD to cast my vote for Obama and actually have a chance of having it mean something! Believe me, if Indiana goes blue, the race is O-ver for McNasty.

I took my 11 year old son with me into the booth. We vote at his school, so he asked if he could come and watch because he's so excited. I took my kids out of school to see an Obama rally in my city last month because I think it's better education than sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher drone about voting. They are pumped up - my kids can't fathom the idea that anyone would actually vote for anyone but Obama. It is a beautiful thing, to see the hope on their faces!

Kalinakka - 03:40 pm Pacific Time - Nov 4, 2008 - #88 of 94

A Pro-Prop 8 volunteer just called us. She had such a fresh, young, pretty , sweet voice -- without thinking I asked How old are you? I was feeling indignant at those who would provide kool-aid for her .... but she replied, in a somewhat indignant tone, "Thirty-three." So I said, Well, you have a very young voice. Normally I string these callers on but I launched into my canned speech about how horrible Prop 8 is; how un-christian, uncharitable, etc., then I said, I am so sorry you have been misled about it, and I will pray for you to see the light. She sounded startled.

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