(AFP) – The first polls in the historic U.S. elections closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky on Tuesday with no results yet in the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Democratic White House hopeful Obama made his very last campaign swing through Indiana on Tuesday hoping to sway the traditionally red Republican state his way.
Indiana, which has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since choosing then-president Lyndon Johnson in 1964, has 11 electoral college votes towards the 270 needed to capture the presidency.
But Obama, from neighboring Illinois, closed the gap with McCain in the late stages of the campaign and was just 1.4 points behind the Republican in a pre-election average of polls done by the non-partisan RealClearPolitics.com.
By Laura Crimaldi and Marie Szaniszlo | Boston Herald
All provisional ballots cast this morning by dozens of Cambridge residents who encountered glitches with city voting lists during the early hours of voting will be included in tonight’s tally, an election official said.
Cambridge Election Commission Executive Director Marsha Weinerman said that the number of provisional ballots that must be tallied is small, ranging from one to 30 ballots per precinct.
Earlier in the day, an election official said the provisional ballots would be set aside until Nov. 14 when they could be verified. There are 64,000 registered voters in Cambridge.
Voters were handed provisional ballots this morning because one of four electronic disks containing voter lists for the city was not printed, said Election Commission Chairman Ethridge A. King Jr. He atttributed the mistake to “human error.”
“There’s nothing nefarious. There’s no purging of the list,” said King in a telephone interview. “It blindsighted us first thing in the morning. There were already lines.”
King said the printer problem impacted all 33 precincts in Cambridge. The missing lists were printed and delivered to precincts this morning, he said.
“To my knowledge, no one was denied the right to vote,” King said.
He said that he did not have exact figures for the number of people that were asked to cast provisional ballots, but gave estimates of 20 voters in one precinct and 40 voters in another precinct.
Angela Papierski, 39, who lives in Ward 3, Precinct 9, said poll workers had to call the Election Commission before she was allowed to vote.
“They told me I was not on the list. We’ve been registered voters in Cambridge for six years,” said Papierski, who showed up at the polls at 7 a.m. with her husband. “I was kind of shocked. When you hear about voting irregularities, I didn’t expect it to happen in Cambridge.”
Other Cambridge voters said that they had no troubles.
Wondimu Beyene, 47, a native of Ethiopia who became of U.S. citizen in April, said he had no trouble casting his first ballot in a presidential election.
“I’m really proud because I’ve never seen such democracy in my country,” said Beyene, who voted for Barack Obama. “They impressed me about health care, tax cuts, foreign policy and the economy.”
One 41-year-old woman, who declined to give her name, said she was probably one of the very few residents in ultra-liberal Cambridge to vote for GOP candidate John McCain.
“As much as I am for change, Obama just didn’t convince me he could do it,” the woman said. “I work too hard to pay for people who don’t work.”
Tom Culotta, 39, said that he voted for “directional change” by casting his ballot for Obama.
“It’s historic,” said Culotta. “I think having an African-American candidate is huge because it demonstrates how far we’ve come as a nation.”
By Wednesday morning, we will know whether Barack Obama or John McCain have earned the title of president-elect. In fact, we may know the answer by a relatively early hour on Tuesday. But beyond the banner headlines that will splash across every newspaper in America, other, less high-profile races will determine the direction the country takes.
From coast to coast, voters will cast ballots in 15 key races that will provide clues to the rest of the night to come, direct the first term of a new administration and indicate the next chapter in American politics. After absorbing the presidential news, keep an eye on these top contests:
Indiana: The first battleground state will also serve as a key, and early, indicator of Barack Obama’s success at turning out both the African American vote and younger voters. Polls in most of the state close at 6 p.m. Eastern, while polls in the Democratic stronghold of Lake County are in the Central Time Zone. That means the first numbers released at 7 p.m. will be the highest percentage John McCain sees in the state. Whether he holds on as Obama chips away at the Republican lead could determine if a big Obama landslide is in the offing. The early poll close doesn’t guarantee anything, though; during the Democratic primary, Lake County took hours to report any results.
Pennsylvania: No path to 270 electoral votes that doesn’t include Pennsylvania exists for John McCain. If he can peel classic Reagan Democrats out of Obama’s coalition, he has a chance to pull a major upset. Wondering why McCain is spending so much time on the state when other Democratic targets looked more promising earlier this year? Pennsylvania has no early voting, which means their electorate will be susceptible to persuasion until the last possible moment.
