Of the people, by the people, and for the people: US election day
November 8, 2016 8:39 AM Subscribe

Today, the United States of America will - hopefully - determine its 45th President and 48th Vice President. Going into election day, Hillary Clinton holds a poll lead [538][YouGov][Time] over Donald Trump. Early voting has been busy, and voting has concluded in three New Hampshire towns. In addition to the presidency, there are elections for the Senate and the House and lots of local ballots - discuss in the "Senators, Representatives, and Referenda" thread. Polling stations close at various times, subject to queues and court orders. It is unclear when a result is likely; blanket coverage includes TV networks, the New York Times, Guardian, BuzzFeed on Twitter, YouTube and the BBC, though many say Pantsuit Nation is where it's at.

It's going to be a long day and night; try not to post reactions without context. Remember that people will be trying to make sense of this thread (and election) years from now. If you need to post "YAY!" or "ARGH!" in real time, use the election channel in Chat. (If the web interface isn't working for you, frimble has instructions for connecting with Adium, Monal, and Apple Messages. A longer list of Jabber-compatible clients.) Alternately...

Take it to MetaTalk
* US Election Day Roundup
* It's a big snowball - political sub-site discussion.
* SEZ WHO? Election Prediction 2016.
* Watcha doin election night? (Besides MetaFilter!)
* Get Yer Voting Stories Here!
* Mefite Election Volunteering.

For legacy content, posts tagged with election2016 contain roughly ten million words. Some previous US election posts include [2000a] [2000b], [2004a] [2004b] [2004c], [2008], and [2012].

Other Resources
* Ballotpedia has a mass of election resources.
* How to vote in every state by NoxAeternum.
* More voter information by lampshade.
* The Election thread reference may explain some of the terminology used within the comments here.
* Some links of distraction and comfort by Deoridhe.

There's also a MeFites United calling team - details from kristi. In addition, even at this late stage, campaign staff are still needed.

Post title by Abraham Lincoln, reprised by Mitch Rapoport (Vimeo)(Youtube). Title chosen because of workerant's comment.

posted by Wordshore (2433 comments total) 113 users marked this as a favorite

"I just want to tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you."
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [89 favorites]

STAY ON TARGET
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [61 favorites]

Thank you for being a very caring and relatively sane place to observe the election, metafilter.
posted by Jonathan Harford at 8:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

For folks who want to discuss state elections and referenda, we have a state elections post that we expect to be a little slower -- House, Senate, and referendum results. When things get busy with the count-calling later on tonight and you want to talk about the Illinois Senate race instead, or a local pot referendum, that'll be your spot you can discuss at more length without getting swamped under the EV gaming!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Austin, TX: At least 13,000 ballots cast in Williamson Co. so far, officials say (cite)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Reminder that anybody who needs help or wants to help people to get to polling places can use Uber, Lyft, Zipcar (from 6pm-10pm) and a variety of other carshare and rideshare services for free today.
posted by zombieflanders at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Let's be careful out there.
posted by murphy slaw at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

In Democratic Philly where the primaries are usually the real election, the lines are just as long as I expected. They haven't seen turnout like this since the first time Bill Clinton ran for President.
posted by Peach at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.

A few quick bits:

Go vote (if eligible).
Make calls. Follow this link and go dial up five swing state voters. You have three minutes and a telephone, so you can do it. Then do five more!
New to election threads? Confused about TTTCS? Don't know your Egg McMuffin from your Steves? We've accumulated a fair amount of baggage over the past century or however long this election has been going on. Check out the wiki for a glossary and other (soon to be useless) information.
These threads move fast, and seeing the same thing posted six times doesn't help. To avoid posting duplicate links, copy/paste the URL into the MeFi search bar at the top of the page. If someone has already posted that page in an election thread before, even if the headline has changed, it will come up in the search.
Be careful about the early real-time exit polls that will be coming out. They're scary. And there's already some pretty weird wrongness with Slate's Votecastr
User Deoridhe posted some great ways to relax and take care of yourself through the day

History has its eyes on us.
posted by zachlipton at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [31 favorites]

I still think the title should have been 🎼Here Comes The General.

thank you for the post E McG
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

(Alternative title for this post that so nearly happened: "One Pantsuit Nation under God")

One of the positive aspects of this MetaFilter election experience has been the new members, and MeFites who have lurked for years but never typed, who have made their first comment in a recent election thread. It would be great to see more; welcome, first-time commenters!
posted by Wordshore at 8:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [59 favorites]

