The Exit Poll: Islamic Shock and the Kenyan Communist All-Stars!

[nacho]

Here we go...a thread tracking news stories and results tomorrow, and maybe a hyperactive and way too drunk liveblog in the evening.

If RC wants to blend this somehow with his 24 Hour Fringe thread, that's cool. Also "s-l-o-t" is another no-no word.

So -- things to watch:

The PR statehood question (or, rather, the first step in that direction)... Gays (on several ballots)...in-state tuition for brown people...increasing s-l-o-t machines in all of Maryland's poor districts so that we can feed the gold-crazed dragon in Annapolis...that question about ousting the police unions which the state shamelessly propagandizes.

Here are some of the hot ballot questions from around the country.

1. States reacting to ‘Obamacare’

Six states have ballot measures dealing with health care, likely a response to the passage and Supreme Court affirmation of the Affordable Care Act. Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming all have proposals countering the act known as Obamacare. Likewise, Louisiana has a proposal to protect the state Medicaid trust fund for the elderly from budget cuts. Arizona has a pending amendment that would allow voters to reject federal actions, such as an individual mandate on health insurance, via referendum.

2. Marijuana: Legalize it?

Washington, Oregon and Colorado all have proposed amendments to make marijuana legal for recreational use. All three states currently allow for the use of cannabis for medical purposes and Colorado and Oregon both have removed jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Massachusetts and Arkansas have proposed amendments to allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes, which could add them to the other 17 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. Meanwhile Montana is seeking to repeal its medical marijuana law in exchange for a new system.

3. Same-sex marriage

Maine voters will have the opportunity to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage. Maine has a referendum that would allow gay couple to obtain a civil marriage license and Washington has a similar referendum addressing gay marriage. Maryland has a question on its ballot to approve civil marriage licenses for gays. Minnesota has a proposed amendment banning gay marriage.

4. Swing states topics

All but four swing states (North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) will have initiatives on their ballots on Nov. 6, but some could prove to be more influential in motivating voter turnout. As previously stated, Colorado has proposed amendments to legalize marijuana for recreational use, but it also has an amendment to prohibit corporate contributions and expenditures in elections, both of which could draw liberal voters.

Florida has proposed amendments to prevent penalties for not purchasing health care, to prevent public funding for abortions and to repeal the ban on public dollars for religious funding, appealing to Christian conservatives.

New Hampshire has a proposed amendment banning increases on income tax, which also could appeal to conservative voters.

5. Three strikes, you’re out

California has a proposal to modify it’s “Three Strikes” policy which requires repeat criminals to serve 25-years to life in prison after their third conviction. The initiative calls for the policy to be implemented only on criminals that have committed a “violent or serious” crime or for those who are previously convicted of rape, murder or child molestation.

California also has a measure calling for the end of the death penalty.

6. Sticking to their guns

A handful of solidly red states are attempting to bolster their second amendment rights through the use of ballot measures. Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wyoming all have amendments solidifying hunting and fishing rights and/or gun rights.

7. Issues of race and immigration

The topics of race and immigration have manifested in a variety of ways on ballots across the country, some of which touch on the issues of immigration and voter identification that have been brought up time and again during the presidential campaign.

Maryland has a proposal to allow illegal immigrants to be charge in-state tuition for public universities.

Montana has a proposal that would require citizens to show proof of citizenship when seeking state services and Minnesota has a proposed voter identification law.

Oklahoma has a proposal to ban affirmative action in the state thus prohibiting special treatment based on race or sex in public employment, education and contracts.

8. Rules for redistricting

Three states are re-examining their redrawn congressional districts that were passed by their respective state legislatures after the 2010 Census report. California and Ohio are looking at the option outside groups drawing the new districts.

California already has this system and made use of it last year, the ballot measure is essentially asking voters if they want this format to stay intact. Meanwhile, Ohio voters will decide if they want the state to set up citizen’s commission to draw the districts.

Maryland voters will have the chance to approve or disapprove of their state’s redistricting plan.

9. Death with dignity

Massachusetts has a proposal to allow terminally ill patients to request their doctors to administer lethal drugs. The patient must be a mentally competent adult with a prognoses of six months or fewer to live by two doctors. Patients must make the request twice verbally and once through writing before the lethal medicine can be administered.

