Hey,

I'll be here (unless I'm at a Webb victory party) so the Dems are represented. ;-)

My schedule on Tuesday is: teach all day, staff versus student soccer game in the afternoon, vote on my way home from that, spend the last couple hours of the day with my wife and daughter in our home without the internet. But I'll be interested to come in Wednesday morning and see what you all spent the night chatting about. Have a great time!

So I went and voted at about 7:15 this morning. My precinct is Republican leaning. I was amazed to see a pretty heavy turnout, especially considering the terrible weather. My wife told me that there was a very long line when she went around 9:30.

Got in line @ 6:35am, as the 8th person there. Waited in rain until 7am opening of the doors, along w/~50 others. My first experience w/computerized voting machines was OK, but I wonder how people who don't spend their days on computers will fare. My neighbor told me he waited about 45 minutes to get in @8am. I was happy to see that we need ID's (either photo ID or voter registration card) to vote.

I'm very eager to see who won senate race and how TN decides on the "marriage is only b/w one man and one woman" amendment.

Is heavily Republican, and I had to wait a moderate amount of time (15 minutes or so). Poll workers told me that business had been steady all morning.

I don't expect any surprises here. We'll reelect our Republicans to Congress and to the state legislature. (For what it's worth, they're basically all conservative business-oriented Republicans; not a fire-breathing social conservative in the bunch, though Andrew Sullivan might still break out in hives if he encountered them.)

The questions for Georgia are:

(1) Will incumbent Governor Sonny Perdue get the 50% +1 of the vote he needs to avoid a run-off against challenger Mark Taylor?

I think so.

(2) Will Republicans sweep the statewide seats?

I doubt it. I'm betting that Democratic Attorney General Thurbert Baker is reelected, as are Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond and Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin. Baker and Thurmond are attractive African-American faces for the Democratic Party statewide.

(3) Will Republican challengers Max Burns and Mac Collins unseat incumbent Democrats John Barrow and Jim Marshall?

Burns may win back his old seat, unseating freshman John Barrow, whose district was redrawn by the state legislature to make it more Republican. Collins would probably win in a good Republican year, which this is not.

I'm on the West Coast and not voting until I'm done with work (and here in Washington, not until we load up the arks, too). It's weird to think that by the time I vote many states will be closed and many races will already be called. Of course it also has meant no lines at all for me in the past and I don't mind that. And here we don't have a lot of drama going on. Senator Cantwell has held a lead on McGavick all along and though it never has been big, it should be enough. And there is one close House race between incumbent Rep. Reichart and Dem. challenger Burner but frankly they both look terrible, so I really don't care.

Why is it so hard to get it set up where we have a paper trail for all votes and no voting machines are being made that are both A) apparently easy to hack into/mess with and B) made by companies that clearly for one side? I'm not ready to call anyone guilty or anything, but it seems like it would not be that tough to raise it above the level of suspicion and we don't even do that.

guru: I don't disagree with you at all about a paper trail. However, we were hearing these silly voting irregularity conspiracy nonsense before electronic voting. In fact, the Democratic hissy-fit after 2000 in Florida is what lead us to this point.

We moved two months ago, so this was my first time voting in our new precinct. I'm not sure what a "normal" turnout is, but the polling place was busy without any actual lines just before noon. I had no problems with the machines, although I did have to ask for the full text of the many GA constitutional amendments which were on today's ballot. I wish I had been more prepared, but the workers were quick to hand me the state-created guide.

All of my voting went smoothly, including my many votes for the Libertarian candidates. It would be fun to see Sonny have to endure a run off because of the LP, but I don't think that's likely.

I'd love to know how much affect the rain has on the turn out. There aren't any compelling races in my area, so I wouldn't be surprised if people just stay home today.

This is a day of pride for native South Carolinians like myself. Governor Mark Sanford was turned away from the polls because he forgot his voter card. Outstanding publicity for the Palmetto state.

Predictions: House for Dems seems clear, even though most people (like me) who say that are going with conventional wisdom rather than looking at specific races. Much more interested in the exciting Senate races. I go back and forth on predictions but for the moment...

Dem pick-ups: Tester over Burns in MT, Webb over Allen in VA, Casey over Santorum in PA, Brown over DeWine in OH

Key Republican holds: Corker over Ford in TN, Talent over McCaskill after recounts, Chafee in late surge past Whitehouse in RI

Key Democratic holds: Cardin barely over Steele

Repubs keep Senate 51-49. If Talent loses and it goes 50-50, Lincoln Chafee (if elected) becomes the most important figure in the Senate.

Think Progress has the CNN exit polls for the Senate.

They have Democrats with a 7 seat pickup, if my counting is correct.

AP reports that this election1/3 of white evangelicals voted for Democrats today.

Hmm....that probably isn't good for Republicans.

EB, you must be proud indeed.

This is my favorite quote from a story I read about it:

"The casting of ballots in front of the news media is a well-worn tradition for politicians, but it was no Kodak moment when Sanford discovered he had left his card behind.

Off camera, South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford could be heard telling her husband that she had reminded him to bring it. (Watch his wife's stunned reaction -- 2:09)"

full cnn article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/07/sanford.votes/index.html

Polling station - Clairmont/N Druid was busier than I'd ever seen it. I had some difficulty with the UI, and I design them for a living :( How sad!

decided to see how the blinder half lived, and went with the LARGE FONT - how exciting.

liberts and demos across the board, the usual.
This should be interesting!

CNN is projecting that the "marriage is between a man and a woman" amendment will pass. However, CNN was saying that less than 2/3 of the voters that turned out to vote in favor of that amendment voted for George Allen.

This could be a problem because the initiatives a key lynchpin in the Republican GOTV. It is may have backfired if it drove people to the polls and then they voted against the GOP candidate.

Another sign that it could be a good night for Democrats, FoxNews is reporting that only 39% of undecideds voted for Republicans.

In line with my prediction, Ohio's anti-incumbent mood has sent the Republicans packing. Democratic candidate, Strickland, is now governor-elect.

Governor Bill Richardson is on MSNBC with Chris Matthews talking about the results, especially the gubernatorial races up for grabs tonight.

With 16% in, George Allen has 53%. Of course, who knows where those precincts are that are in.

Sounds like Sonny Perdue has won in GA.

If you are following the VA Senate race, go to the official Commonwealth vote tally. It refreshes every two minutes. As for 8:17, Allen has 50.60% and Webb has 48.17% and are separated by about 22,000 votes.

FoxNews (grain of salt...) has called the IN-02 race for Ellsworth (D) over Rep. Hostettler (R).

updated: The other major news agencies are calling for Ellsworth as well.

Also, uber-unpopular Senator Santorum is charging massive vote irregularities in PA. So the charge of voter fraud will come not necessarily from the right or the left, but from the losers.

MSNBC reported that a quote on the National Journal's blog has Ken Mehlman saying that turnout is "against us" in Tennessee.

I can't negotiate National Journal's homepage (could it get any busier?!?!) to find the blog. Can anyone else valid this?

The referendum in TN in favor of a state constitutional amendment against gay marriage has been called as passing in TN.

Can anyone give me their take on what happened with Ford Jr. in TN? I thought he would be an easy win, but I have been out of the loop for a month at least.

Just curious, I have always respected the guy.

Nicaragua has elected Manuel Noriega today.

for Casey...Santorum is gone.

for Bob Menendez for US Senate.

I don't think much about Santorum one way or the other....but why do you say he is slimy?