voting felt pretty fucking nice today. it has seriously never taken more than ten minutes to vote at the only precinct i've ever known, and that includes my obsessive double-checks to make sure i've filled in the correct ovals. it's insane to me that this isn't a more universal occurrence, and frustrating to know that, thanks to SCOTUS's gutting of the voting rights act (a roberts pet project stretching back decades,) it's worse now than it has been for a long time, especially for minorities in resource-thin urban communities. willful disenfranchisement is a great shame of our age, and whatever collective action we can take to reverse the abominable rightward trajectory of voting rights in this country should be paramount among our political goals. electing clinton, and thus securing more supremes (barring senatorial fuckery) who don't see voter suppression as a positive end result of the judicial process is an important step, but not a final one. vigilance in the face of our own and our friends and loved one's understandable apathy to much of the process is key, and we must remember that democracy is an imperfect process that demands our clear-eyed engagement and resolve for its constant improvement, until all who have a voice that they wish expressed have the opportunity and means to do so in a relatively simple and straight-forward manner. my voting luxury should be everyone's, and those who disagree should be called out and labeled as the anti-democratic bigots that they are.
posted by rotten at 8:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Reminder, that should you wish to watch the screaming and gnashing of teeth over at the /r The Donald and other reddit subs, you can do so vicariously (and without actually going to those cesspits) by visiting /r The Meltdown.
posted by Twain Device at 8:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Dammit, posted in other thread.

No line, brought donuts for poll workers. They seemed pleased and surprised.
posted by dglynn at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Reminder: This is the thread where people will be coming to get election news, updates, and info. Please don't fill it up immediately with chat room comments so that folks won't be able to load the thread. We do have an election channel on Mefi Chat for that!
posted by taz (staff) at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

From the NYT:
How to Debunk Fake News on Election Day. Help Us Along the Way!
posted by neroli at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

My favorite newscaster/person from DC, Jim Vance, gave a speech about why young black people should vote.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

The 250 person line in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester New York to pay their respects at Susan B Anthony's grave
posted by Windigo at 8:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [52 favorites]

One more lurker who has followed these election threads for over a year, chipping in my $5 in this final hour for the privilege of saying thank you. For the sanity, for the jokes, for being one of the few places on the internet where rational conversation survives. Thanks for your stories of courage and compassion, and thanks for the massive donations of time on the phones and pounding the pavement to get out the vote, thanks for standing up and for being here. Extra special thanks to the tireless mods who make this place what it is.

I was here, on this day, to watch history and to make history. We were all here together!
posted by Well I Was In The Neighbourhood at 8:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [130 favorites]

From the previous thread, just posted by Roomtheseventeen

So in other news. Friends of mine who are black & live in Chesapeake are having to be escorted by the police into the voting place (twitter thread starts here)

I really hope it doesn't escalate.
posted by Tarumba at 8:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Voted early this morning (long line but moved very quickly), now tacos for lunch!

Also wanted to tell everyone who is voting today - give your poll workers a smile! They have a very long, busy day ahead of them making sure that we all have an opportunity to vote.
posted by photo guy at 8:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

To Hillary: KICK HIS ASS SEABASS!
posted by Lord_Pall at 8:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Apropos of nothing, I felt like I need to get this off my chest. Donald Trump is not a fascist. Donald Trump is a narcissistic carnival barker. He has no beliefs beyond his own greatness.

The Republican leadership are not enabling fascism. No, they built their base on the southern strategy, culture wars, military worship and constant attacks on the institutions and norms that allow democratic government to function. They thought they could control this mob they spent five decades whipping into every higher dudgeon. Now to complete the picture, they have spent the last eight years pushing a narrative of national humiliation. The GOP has created a fascist monster, but it isn't Donald Trump.

Trump may lose, but this monster will remain, looking for a new champion through which it can channel its authoritarian rage.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [38 favorites]

Otherwise very nice lady at my work who is voting for Trump:

-- Asked me why I didn't just step out to vote earlier this morning
-- Heard me say that I was waiting to bring my daughters because they wanted to be there when I voted for first woman president
-- Aimed a finger gun at my head and mimed shooting me

She was not serious in any way -- it was just a casual thing but in this context, I really wish she had flipped me off instead. It is hard to have to work with people that you actually like but who are capable making such an extreme error in judgment.

I wish I didn't know who she was voting for.
posted by theredpen at 8:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [141 favorites]

Just got back from voting. I work from home, but I wore a pantsuit to the polls today. The lines were surprisingly long in suburban CT, and I can only imagine they'll be out the door by the end of the day. It's an overwhelmingly blue, soccer mom and dad kind of neighborhood, so I really wasn't expecting so much nervous tension; people were polite, but definitely on edge. I suspect everyone is just exhausted by the campaign season and anxious for everything to be over.
posted by Diagonalize at 8:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

-- Aimed a finger gun at my head and mimed shooting me

Do you have an HR department?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [188 favorites]

Hey all, 8 year lurker here, just signed up last night to thank everyone for the support and encouragement you have provided me and others through this stressful time.

Someone posted a few months back that the way to get over election stress was to volunteer, and so I did, and they were right. Now I’m on the 4th day straight of working 12-13 hour GOTV shifts in Madison, Wisconsin, managing canvassers, entering data, and making phone calls (137 calls yesterday in between other duties).

I’ve gone way outside my comfort zone, learned a lot, and I’m ending the process physically and emotionally exhausted, anxious, close to tears, and happy I’ve done this. I’m so grateful to all of you, all the volunteers who’ve come out, and to Hillary Clinton for fighting through so many years of hateful attacks to reach this point. I had a McMuffin for breakfast after explaining to my skeptical spouse why that was a thing

Now we’re in the home stretch, pulling out all the stops, and calling and canvassing people who haven’t voted in years, because we’ve already contacted everyone else (yay early voting!).