Nevada: Obama is likely to win the Silver State, and perhaps not by a small margin. But the reason he will win — a much-improved performance among Hispanic voters than John Kerry’s 2004 performance — could indicate a seismic shift in American politics. After divisive Republican rhetoric on immigration, even the most pro-immigration candidate in the GOP couldn’t keep Hispanic voters in the fold. That bodes ill for Republicans, leaving the party on the brink of damaging the relationship with Hispanic voters for good while having failed to deliver for their base.
Minnesota Senate: The most expensive, most-watched Senate race in the country is a true tossup, thanks to late accusations that a Texas businessman funneled thousands of dollars to Senator Norm Coleman, an accusation he vehemently denies. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley gives voters uncomfortable with both Coleman and Democrat Al Franken a place to call home, meaning 43% may be enough to win. If he makes it to the Senate, some Democrats are worried that Franken could become a bomb-thrower.
Georgia Senate: If Obama’s coattails are going to cause any surprises, ex-State Rep. Jim Martin would be the most dramatic. Early voters are turning out in record numbers, waiting as many as eight or ten hours in line, and African Americans are showing up in historic numbers. Senator Saxby Chambliss’ vote for the emergency bailout legislation made the race close, but the new voters Obama turns out could push Martin over the line. Watch for this race to go to a runoff, to be held in early December.
Kentucky Senate: In a year of change, perhaps no one embodies Washington more than Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. But McConnell is making a smart argument, and Bluegrass voters will have a choice between a Democrat who offers generic change and a Republican who has delivered for his state. The election will be a referendum on McConnell and will have little to do with Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford. Adding to the tension, Democrats would love to hang McConnell’s scalp on the wall as retribution for Tom Daschle’s loss in 2004.
Kentucky 02: An early canary in the coalmine could indicate Republicans should put away the champagne and reach for something stronger. Rep. Ron Lewis’ open seat, which includes Owensboro and Bowling Green and reaches north to the Louisville suburbs, is the site of a heated battle between Democratic State Senator David Boswell and Republican State Senator Brett Guthrie. Democrats started spending in the district late, but they’ve spent more than $1 million in October alone and almost four times what Republicans spent with a late investment. Guthrie looks like the early leader, but if Boswell declares victory early, a distinct possibility, it’s going to be a long and painful night for the GOP.
Washington 08: One of the last races to close, Rep. Dave Reichert’s career is once again in jeopardy, though if he loses his suburban Eighth District it won’t be his fault. Reichert has stellar constituent communications and voter contact operations, and the former King County sheriff is a good fit in the ultimate soccer mom district. But Democrats won the district in both the last two presidential elections, and Democratic statewide candidates have won the district by increasing margins. Democrat Darcy Burner isn’t a bad candidate, but if she wins this year, it will be because voters can’t see past the “R” after Reichert’s name.
Pennsylvania 12: If Rep. John Murtha loses his district, it will certainly be his fault. Voters in southwest Pennsylvania may elect to boot the seventeen-term incumbent in favor of a Republican after Murtha called his constituents “racist,” then attempted to apologize by calling them “rednecks.” Like the Kentucky Senate race, this contest will be decided by voter feelings about the incumbent, not about GOP businessman William Russell. Murtha will dramatically outspend Russell (Don’t be fooled by Russell’s good fundraising; much of his money was raised through the mail, a distinctly expensive way to pick up cash), but both parties are advertising as Republicans smell a rare pickup opportunity.
Wisconsin 08: Another Democrat who got himself in trouble will face off against a talented Republican challenger when Rep. Steve Kagen and former Assembly Speaker John Gard face each other for a second straight election. Kagen has talked himself into a corner while Gard has made a lot of right moves. It’s also one of a few districts in which the DCCC and the NRCC are spending at relative parity. If Kagen keeps his seat, Democrats can breathe easy about most incumbents who first won in 2006. If Gard prevails, Democrats may have territory to give back.
New Mexico 01: Sometimes a wave sweeps away even the most qualified candidates. Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White is one of the best candidates in the country, and he’s running against a flawed, but not disastrous, Democratic candidate in Albuquerque. Heather Wilson held the seat even as it moved increasingly left, but even she would have trouble in this environment. Democratic groups led by the DCCC have outspend Republican groups more than five to one, and although White is a good candidate, Democrat Martin Heinrich is likely to head to Congress in January.
Washington, North Carolina Governor: In the two most competitive governor’s mansion contests this year, Republicans have successfully appropriated the “change” message that is hurting their party so much elsewhere. Dino Rossi, the Republican who lost to Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire in Washington by 129 votes in 2004, still refers to the multiple recounts it took to settle that election, and many voters feel the same way, making Washingtonians prime candidates for ticket-splitting. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and his allies have labeled their Democratic opponent Status Quo Bev Perdue, and for North Carolina voters change could mean electing their first GOP governor since 1988.
