Time is running out, if you haven’t voted yet, get out there!  I voted earlier this afternoon, and I’m still buzzing with excitement.  I’ve never been as enthusiastic about an election, as I am about this.

Here’s me just after voting:

I was going to document more, like inside my voting booth, but

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I love that Facebook is making it virtually impossible for any of its users to not get out and vote. Facebook has a very cool rising tally ticker thingy of how many Facebook members have voted so far. As of 6;30 pm EST 3,676,320 Facebookers have cast their ballot and the number keeps growing.

takepart and check out the Facebook election page which also features tools to help you find your polling place, learn if your state allows late registration and who to contact if you’re having voter issues.

Ah it’s so nice to know there is more to Facebook than stalking people…well at least for today.

Running late to the polls? Don’t give up just yet! It may not be too late to vote! takepart and visit http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/ to find out where polling hours been extended.

Election Law @ Moritz is a web publication that covers developments in the law of election administration– laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues.

OK, I know there’s still a lot of voting to go but I’m getting super antsy…  Eeek!! Polls start to close soon and my favorite movie of all time, Psycho, is on Turner Classic Movies. Too much excitement. I can feel my stomach twisting up in knots waiting for the election results.

Luckily I should be able to loosen those knots with the election day cookies I made:

They’re vegan too

takepart to make the cookies yourself (just make the frosting blue)

And woah woah woah - the election is really going to be over soon. Can you believe it? I mean can you really believe it?

Before it ends catch up on some of the more interesting election day stories after the jump.

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Early this morning I joined the Obama campaign at the Hyatt in Century City to make calls to swing states. It was glorious to speak with inspired and excited folks from Virginia. Here are some pics from the morning! (psst! Donald Sutherland was sitting in the front of the room!)

The call room

Blogger Sarah Newman

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The non-partisan Pew Trust issued the results of its final election survey yesterday which found Barack Obama leading John McCain by 6 points (52% to 46%). There are many forces that can explain this significant difference. Obama has run a fantastic grassroots campaign that has solicited the support of many first time voters and youth who have been his stalwart supporters since the beginning. He also offers a vision for our nation that defies racial, economic and social divisions that will bring much needed healing to our country after 8 years under George W. Bush. Last, we’ve all lived through one of, if not the worst, presidency ever. Bush’s reactionary vision for our country has left us in a shaky position as he has dismantled thousands of regulations, laws and international treaties designed to ensure environmental protection, human rights, civil rights, worker-place safety, health care access, torture policies, veterans benefits, educational access and many more that I don’t have room to list. The New York Times reports today that Bush is scrambling in his remaining 77 days (can they end any quicker?) to implement his final rollbacks on civil liberties, abortion access and environmental protection.

I hope you will be an active participant in our democracy by voting today! And, don’t forget that there are plenty of other things to vote for in addition to the presidency, such as Congressional races, state propositions and state elections. Your vote will make a difference in bringing about change our country desperately needs.

Happy Voting!

takepart and GOVOTE!!

Here I am on my way out to vote:

WOOHOO!

Here I am after:

Have you voted yet?

It’s a great day to be an American!

takepart with GOVOTE and make sure you have the correct voting information!

I took this photo with my Blackberry while walking through the East Village on Sunday. Unfortunately, Blackberry pics are not top quality, but hopefully you can get a gist of this very cool mural.

I am moved by this mural. I am also someone who used to get shy when discussions turn into heated political debates because sometimes they make me feel dumb and afraid. I am often very overwhelmed and annoyed by all the bullsh*t that surrounds elections. I, over the past few years, have threatened an elaborate and impossible plan to move to Italy to escape the shameful state of US politics and the current economy. But this mural made me happy to be an American right now. It made me feel like a smart, empowered, American. Are there some things that piss me off about the US? Sure. (Like I dunno, the fact that we are still fighting a war. Oh and the fact that Flavor Flav is a bona fide celebrity). But I do love that as an American I have rights, one being the right to help choose the next president and this mural reminds us of that simple and awesome fact : “America, Make the Right Choice. Vote.”

Today feels like a holiday. All morning I have gotten emails and instant messages

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It’s here! I can’t believe it…. I almost don’t believe it.

IT”S ELECTION DAY!!!

Here’s a mix of TakePart’s recent election day related posts. Give a read to make sure your voting rights are upheld and to see the free stuff you can get.

And of course, takepart with GOVOTE and make sure you have the correct voting information! (my brother just voted - and for the first time!!!!)

Do Your Last Minute Homework and CAST YOUR VOTE TOMORROW

For weeks I’ve scoffed at Sarah Palin supporters who say they like her because she’s “like them.” The obvious rejoinder is, “don’t you want someone who’s BETTER than you to be a heartbeat away from being President?” But this morning the brick hit me on the head, and I realized that I’ll be excited if Obama wins, because by and large, he’s the candidate that’s “most like me.” That’s not why I’m voting for him (I hope). I’m voting for him because I think he has the best judgment, the most discipline, and the superior collection of advisors surrounding him. But those are observations and calculations, not emotions. The emotional part of my support for Obama comes from identifying with his education, his way of talking, his way of carrying himself, etc. It is hubris, to be sure, for me to say Obama is “like me,” but I can certainly aspire, just as certain hockey moms may aspire to combine Sarah Palin’s energy, good looks, and love of high school hockey.

So I no longer scoff at that particular tendency, and I simply content myself with my conviction that Obama/Biden will make a far better administration than McCain/Palin. And I hope that behind certain people’s desire to have a beer or shoot a moose with Palin, there is at least a belief (however misguided, in my opinion) that she could make a capable…sorry, I can’t even finish the sentence.

But whatever your emotions, whatever your convictions, now is the time to do your last minute homework, and get out and vote.

Cast your vote for President. It’s the most momentous presidential election in decades.

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