And the plan here when the polls close at 8pm central time? We start calling the western states, because this isn’t over until we get all the blue votes we can.

We’ve seen things you people would easily believe.
Black churches on fire in a changing south.
We’ve watched misogyny glittering darkly at the gates of power.
That hatred will be swept away by our efforts, like tears in the rain.
Time. To. Vote.
(with apologies, woke up with the movie lines in my head)
posted by QuestionableQuail at 8:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [173 favorites]

Sorry folks, deleting a lot. We seriously, seriously simply cannot take the load of thousands of chatty comments. Please use the chat channel for chatting and more substantive stuff here. Thanks!
posted by taz (staff) at 8:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [47 favorites]

It is such an incredibly beautiful late autumn day here in Seattle and I steadfastly refuse to believe that it will be fucked up by horrifying election results. Because we vote by mail, it looks on the surface just like another, normal day here.

It was a mob at my local ballot box.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 8:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Some appropriate music for the day - The March of the Women, Ethel Smyth's 1911 Suffragette anthem.

Firm in reliance, laugh a defiance,
(Laugh in hope, for sure is the end)
March, march—many as one,
Shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend.

posted by Azara at 8:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

So in other news. Friends of mine who are black & live in Chesapeake are having to be escorted by the police into the voting place (twitter thread starts here)

Like Trump says, I'm sure the Trump supporters doing this are just super worried about NAFTA. Right? It's totally a consistent set of policy beliefs that doesn't involve racism at all, just racial slurs against black Americans because they're worried about trade deals.

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT NAFTA.
posted by zachlipton at 8:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [41 favorites]

I work in banking and have spent the last few months studiously avoiding all political conversations with coworkers except a couple I know to be "safe". It is exhausting trying to... I was trying to think of a good metaphor here regarding the facade I feel I have to keep up at work and almost typed "trying to keep this wall up". Can't decide if that's inappropriate or really appropriate.
posted by skycrashesdown at 8:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I could say something but it's not worth it -- if I didn't know she was anti-Clinton, I wouldn't have even noticed at all. We have a very good working relationship, which is kind of a miracle considering. Just made me sad and I figured you guys would understand.
posted by theredpen at 8:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

I voted early last week, but my employer has kindly given us a half day off to vote.

I was a Bernie supporter early on, and voted for him in the primary. I voted for Hillary without hesitation.

I just wanted to say thanks Metafilter for being a sane place for discussion.
posted by Fleebnork at 8:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Motor City Muckraker
‏@MCmuckraker
Detroit voter's hand stuck in ballot machine on east side. Firefighters en route

2016 yall

(This account also has a ton of info about urban voting issues happening in michigan today.)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

The tortillas are pressed, the limes are squeezed, the tequila is in the freezer, and the champagne is chilling in the fridge.

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Shaw, Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, Anna Howard Shaw, Victoria Woodhull, and countless others who put their lives on the line for women to have a political voice, thank you.

240 years seems long enough.

Today is a good day to crush some patriarchy.
posted by Bibliogeek at 8:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [84 favorites]

Scot married to an American here, checking in for my Mefi sanity. We live over the pond, but have had our own lunacy this year already. We're crossing our fingers for all of our friends and family (and all you fine people). Please, please don't do a Brexit, America.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Donald Trump checks to make sure Melania voted for him
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [61 favorites]

My polling place was full of kids! Also super efficient! I got my district number card weeks ago, headed to the table, Bing bang boom.

It honestly felt like a huge burden had been lifted, like a low level cloud of depressive doom had just cleared, like I could think again without hacking through this haze of panic.

Plus I wore my election outfit
posted by The Whelk at 9:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I don't pretend to speak to America on behalf of the 7 billion or so people who live outside the US, nor indeed all Europeans or Icelanders, nor for those of us who've spent a large chunk of our lives living in the US, but I can safely say the following on behalf of the majority of foreigners who've lived in the US, the majority of Icelanders, majority of Europeans, majority of humanity, alive and ghostly, and the great majority of intelligent beings residing in nearby solar systems: Americans, we believe in you, you can do it, you've got this, and we know you won't let us down. Vote the everliving fuck out of this election!
posted by Kattullus at 9:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

just found out that if prop 205 in AZ passes (legal pot) it goes into effect in September 2018. That feels painfully far away. And I'm sooo sure cops will be cool and scale down pot arrests before that date.
posted by Taft at 9:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm in Belgium, and it's past five o' clock, so my election day/night drinking has officially begun. I haven't posted in any of the election threads, but I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have, and helped keep me sane and informed. It's been very strange today seeing that for pretty much everyone around me it's a perfectly normal day.

I faxed (!) in my vote two weeks ago, but I really wish I'd been able to vote in person. (I also wish I'd gotten a sticker.)