California Proposition 8: Three states have legalized same-sex marriage through court rulings, but California is going to be the first state to vote on whether to ratify, or overturn, that decision. The last two independent polls show voters narrowly rejecting the same-sex marriage ban, which would make California just the second state — after Arizona — to defeat such a ban. Supporters of a ban are trying again in the Copper State and for a first time in Florida, but gay marriage proponents have the best-funded campaign, and the best chance to send a message that a one-time wedge issue is could be losing power.
New York State Senate: Democrats are just two votes away from a majority in the Empire State’s upper chamber, meaning they need to flip just one seat in order to be in complete control of state government for the first time since the 1964 elections. If they do, Democrats will have sole control over redistricting before the 2012 cycle, giving the party the ability to determine which members of Congress are drawn out of their districts when the state loses two seats in reapportionment. National Democrats have made redistricting a priority, and New York is on the front lines of their fight.
Reid Wilson is an associate editor and writer for RealClearPolitics. He can be reached at [email protected]
AP PhotoVoters mark their ballots at Brace-Lederle K-8 School in Southfield, Mich.
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DETROIT — Thousands of people lined up at Michigan polling places Tuesday, some waiting nearly five hours to cast ballots in what election officials predicted could be a record turnout for the historic U.S. presidential contest.
Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land had forecast that about 70 percent of the state’s about 7.5 million registered voters would cast ballots in the election that featured the first African-American presidential candidate from a major party.
“This is making people come together,” said second-grade teacher Lawanda Anner after waiting three hours to vote at Detroit’s Henry Ford High School.
She snapped a picture of her 18-year-old son and seven of his friends, who turned out to cast their first presidential ballots.
Anner said the long wait was a sign that “people know to make it better, you have to vote now.”
Sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures expected to reach the mid-70s also encouraged voters to turn out.
The Secretary of State’s office reported “minor” malfunctions of tabulators jamming when ballots are inserted. But those are fixed right away, spokeswoman Kelly Chesney said.
Some voters also complained that the tabulators full of ballots weren’t working. The tabulators were down temporarily until the counted ballots could be removed, Chesney said.
“We’ve had to swap out a few of our tabulators. But no widespread problems,” she said. “We do experience some equipment issues … but they’re being addressed as they occur.”
Long lines formed at several polling places in Detroit — where some voters in anticipation of long lines brought collapsable lawn chairs, newspapers, iPods and MP3 players. City Clerk Janice Winfrey had predicted 65 to 70 percent of the predominantly black city’s 632,000 registered voters would cast ballots before polls closed at 8 p.m.
Brenda Moore, 51, said waiting in line for almost five hours to cast her ballot was frustrating but gratifying. The Detroit resident said she got in line at 10 a.m. and walked away from her precinct at Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church on Detroit’s east side at 2:50 p.m.
“The line was wrapped around the church parking lot,” Moore said. “It’s terrible. This is the biggest district. It should be broken up.”
At about 3:30 p.m., the line had shortened to about 100 people.
Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm joined more than 100 others waiting in line outside a Lansing elementary school to cast her ballot Tuesday morning.
In western Michigan’s Ottawa County, turnout was “very good” at Spring Lake Wesleyan church, said poll worker Pat Misner. She said by noon, 700 people had voted in person and 600 cast absentee ballots out of 2,450 registered voters.
In neighboring Kent County, Clerk Mary Hollinrake said turnout could reach 78 percent.
In the majority black Detroit suburb of Southfield, hour-plus-long lines snaked through the halls at Brace-Lederle K-8 School. People fanned themselves with political literature as they waited to enter the gym to vote.
Wayne State University nursing student Audrey Glenn, 19, spent four hours waiting to cast her vote, in part because Southfield election officials couldn’t find her name on their lists.
“But it was all worth it,” she said.
Glenn said she was casting her first presidential vote in honor of her late grandmother, who remembered the struggle in the South for black voting rights.
“She moved from Mississippi and said it was very hard down there to register blacks to vote,” said Glenn.
Southfield election officials brought out chairs from classrooms to let those who needed sit. They also propped open doors to allow greater circulation as the temperature rose.
Cars jammed the parking lot and spilled over into a nearby field.
In Saline, a mostly white city about 40 miles west-southwest of Detroit, 90 people were waiting to enter First United Methodist Church before the poll opened at 7 a.m.
About a dozen voters were in line shortly before noon at Eaton County’s Dimondale Elementary School just southwest of Lansing. Local election officials had increased voting stations from the usual eight to 10 to 15, and even during the early morning rush, no one had stood in line for more than 15 minutes.
