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Florida and Ohio have been the epicenter of election shenanigans this year. Florida had early voting, but then reduced polling places so people had to wait in lines of over 3 hours in urban areas (surprise, where Obama does well). Ohio has a rule that if you requested an absentee ballot, but didn't send it in - you can vote with a "provisional" ballot, but they won't start counting those until Nov 17th.
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Unless someone wins pretty convincingly, lawsuits seem probable. Yuck - at leas they don't come with ads :-) trying to look on the bright side.
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Some key Senate races to note are:
- Missouri - where the Democrat (Claire McCaskill) was given a change when her opponent was selected as Todd "Legitimate Rape" Aiken.
- Indiana - where the Democrat was given a change by Richard "Rape is the Will of God" Murdock (corrected the right state and person)
- Connecticut - where Republican Linda McMahon - one of the founders of World Wide Wrestling has run a competent race in a Blue State
- Massachusetts - where reasonable Republican incumbent Scott Brown is running against Elizabeth Warren, who headed up a committee to introduce financial reform, but was rejected by Republicans in the legislature.
- Montana - where a reasonably conservative Democratic Senator Jon Tester is trying to hold on in a conservative state (with small c not a Crazy C)
- North Dakota - which is pretty Republican generally, but has a reasonable Democratic woman Heidi Heitkamp running well in a conservative state (another stat that is conservative with small c not a Crazy C). Outside money from SuperPacs has been pouring into this race, which can only annoy the poor TV watchers.
- Wisconsin - where well respected Tammy Baldwin is trying to become the first openly Gay Senator ever in a state that is daily more bi-polar electorally
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Three States are voting if Gay People should be allow the right of Civil Marriage (Washington, Maine & Maryland) and One other state (Minnesota) is voting to make it super-duper illegal (it is already illegal by law, but they want to change the Constitution now).
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Three states are voting to "tax and regulate" (legalize) marijuana - Colorado, Oregon & Washington.
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California - as always, has a mis-mash of initiatives (some competing against each other) including requiring labeling of genetically modified foods.
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New York (where I live and will vote) is pretty dull. The state will go to Obama. Our Senator, Kristin Gillibrand is great and under no real threat. One of the four Republicans that voted to legalize gay marriage was defeated in the primary, one retired and the two others should sail to a victory pretty easily.
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But what is dull on election day is offset by the sweetness of not being bombarded by election ads. Three days in Wisconsin almost put me other the edge.