Now it's time for some more election day baking, in between refreshing every news source on the internet.
posted by Karmeliet at 9:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Another suburban CT voter here - we voted at 8:15 or so, and the ballot counter was already on 900, which is pretty amazing. We normally never have a line, and our wait was less than 3 minutes, but it started to build up behind us, which I also am taking as a very good sign. My 10-year old daughter filled out the ballot for me (we were in the corner, no one could see), she got her own "I voted" sticker, and she was seriously excited to be part of history and get to actually give a vote (well, 1/2 vote) for THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. We are so, so excited.

I'm getting absolutely nothing done at work today. My daughter came to work with me and now we're basically just reading metafilter and clicking on the links and sharing the day together. A lovely way to spend election day!

I'm in the process of getting my Master's and recently did a report on Susan B Anthony, and I tear up every time someone links to pictures of her grave, covered with stickers. If we lived anywhere near Rochester, I would make the trek to put mine on there too and pay my respects.

I also wanted to express my thanks for the lovely folks at MeFi for all the links, information and solidarity. I rarely comment, but have read just about everything! This has been a long, hard election cycle and I'm so, so ready for it to be over and to celebrate tonight. Go Hillary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (my daughter just told me to add lots of exclamation points)
posted by widdershins at 9:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

Donald Trump is not a fascist. Donald Trump is a narcissistic carnival barker.

I wouldn't call him a carnival barker. He reminds me more of a late-night informercial host, hawking his UNBELIEVABLE!!! and TREMENDOUS!!! solutions to nonexistent problems. Like, I keep expecting his speeches to cut to black-and-white video montages of sad white people unable to do basic tasks because Mexicans have scratched up their skillets, tied their garden hoses into knots, or whatever.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 9:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

just found out that if prop 205 in AZ passes (legal pot) it goes into effect in September 2018.

I think it's similar in MA. I assume the dispensary lines will start forming tomorrow, however.
posted by bondcliff at 9:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Police: No reports of voter intimidation in Chesapeake, despite allegation
posted by indubitable at 9:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I was typing this as the new thread was being posted, so please forgive me if you're read it twice:

I live on the west coast, and have for nigh on twenty years now. My parents, Dad in his eighties, Mom 76, still live back in Pa. Thanks to the wonder that is skype, we talk almost every day.
Dad's a republican, natch, but Mom's true blue. In years past Dad and i would have friendly debates over policy, Mom would chime in on my side, Dad and I would agree to disagree. This year, however, it's been Mom and I telling each other how excited we are to vote for Hillary, while Dad sits quietly to the side. He's told me he's not voting for Drumpf (he voted for kasich in the primary) and I haven't pushed him on it, but i secretly believe he will pull the lever for Hill when all is said and done.

Every election Mom works the polls as an election official, Dad helps with the polling machines. I asked her last night if she's worried about voter intimidation. She told me that yes, a voter can be challenged for lots of reasons, but then the challenger is given four pages of paperwork to fill out, while the voter gets to get on with voting. Only much later are the challenges read over and a decision is made. The line never slows, the voter is not denied their right to cast a vote.
Mom says the training is intensive, but she loves election day and was going to bed extra early last night so she could be fresh for a long day.
I'm sure I'll get the scoop later tonight once she and her co-workers have tallied the votes. i hope it's a calm day for her and Dad, and I am looking forward to celebrating Hillary's win with her. I never asked if she's planning to wear a pants suit, but it wouldn't surprise me if she does.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Insightful essay by Josh Barro:

Most voters, I think, have correctly diagnosed the Trump campaign as a primal scream of white resentment. The alarming thing is that so many are in favor of the scream.
posted by My Dad at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Oh great. My polling place is on the news with people claiming that their Trump votes were turned to Clinton. Now the fact that the vote won't be 100% Trump will be used by my family as proof that the vote was rigged (I live in rural Trumpistan, where the vote is always 80%+ Republican).
posted by dirigibleman at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh bondcliff ...

If approved, marijuana legalization would take effect on December 15, 2016

https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_Marijuana_Legalization,_Question_4_(2016)
posted by theredpen at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2016

Line at my polling place was long - as long as it was in 2008; noticeably longer than it was in 2012. Stood in line for an hour and 25 minutes, and was late for work. Thankfully, I have an understanding workplace - but it made my heart ache to see people arrive, look at the line, and leave. I hope all of those people get the chance to vote after work.

Got my ballot and just couldn't fill in the oval next to Clinton / Kaine. Filled in all the rest, because I didn't want the last oval I filled to be some random judge retention election. Voting for her had to be the last one, the grand finale, the meaningful act. Filled in her oval, checked my ballot thrice, and put it in the ballot box with hope that my fellow citizens make good choices. Resisted, as I drove home, the urge to flip the bird to the neighbor's Trump sign. On this day we're all Americans, and when they go low, we go high.
posted by Chanther at 9:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

In the name of getting the separation started on the right foot: please take the pot and porn and other state-level stuff over to the state level stuff thread.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Election sites:
www.iwillvote.com or www.google.com to find polling places
www.myridetovote.org finds polling places and tries to find nearby free rides
Election protection: (866) OUR-VOTE, or (866) 687-8683. North Carolina has a special number that's (888) 687-8683.
Souls to the Polls has local branches. Check out their Facebook pages.
www.womenvotes.org has a Carpool2Vote app. They also have a list of suggested services.

