election day.

Well, its election day, and I can't wait to get in to the polls up at Garfield to cast my vote for Barack Obama! My boyfriend is voting for Obama too, so we woke up and naturally talked politics for a while before I booted him out of my apartment. I wanted to check opinion polls online and look over the issues again before I take off and stand in line. Hopefully the lines won't be too long, but I don't work until 5pm so I have plenty of time. I reserved today for nothing else. I think we'll be slow at work tonight, so I'll get to go home and watch the results start to pour in around 7pm. I'm so glad I live in Ohio, a state which essentially decides the presidential election every four years. Of course, I'm much more hopeful this year compared to 2004 when I actually remember crying when John Kerry lost my state. But I most definitely feel positive today and think that Obama supporters will come through for Ohio and turn the results in his favor.

I heard some people at work talking about one of the ballot issues that allows ONE casino in Ohio. They were saying that it won't create jobs in Ohio. They said that there won't be any casinos in Cleveland. I say, BULLSH*T. The reason the initiative is on the ballot is because there are already plans for construction of a casino in Southwest Ohio near Cincinnati. That will open the doors to casinos opening all over the state. I personally do not gamble, but I think I should have the option. I can imagine a sleek, new casino opening in the Flats in downtown Cleveland, along with several shops, restaurants, and new businesses. So you think a casino won't create more jobs? Of course it will! Instead of everyone coming from out of town to Cleveland for stupid bachelorette parties and DRUNK DRIVING (if you've ever trekked along West 6th or West 9th on a Friday or Saturday night, you know what I'm talking about) people will bus in from all over and go to the casinos for a night on the town. And what better a place than on the river or lakefront? What about a casino on a boat that travels the Cuyahoga river and goes out on the lake, offering beautiful views of downtown from the water? I think it sounds wonderful, and it will definitely create an influx of wealth to downtown areas. So I'm voting for passing Issue 6.

I also found this website (http://www.electoral-vote.com/) which points out some very interesting points and a neat map of the country. They also have a really interesting little paragraph about one particular location in the country where polls have already closed!!

The First Election Results Are in Already

The polls have already closed in Dixville Notch, NH because all 21 eligible voters have cast their ballots. This village of 75 people traditionally opens the polls at midnight on election day and closes them a few minutes later after the last voter has performed his or her civic duty. Barack Obama got 71% of the vote here today. Dixville Notch is not a good bellwether, however; it has voted solidly Republican for decades. The last Democrat to carry the Notch was Hubert Humphrey in 1968. It is probably not a good start for McCain to have early election day news dominated by a story about a solidly Republican rural village voting overwhelmingly for Obama.

Make sure you get out and VOTE today!!! If you don't vote, you can't say ANYTHING. For the next FOUR YEARS. And I know for some of you, that could be really tough (wink). Well, I'm off to cast my ballot!