Voting in T – minus 2hrs

Can you feel it.  We are this close.

That’s close people!

T – minus  2, as in hours.  That’s right.  Voting starts at midnight.

Presidential elections are great for a lot of reasons. Besides the peaceful transfer of power since Adams took over from Washington, there are a lot of great traditions that come along with elections.  One of my favorites is the voting that takes place in Hart’s Location and Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.  At midnight on election day  the people of those two tiny hamlets gather in the town polling places, the ballroom of the Balsams Hotel in Dixville and an undisclosed spot for Hart’s Location, and using paper ballots, cast the country’s first votes for president.

They’re able to do this because of an obscure law in New Hampshire that allows towns with a population of less than 100 people to close the polling place once all have voted. Dixville has a pop. of 12, and Hart’s Location 41. So both places open the poll at midnight, cast their votes, close the polls, count the votes and go home.  They use paper ballots and a wooden box.  The votes are counted and reported immediately.  Freaking love it.  I may not sleep tonight. Romney is actually campaigning in Ohio on election day.  So votes will have already been tallied before he takes the stage at his rally.  It may not matter.

While national polling has the two men in a dead heat, state by state polling is showing a widening margin for the President.  The focus has shifted from Ohio to Virginia.  The “experts” all seem to agree that the winner of Virginia may go on to a big victory.  Mind you some of these experts are the same geniuses that predicted John Kerry would beat George Bush 43.  So you know, who knows?  Personally I’m hoping for a long night.  I would love for Hawaii to decide things.  The law suits, oh the law suits.

I’m getting way ahead of myself.  It’s the excitement, it’s actually visible.

For those of you that have followed my political rantings over at Frank’s Place, you know that I like to drag my now 3yr old son, Frank, along to political events like elections and rallies.  We also like to do man on the street interviews as we wait on line or in the crowd.  Got a few good interviews and met some nice people when Romney came to town in March for a pre-Super Tuesday rally.  You can read it here: Mittmentum rolls into Knoxville!

The little election junkie was sick during the primary on Super Tuesday in March of this year.  But this time Frank is right as rain and ready to get his democracy on.  We are traditionalists , so we go on election day.  No sissy early voting for us.  We get in line on November 6th and taste the sweetness of democracy as the founding fathers intended: the Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

So check back during the afternoon hours to read about our experience and maybe get some interviews from  people who actually voted.  And of course check back all  night on Tuesday to see how the race is going.  I’ll be tickling the ivories until my Polynesian brethren have their voice heard.  (That means until Hawaii votes)

T-minus 1:40 now!