Election free rides to the polls:
Uber: New Uber users can use the code VOTETODAY to get $20 off their first ride. Other codes are 1SEO or 3SEO for new users.
Lyft is offering 45% off one ride 7am-8pm. Access through "Deal of the Week" email sent out on Sunday.
Lyft new users can use code NOVEMBER8TH for $5 off first 10 rides.
Zipcar has some cars available for free to reserve. New members can download the app to join.
GM Maven ride-sharing is offering $5 off rides today.

For Michigan:
Jackson: JATA (Area Transportation Authority) offering free rides. Buses maintaining regular hours, 6:15am-6:15pm
Grand Valley State University: "voter vans" going between Kirkhof Center on Allendale Campus, to Life Stream Church in Allendale charter Township voting precinct
Bay City/Saginaw: Saginaw STARS (Transport Authority and Regional Services) offering free rides until 8pm. If you're still at polling station after 8pm, can use their LIFT serivce

Please message me with additional information on free rides for: Michigan, Florida, and Nevada.
posted by halifix at 9:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

My local Board of Elections is touting a new "Results Caster" tool that promises to break down the vote with a neighborhood level of granularity. I seriously don't want to know how my neighbors voted.
posted by xyzzy at 9:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

This is a historic day. The old guard which has ruled the United States (sometimes with benevolence) is on its way to be permanently overturned and the cumulative group that wasn't given the vote in the Constitution are going to be the major influence of the future history.

It isn't often you get a chance to vote for the future and vanquish evil.

Yes, I know there will still be a long struggle ahead, but after tonight there will be no turning back.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Great twitter thread from @leahmcelrath regarding PN, "enthusiasm," and how the male-dominated journalism industry missed the mark. Some excerpts:

It turns out - as I've said repeatedly for a year - you don't measure women's "enthusiasm" via impersonal polls or rally attendance.

You measure women's "enthusiasm" by creating a safe space and asking them what something means to them.
And then listening.

They missed the story by underestimating the presence of violence of many kinds in the lives of women and the impact of that violence.

When women DO come together, we are treated with derision, mockery, threats, and abuse by others.

But create a safe space (another term subjected to mockery) for women, and, within days, the space is receiving close to 300K POSTS PER DAY.

First woman candidate for POTUS nominated by a major party in 240 years and women's stories were not told.

Why?

posted by melissasaurus at 9:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [159 favorites]

Voted! Very short lines, ran into my mother and (pantsuited) sister and had breakfast.

Trump Delenda Est.
posted by Skorgu at 9:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Reporting in from Chicago! Voted, then had to wipe away my tears to vote for approximately 1,200 judges. Feeling so emotional today, thinking about Ida B. Wells and all of our suffragette foremothers, my Dem-voting grandmothers, my mom (currently putting her law degree to excellent use as a Democratic poll observer in Ohio), and all of the amazing little girls I know who will grow up knowing that a woman can be president. I'm so glad to have cast my vote today in their honor.
posted by merriment at 9:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Was it in alphabetical order?
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 9:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

My great-grandmother arrived in New York 96 years ago this week, a teenager leaving behind a large family, many of whom later perished in the Holocaust. The 19th Amendment was three months old. She spoke no English. Of the many, many reasons I am proud to have voted today are the images I have in my mind of this one girl getting off a ship only blocks from where I work now, and the images of the very little girls lined up with their parents this morning to vote, who won't know a time before our presidents weren't Black or women. Or maybe, next time, both.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [65 favorites]

Mailed in my ballot here in Oregon so I'm just writing "I voted" on my forehead in sharpie.
posted by gottabefunky at 9:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Yes, Kutsuwamushi. Good point!!
posted by Melismata at 9:16 AM on November 8, 2016

This time tomorrow, we should know whether they can keep reusing the same body for the "speaking sitting president" robot in the Hall of Presidents, like they've been doing ever since they added that feature to the show in 1993.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Clinton, Johnson, Stein, Trump: that's alphabetical order.
posted by dywypi at 9:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Well, it's the big day and time for me to finally answer altar call with the other lurkers and join Metafilter. I've learned so much from the group mind over the last eleven years but this election has been something different.

Back in July polls were tightening and I was freaking out. Impossibly long election threads were my primary source of comfort. Now, I've read almost all of almost all of them. Could it really be hundreds of thousands of words?

What I've learned and done because of all that reading:

Voted on the first day of early voting. Glad I did because my polling station was packed at 7am

Made a large donation at the end of September to help with Hillary's numbers. I drunk donated and woke up the next day worried about how many zeros I'd added. It was ok.

Registered friends who were having trouble with the process.

Princeton Election Consortium instead of 538

The Washington Post instead of the New York Times

Performative despair, don't do it. Instead, walk shirtless with your dog, tall and proud

So I'm ready for tonight and whatever happens. I have guacamole and my escape goat. I'll have an election thread to read and the followup tomorrow.

