This election cycle started out just like 2004: a lot of menial work that probably wouldn't influence the election. But it had to get done, so putting together pamphlets and brochures made up most of the week. Throughout this time (and even before it) I was online in almost all of my free time, getting information about candidates, writing my opinions, and constantly looking for polls.
As November 7th began, I "skipped" school and helped out with the Baldacci, Michaud, Hay-Bright, and local candidate campaigns. There wasn't much to do for the first hour or so before I left to do exit polling for some independent group out of Augusta (I wish I knew the name). Exit polling is an experience I will never forget. I got valuable insight into the average lower/middle class' political views. Not only were they as pissed off as I was, but they, unlike me, could actually vote to change the direction this country was headed in. Some said that they couldn't even afford to pay taxes and they blamed the Republicans in Congress, not the governor or any state officials. If only I could have said something. I wanted to agree with them so badly, but I had to stay nonpartisan. For the most part people were friendly and didn't mind answering the 15 or so questions that I had, but at one point I was asked to stop polling because "I wasn't allowed to do that". Upon arguing my case and showing proof that it was legal for me to poll (as long as I didn't stop people from leaving, which I didn't), I was left alone to do my thing.
It took over an hour to get only 10 people to answer the questions and after faxing the results to the organization I went back to work for the campaign. A majority of the afternoon was made up of driving back and forth from polling station to polling station, getting numbers of voters and lists of names of people who already voted. Then the lists could be dropped off at campaign headquarters where we had lists of all the people in the towns that are Democrats and we would cross them off. By doing this we could see what percentage of people who voted were Democrats and which party had a bigger voter turn-out. Basic stuff, really.
As the polls closed, I traveled to a bar for a victory party (yes I know I'm too young to be in a bar but it was hilarious watching the drunk people who were already in there). Candidates came and went and it was a pretty fun time, reflecting back on what all of us had accomplished. Some of the other teenagers found a good time with a strip poker machine with naked pictures of women (I had to laugh when one of them, a gay guy, yelled out "I won!" and started asking around for more quarters). The adults seemed oblivious to this, although I was more concerned that the camera crews from state-wide TV channels would film it by mistake.
The rest of my night was spent here, live blogging the Maine results in the Election Day Live Blogging Series. At about midnight I passed out, probably from the lack of sleep and the sudden news that Jim Webb had pulled ahead and could possibly win.
I wish I could write more, or at least better. In short, that was my election day. There were quite a few details that I left out that would draw out the story (and the day) but wouldn't add to the telling of it. I'd love to hear your comments (and maybe get some rec's?) so I'll leave the rest to the questions and comments section.
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