And right now I feel attacked by the whole "Victims who don't pay taxes" thing. I want to go all Phyllis LeBlanc on them and say they could come to my house any time in the last month and see how easy living on benefits is. "I got my cellphone turned back on now." And somehow, "Oh, dear, I didn't mean *you*," means less every cycle.

VOTED! Took 10 minutes including the drive. The advantage of seeing the parking lot from your patio. "Now! Lot's almost empty! GOGOGO"

The lady ahead of me in line was an election official. She said the lines had been out the door and around the parking lot for most of the morning, and she was only now getting a chance to vote herself. As I was leaving, the line was starting to back up to the door again. She said she'd been working the polls in this district for decades and she'd never seen such turnout before.

(sits with Ginger).

I've not been exactly avoidy, but I haven't pursued news, either. It's an uneasy hidey-hole, under the bed. I remember the five hours I stood in line in 2004 and the wonderful observations and impromptu friendships as the sun went down and the temperature lowered from late-summer to mid-fall, for which few of us were prepared. (Space blankets in our purses and pockets would have helped!) I remember the 20 minutes in line in 2008 and the goddam couldn't-cut-it-with-a-knife positivity in the room--you could tell the Republicans by the tight-pinched mouths and rigid body language. Mailing in the ballot this year gave me lots of time to investigate and research, and gave me a distinct feeling of accomplishment, pleasure, and hope as I dropped the ballot in the box. But I did miss the comaraderie at the polls.

(One typo I can let go, more? Gotta edit)

I read that we won't see any exit polls until the polls start closing on the East coast.

I already told you the results of my own personal exit poll. Ohio: 1 for Obama!

And in Chicago voting news:

While Chicago was having some logistical problems at polling places, there was one bright spot. Only one election judge reported for duty drunk. CBS 2′s Pam Zekman reports that is down from past years.

[link]

In better election news this woman deserves a medal.

Oh man, that made me cry.

I am hearing some horror stories coming out of PA. This is just the most egregious:

[link]

A Pennsylvania electronic voting machine has been taken out of service after being captured on video changing a vote for President Obama into one for Mitt Romney, NBC News has confirmed. Republicans have also said machines have turned Romney votes into Obama ones.

I am hearing some horror stories coming out of PA. This is just the most egregious:

That's seriously scary. How the fuck can they fix that, to fix the votes already counted wrong, and do it in time?

This is just the most egregious:

I've been hearing this has happened to both sides, and that machine was mis-calibrated. Crossing my fingers that's all this is.

I'm more concerned about the OH official (Secretary of State?) putting in a last-minute, secret "experimental" software patch to OH voting machines. This was apparently illegal.

But who knows... maybe these things are related.

eta: The software patch is not in the voting machines themselves, but in the system that tabulates results.

I've also seen a ton on FB from people in PA who were turned away or pressured to fill out provisional ballots.