In what will be many in a bunch of short diaries today, I want to add my 2 cents to the "What happened on Election Day" stories.
I woke up at 6:30 am. Our polls open at 6, so I figured "Half an hour, and the polling place is less than 5 minutes from my home, so I'll be fine".
When I rounded the corner, I saw a line at least double the size that I saw in 2008.
In 2008, when I voted in Virginia's Second District, there was a bit of a line, but it wasn't too bad. I probably waited about 15 minutes to cast a ballot then. The line in 2008 was, in my opinion, pretty representative of the neighborhood I live in; A bit older, a bit whiter.
In 2008, people were talking politics in the line. About how McCain was better than "that damn Kenyan" or whatever. War hero this, war hero that.
But in 2012?
All people wanted to talk about was the cold, or having coffee, or their kids. There was no politicking at all to speak of in my line.
The line at my polling place was still fairly representative of this neighborhood, but I noticed way more what I'll call "Looks like they could probably vote for the Democrat" type of people.
African-American turnout was noticeable. Not overwhelming, but I don't remember many black folks in my line in 2008 when I voted. I saw probably about 8-10 this morning, at Oh-Dark-Thirty in the morning, in what is certainly the freezing cold today (it felt like it with the wind anyway).
I saw a few that looked like your Scranton PA "blue collar Democrat" types. Could they be Republicans? Maybe. But I just had a gut feeling that they were probably not voting for Romney.
I got in line at 6:40, and I got home at 7:30. Almost an hour from start to finish, and I'm not a morning person. I still have to go to work, and I'm not in Ohio or Florida...Virginia's a battleground, but not quite the way Ohio is.
I am hopeful that Obama will carry Virginia again. I am relatively confident that Tim Kaine will head to the Senate today. I am not confident at all that the Democrat looking to unseat Scott Rigell will win, but after much internal debate, even though I think Paul Hirschbiel is not the kind of Democrat I want to vote for, he might bring us back to Speaker Pelosi instead of voting for Speaker Boehner again.
Maybe.
No matter how cold it is, no matter how long the line is, no matter where you are...Make your voice count. Cast your ballot for progress, and for equality for all
Happy Voting!!