Thank you to the mods for their light but steady control. Thank you to the members of Metafilter for your thoughts and links. This place might be as one mefite put it, a debate club on an old fashioned web site, but it's extremely important to me. Now I've joined you friends and comrades.

Congratulations to alleycat01!
posted by Alcedinidae at 9:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [110 favorites]

I'm in WA, so I dropped my ballot off last week and confirmed yesterday that it was counted, but I realized I was going to end up kicking myself if all I did was vote, so I signed up for a last-minute texting shift with Nextgen Climate. I forget who it was or even what thread it was in if I was going to look for it, but thanks to whoever it was that linked that some time ago.
posted by valrus at 9:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

carny barkers' primary purpose is to ballyhoo suckers into the tent where the real grifting can begin. donald would be terrible at it, since he believes himself to be the whole freakshow.
posted by rotten at 9:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My daughter was unhappy to realize she doesn't own a pantsuit.
She and my granddaughter dressed as pantsuity (and in white) as they could.
posted by MtDewd at 9:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Useful chart of when polls close/when bars close
posted by neroli at 9:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Great twitter thread from @leahmcelrath regarding PN, "enthusiasm," and how the male-dominated journalism industry missed the mark.

Dudes always miss the boat on the Lady Internet--because they can't see it, they think it doesn't exist. (See also: 850 billion shocked articles about female-dominated fandom spaces, published approximately 20 years after all those spaces were first established).
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

So, what's considered a "landslide"?

Princeton has Hillary with 307 EVs, so just wondering.
posted by Tarumba at 9:20 AM on November 8, 2016

milwood, kalamazoo - dropped by around 11 o'clock - voting brisk, but no real wait in line - i was no 351 - my guess is that it's a little heavier than other presidental elections but not by a lot
posted by pyramid termite at 9:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Voted first thing this morning in Western PA, so the kids could go with us. Me, my wife, my mom; felt really awesome to vote for Hillary, and I can't wait for this evening! Thanks for keeping me sane, Metafilter!
posted by dellsolace at 9:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Reports from western Pennsylvania are that turnout is high so far, both in the city (good for Hillary) and in the suburbs (thought to be good for Trump, but those suburban women though...)

I didn't want to get up early to vote, and now I'm dreading the after-work rush.
posted by muddgirl at 9:22 AM on November 8, 2016

So, what's considered a "landslide"?

Varies, but about 27% more for Hillary than anyone else, I'm thinking.
posted by Mooski at 9:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

(Pulls shirt off and prays to christen final thread)
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

My mom, who lives in Michigan and who has, I'm pretty sure, voted for Republicans her entire life, texted me this morning that she's voting for Hillary! It almost makes me want to cry. Especially because I had a dream that we got into a fight because she told me she was going to vote for Trump and I couldn't help but yelling at her. But no yelling necessary! I hope/think she is one of many traditionally Republican women who will be pulling the lever for Clinton.
posted by overglow at 9:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

Does anyone else find it auspicious that Election Day is also Taco Tuesday?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

In Mass., we had four candidates on the presidential ballot. I thought it was very interesting that Clinton was listed first, Trump was listed fourth, and the two other candidates were listed in between.

Clinton was given top billing here in Virginia; McMuffin was listed dead last. Poor Egg, couldn't your buddies in Langley have gotten you higher billing?
posted by indubitable at 9:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Let Hillary Be Hillary - a closing argument from Samantha Bee
posted by melissasaurus at 9:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

The final political ad of the 2016 election is Toby telling America to go outside, turn around 3 times, and spit.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Austin, TX: At least 13,000 ballots cast in Williamson Co. so far, officials say

As an Austinite, I reflexively hiss and shrink back vampire-style when you mention Williamson County, the county to the north which must not be named. Travis County FTW:

As of 11:00am, 36,874 votes cast in Austin

I'd love for Clinton to flip this giant flapjack of a state, but honestly I'll be happy if enough Dems turn out to make it close enough that they don't call Texas for the Republicans the second the polls close.

Good luck everyone!
posted by lefty lucky cat at 9:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

IIRC, each state has its own rules about how to order the ballot. Here is a handy chart.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I haven't really been able to fully articulate this idea yet, so maybe this won't make any sense, but I've been thinking about how from within, in the immediate context, this election seems like evidence of the brokenness of our democracy, but in a larger context I think it proves the opposite. Now, our bureaucracy is not without its problems, and reforms are required in numerous areas, but overall, what we're witnessing is the messy ability of our democracy to reject a bad idea. Let's hope I don't live to regret saying this so early in the day, but I believe that today will show that we're capable of evaluating authoritarianism and rejecting it. In Weimar Germany and a lot of other examples the ascension of tyrrany was more of a fait accompli brought about by external forces and the people had no real say in what was happening. I believe/hope/wish Clinton is going to win big and when the other guy's story is told, it'll be one of our electorate re-asserting itself to thoroughly reject his ideas.
posted by feloniousmonk at 9:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Does anyone else find it auspicious that Election Day is also Taco Tuesday?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:25 AM on November 8 [+] [!]