Despite an expected turnout of more than 90 percent, Windsor Township elections officials also reported no problems Tuesday. But voting is “a ton heavier,” precinct chairwoman Marcie Dailey said.
“We’ve been totally busy since 7 o’clock,” Dailey said. “We had a guy in line at 5:30 this morning.”
Voter turnout also has been steady at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, city clerk spokeswoman Marilyn Wixson said.
The clerk’s office received about 3,600 new registrations from Central students in the six weeks leading up to the election, she said.
A senior adviser for John McCain’s campaign said in a conference call with reporters this afternoon that they have received a “troubling report” that some electronic voting machines are set up with a two-page ballot but on the first page, the only presidential candidate that appears is Barack Obama.
“Senator McCain is not on the first page, and it is causing problems for certain voters to make sure that they know all their options in this election cycle,” Ed O’Callaghan said.
They did not go into any further detail about where the report originated.
Complaints to the State Board of Elections about voter fraud are being investigated by the Virginia State Police, said spokeswoman Corinne Geller. The police will determine whether to initiate a criminal investigation.
“We’ve been responding to those complaints and allegations across the state,” she said.
Today, police have responded to some polling sites, and many incidents have been unsubstantiated or unfounded, she added.
Lines stretched around buildings and crossed city blocks as people waited to cast ballots in the historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. Touchscreen voting machines malfunctioned in some precincts, yet voting Tuesday appeared to go smoothly overall.
The biggest trouble was big crowds. But folks seemed to take it in stride.
“People are happy and smiling,” Sen. Benjamin Cardin said as he voted at a Maryland school. “People are very anxious to be voting. They really think they are part of history, and they are.”
In the East, electronic machine glitches forced some New Jersey voters to cast paper ballots. In New York, eager voters started lining up before dawn, prompting erroneous reports that some precincts weren’t opening on time.
In the West, Californians also faced long lines, but voting went smoothly. In Orange County, south of Los Angeles, about 400 people were on hand to treat problems with the county’s all-electronic voting system, said Brett Rowley of the registrar’s office.
“We’ve got paper ballots as a backup,” he said.
Heavy rain plunged a handful of Los Angeles polling places into the dark, forcing some to move voting booths outside until electricity was restored. Voting didn’t stop.
Election officials predicted turnout rates as high as 80 percent in California, the country’s most populous state and the holder of the most electoral votes. In Virginia, State Board of Elections executive secretary Nancy Rodrigues said she expected 75 percent of the state’s registered voters to cast ballots.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell urged voters to “hang in there” as state and country officials braced for a huge turnout in that hotly contested state. More than 160 people were lined up when the polls opened at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown. “I could stay an hour and a half at the front end or three hours at the back end,” joked voter Ronald Marshall.
Hundreds converged on polling precincts in Missouri, another battleground state. Norma Storms, a 78-year-old resident of Raytown, said her driveway was filled with cars left by voters who couldn’t get into nearby parking lots.
“I have never seen anything like this in all my born days,” she said. “I am just astounded.”
In some places the wait was longer than two hours.
“Well, I think I feel somehow strong and energized to stand here even without food and water,” said Alexandria, Va., resident Ahmed Bowling, facing a very long line. “What matters is to cast my vote.”
Some voting advocates worried that — tolerant voters or no — the nation’s myriad election systems could falter late in the day, when people getting off work hit the polls.
“We have a system that wasn’t ready for huge turnout,” said Tova Wang of government watchdog group Common Cause. “People have to wait for hours. Some people can do that. Some people can’t. This is not the way to run a democracy.”
Ohio, which experienced extreme voting delays in the last hours of the 2004 election, had some jammed paper problems in Franklin County. “We’re taking care of things like that,” said elections spokesman Ben Piscitelli. “But there’s nothing major or systemic.”
Perhaps the most bizarre barrier to voting was in Minnesota where a truck hit a utility pole in St. Paul’s Merriam Park neighborhood. The accident knocked power out for about 90 minutes to two polling locations. Joe Mansky, Ramsey County’s elections manager, said voting continued at those sites.
Election judges said the ballots were kept secure at one of the locations until the power was restored and the ballots could be run through an electronic machine, while a backup generator kicked in at the other site.
Late Monday, McCain’s campaign sued the Virginia electoral board, trying to force the state to count late-arriving military ballots from overseas.
McCain, the Republican candidate and a POW during the Vietnam War, asked a federal judge to order state election officials to count absentee ballots mailed from abroad that arrive as late as Nov. 14.
Late Tuesday, the judge ruled he will hear the lawsuit on Nov. 10. He ordered election officials to keep late-arriving ballots until then.
Lawsuits have become common in election battles. The 2000 recount meltdown in Florida was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court.
