I voted. Have you? No matter who you’re voting for, it’s important to vote. Exercise your right.

Open Thread on election stuff! In the comments you can post any election news, let us know what it’s like for you locally, or share an election story.

ETA 8:06 Eastern: Looks like there are no surprises thus far. Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennesse, and Oklahoma projected for McCain, Illinois, Maine, Vermont, Massachusets, Connecticut, New Jersey, Deleware, Maryland and DC projected for Obama. People in the midwest, mountains, and West coast, keep going!

ETA 10:00 Eastern: Ohio goes to Obama — HOME STATE REPRESENT!!! Ohio had been under a cloud of shame for a long time, but they started to wake up from it recently. For the first time in many years, they elected a Democratic governor two years ago. Mainly because of what happened in 2004 (a travesty overseen by the Republican running for office, J Kenneth Blackwell, thus his tragic loss). And now they’ve made up for their mistakes. Woo!

ETA 11:13 Eastern: Polls just closed on the west coast and everyone is calling it: Obama for the WIN MUTHERFUCKAS!

ETA 11:27 Eastern: At 11 we were watching Comedy Central.  had just turned from CNN.  Jon and Stephen were talking about something, then all the sudden Jon said, “Barack Obama is going to be the president.”  My roomate and I both said “Wait, what?”  then someone in our building screamed out the window: OBAMA!!  A millisecond later our other roommate, who works in Times Square, called and said: “Listen!”  There were people screaming in the background.  It took us a full minute to truly understand what had just happened.

I am… I don’t know what i am.  In 2004 I cried so hard when Kerry conceded and wouldn’t fight.  I cried for me, for my country, for a lot of things.  Right now I am crying again, but for different reasons.  It’s not going to be perfect.  Obama isn’t perfect.  But for the first time since 2001 I really feel like there is hope that things can get better.  We have to work for it.  Hard.  But we won’t be working against a behmouth intent on destroying us.  That’s my dream.

And also: Black President.