Duh.

Also, pump the breaks on the SBA love and share some loving with some women who weren't complete racists about their rights to vote!
posted by Sophie1 at 9:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

As a non-citizen US resident (although not an immigrant) I haven't had much to say about the US election. I will chime in that it sort of chaps my cheeks that people have fucking license plates in this country that say "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" but that you're more than willing to tax the heck out of me without giving me representation at any level of government.
posted by GuyZero at 9:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

WROC in Rochester has a livestream from Susan B. Anthony's grave (warning: Facebook Live). It's quite something.
posted by Kattullus at 9:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

And to expand - not only can I not vote (which is mostly understandable) but where I live I can't even participate in any municipal councils as you need to be a registered voter to do so.

At least my daughter is out volunteering at a polling location today so we finally have some decent foreign election observers.
posted by GuyZero at 9:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ughhh, so I have an Idiot Name Twin (tm) who I already disliked instensely because she's always signing me up for QVC shopping and random prayer stuff and... today I learned that she signed me up for Trump in Texas as I suddenly got a flurry of emails. I took so much satisfaction in unsubsrcribing and reporting it to the spam filter.
posted by TwoStride at 9:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

GuyZero: those license plates say "Taxation without Representation" - we DC residents pay through the nose.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Not sure about the law where you are, but where I vote that's illegal, so do be careful. Actually, I don't know if it's illegal to take a picture, or to publicly share it, but it is extremely discouraged either way.

Posting this here, since new thread:

Ballot Selfies - where are they legal? (covers all 50 states)
posted by longdaysjourney at 9:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Reports from western Pennsylvania are that turnout is high so far, both in the city (good for Hillary) and in the suburbs (thought to be good for Trump, but those suburban women though...)

The Lawrenceville precincts reported in that article as having problems because of a new voting location were ones that I canvassed on Saturday. I had a feeling this was going to be an issue because no one I talked to knew this had happened and 80% of the doors I was knocking were people aged 20-30, almost certainly fairly new arrivals.

Our election laws are relics from a time when people never left their town their entire lives. People now move frequently, sometimes every year. I don't know what the solution is for ensuring that the people voting in a place actually live in a place, but something has got to change. I've talked to way too many people these past few weeks whose main barrier to voting is the entirely legal act of needing to find a new place to live every now and then.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

GuyZero: those license plates say "Taxation without Representation" - we DC residents pay through the nose.

Boston, Washington - your country is just one big blur to me!

Anyway, yeah, you all deserve at least one senator or they could give you a pass on state taxes.
posted by GuyZero at 9:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Hail Ann Richards, full of Grace,
The vote is with thee.
Blessed art thou among Blue states,
And blessed are the fruits of thy pro-choice womb.
Holy Ann, pray for Texas, now and at the hour of poll closing.
Amen."
posted by Sophie1 at 9:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [60 favorites]

I voted for statehood, again, as usual. I guess I should put this in the state thread?
posted by aspersioncast at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Boston, Washington
posted by stet at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

feloniousmonk, I feel like the system only works by design if Trump is thoroughly crushed, not just defeated. God help me if Hillary just squeaks out a narrow victory and we have to deal with this festering alt-right garbage fire for another four years. This election alone has already made me feel really depressed about the number of my fellow citizens who will turn out to joyously vote for an openly bigoted candidate even when he's also a complete disaster as a candidate, and if we can't put them down with a firm "NO." then we are going to be standing on the edge of a political abyss for probably another generation, is my feeling.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

First woman candidate for POTUS nominated by a major party in 240 years and women's stories were not told.

While Chuck Todd complains that the press spent too much time on Trump and not enough time on Trump supporters, in spite of how (per a Twitter comment) we now know the names of pretty much everybody in small-town western PA and eastern OH. To be fair to Todd, he's talking more about the start of the campaign in 2015, not the umpteen "journey into the heart of Trumplandia" pieces over the past six months, but still.

There has been an erasure of that kind of attention -- supporters who are there not "because she's a woman", but because her life maps to so many women's lives -- which is why the gathering at Susan B. Anthony's grave is so moving. (Notwithstanding SBA's personal politics.)
posted by holgate at 9:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

I was wondering why Trump was first on the MN ballot, but apparently Minnesota has the major party with the fewest average number of votes at the last state election go first. Aww, Minnesota you are so weird and just want to make sure that everyone has a fair chance. As long as they're a major party.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

You would think, with computerized balloting, the candidates for every voting location in the state could be stored, so you could vote anywhere, and get served up the proper slates. Or, at least, the same idea within a given county.
Even without computerisation, this is how Australia does it. You can cast a normal vote at any polling place in your district. You can cast a provisional vote at any polling place in your state. Despite following US politics pretty closely, I only realized today that in the US you have to turn up at one specific place. Absurd.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 9:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Just wanted to pop in to give hugs to all since I will be running around today. I had hoped to wear a pantsuit and dusted off old suits that I haven't worn in years. Alas, none fit, so after voting, they are going to a women's shelter, a donation befitting pantsuit day.