This is the eighth time a state has had an initiative for assisted suicide. Voters were in favor of death with dignity three out of the previous seven times.

10. Consent for abortion

Women’s health reproductive health issues have been another common theme in campaigns across the nation. Along with Florida’s proposal to ban the use of public dollars for abortions, Montana has a proposal that would require parental or legal guardian notification before girls under 16 can an abortion.

This is the tenth time a state has proposed a law such as this. Four out of the previous nine initiatives were passed.

[nacho]

Oh, and some sites to follow and/or stare blankly at for the next 24 hours:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html

http://votamatic.org/

[nacho]

Everything about this election is going to be painful, isn't it?

So I go to the polls at 6:55am thinking I'll outsmart the hordes. The line goes from the school's auditorium, down one hall, around a corner, down another hall, back outside, then around the edge of the school. Like, over a full minute of brisk walking to get to the end of the line.

7am, we stand, and we start to inch forward. So I quit, because I have to get ready for work because we still work today because nobody actually believes in the democratic process.

I'll stick my nose in there on the way to work and see what it looks like... Then, if that fails, my last chance will be tonight when I get home at 7pm. Go stand forever with the late comers.

(Note: I usually take Election Day off, for just this reason -- I only have a three hour window to vote, split between the morning and the evening.)

Above all, I just want to get this shit over with.

Also...why does this feel like a whiny entitled Fajwat post?

[RottingCorpse]

This is the first year the Missus and I didn't get up at the ass crack of dawn. Our plan is to hit the mid morning lull at 10:30 in hopes of sneaking in between the morning rush and the lunch hour madness. Will let you know how it goes.

[nacho]

Done! Went in at 7:45, hit the voting booth by 9am. My cunt boss screaming via text for me not to be late the whole time... he wanted me in at 9am. But, you know, voting feels more important than rushing wildly downtown just to keep my seat warm.

On the train now, and it feels great to have all this over and done with.

[nacho]

Obama's taking over!

[nacho]

No...wait...Romney's taking over!

[nacho]

ASLAN IS COMING!

No, wait...sorry. The suspense is getting to me.

In just under nine hours I'll be drinking wine and listening to someone from New Orleans complain about my irrational hatred for Van Hollen.

[nacho]

The big problem with being a Marylander in MoCo is that there's nothing at stake. OMG, OMG, will Obama win Maryland with 80% of the votes or 70%? OMG OMG, will my fellow Silver Springers nearly unanimously vote for gay marriage, the tuition question, and against gambling or will it only be 90% of them?

I might as well live in a banana republic. We've re-elected the great father-leader, Colonel Alvarez! Rejoice in 20 more glorious years of his benevolent wisdom! My Metrobus is on fire!

[nacho]

Good old 30 Rock...

[RottingCorpse]

Took about an hour and a half and I wrote in William Jennings Bryant.

[nacho]

Took about an hour and a half and I wrote in William Jennings Bryant.

Bryan.

And I didn't do any write-ins because I discovered that potential write-in candidates have to, at least, file with the state. So your vote is actually wasted as opposed to, say, the Santa Claus vote. Or some other third party wacko. Like...Roseanne Barr (who is running this year, and is the official candidate of the Peace and Freedom Party), or Peta Lindsey (the 28 year old socialist who is an official write-in candidate and is also ineligible for office...so...what happens if she wins?).

[nacho]

La Citay Papah reports:

This might not surprise anyone who's been stuck in line at a polling place today, but D.C. is set to surpass the vote total from the 2008 election, according to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics.

"We have many more voters than we had in 2008," says DCBOEE spokeswoman Agnes Moss. While the DCBOEE doesn't have figures available for how many people have voted so far, Moss says anecdotal data and early-voting turnout suggests that the District's total this year will beat 2008's 266,871 cast ballots.

Moss blames the high turnout for delays at polls, but insists that the number of voting machines has either stayed the same or increased.

Another factor in today's delays: polling stations with just one electronic voting machine. Moss blames that short supply on 2008 data, which suggested few people wanted to vote electronically.

"We definitely put one machine in each precinct," Moss says.

[nacho]

So I arrive at Election Party central and we turn on NBC and...it's half an inch of panic coverage and no election coverage!

[nacho]

VA polls close in one minute! Begin the first round of exit poll freakout... And with all the early voters, we may even get some figures.

Superallah Hussein -- ACTIVATE!