I am so happy that most of the senior execs I work with as clients have told me they are voting for Hillary, although they are almost all Republicans. They just think Trump is a buffoon, a racist and a bridge too far. That makes me so happy.

I am so filled with emotion today, I think it's a hangover from watching the incredible PA rally last night. The slightest thing today is bringing me to tears, but in a good way. Your comments about voting, some tweets showing people lined up at Susan B Anthony's grave... through some very dark days in this campaign, the mefi family has reminded me there is goodness, kindness and light still thriving. Special hugs to all you non-US folks who hold our hands through this. I think today is going to be another affirmation of people's goodness, one we all so badly need.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

Well, in fairness, there are usually many many more things to vote for on a US ballot vs other Western countries.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

You would think, with computerized balloting, the candidates for every voting location in the state could be stored, so you could vote anywhere, and get served up the proper slates. Or, at least, the same idea within a given county.

This is how early voting worked in Illinois.
posted by theodolite at 9:40 AM on November 8, 2016

Even without computerisation, this is how Australia does it.

Australia and Canada both have non-partisan federal agencies that run elections.

In the US the states are allowed to use whatever stone-age approach they want. States rights!
posted by GuyZero at 9:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

James O'Keefe is documenting his attempts at voter intimidation, which will hopefully make it easier to arrest and charge him.
posted by zombieflanders at 9:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [56 favorites]

Now Piers Morgan has decided to go after Kurt Eichenwald.
posted by drezdn at 9:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, what's considered a "landslide"?

I've heard 400 EV. For that to happen this election, Hillary would need to sweep all the swing states AND flip both Georgia & Texas.
posted by zakur at 9:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Susan B Anthony resting site livestreamer mentioned that CSPAN says they're going to pick up the livestream soon (in 10 or 15 minutes).
posted by cashman at 9:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

They're teeing up the rigged narrative for tomorrow.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

It turns out - as I've said repeatedly for a year - you don't measure women's "enthusiasm" via impersonal polls or rally attendance.

You measure women's "enthusiasm" by creating a safe space and asking them what something means to them. And then listening.

They missed the story by underestimating the presence of violence of many kinds in the lives of women and the impact of that violence.

Exactly. This is why the whole idea of a "stealth Trump" vote still being taken seriously is so maddening, and yet entirely predictable. It's predicated on the idea that supporters for Trump are embarrassed and won't speak up. But it totally misses the fact that as story after story after story in Pantsuit Nation makes clear, plenty of Clinton supporters (women and men, across the political spectrum) have been made genuinely afraid to speak up.

I have a feeling there's going to turn out to be a stealth Clinton effect, in which more than a few traditionally red districts will turn out to be a whole lot more purple than usual. And writers like Jake Novak -- who only tosses out his observation that "even many Clinton supporters say they have felt extraordinary pressure to keep their voting preferences quiet this year" as a barely considered afterthought at the end of an article musing about the the possibility of an army of silent, embarrassed Trump voters -- will almost certainly express surprise.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 9:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

I can't believe how emotional I am. I feel more a part of this election than any other, ever. A WOMAN is going to be PRESIDENT. And I realized maybe for the first time this morning that it's not like she's this token lady and then after this it will go back to being white men all the time. Today changes everything, forever. It's amazing.

I also love recognizing MeFites on the Pantsuit Nation. I see you, msmolly! /notacreep
posted by something something at 9:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

Good luck with that. That's entirely legal according to NV law.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Hope you all don't mind. I voted too.
posted by Jalliah at 9:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [78 favorites]

T.D. Strange: "Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

They're teeing up the rigged narrative for tomorrow."

Has anybody considered suing Trump for barratry?
posted by boo_radley at 9:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

Was it open that long just to handle those in line at scheduled closing time? My early voting spot in Chicago last night was still processing the line at 9:00pm when I left (2 hrs. post-close), and I'd say there was at least another hour's worth of people still in line.
posted by dnash at 9:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

This morning when I went to campus for my 8 am class, I found a flyer stapled to a tree plastered with QR codes that led to an Alex Jones "the election is rigged" video. (I was worried it might be worse because of white supremacist posters on my campus two weeks ago.)

As I'm feeling more and more hopeful about the results of the election, I keep getting more nervous about this narrative taking hold more broadly.
posted by Jeanne at 9:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Was it open that long just to handle those in line at scheduled closing time?

A. From all reports, yes it was legal.
B. Seems pretty impossible to prove, what does he want, damages?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

LET'S DO THIS THING, AMERICA.

Also, I voted by mail the day after I got my ballot. I miss getting a sticker, but I dig voting by mail.
posted by RakDaddy at 9:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Is anyone planning to print up "I read all N words of the MetaFilter Election 2016 threads and all I got was the first woman president" shirts? Assuming outcomes are as we all expect, TTTCS, etc?
posted by potrzebie at 9:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [27 favorites]

Has anybody considered suing Trump for barratry?

no point in that - he's judgment proof in every sense of the word
posted by pyramid termite at 9:51 AM on November 8, 2016

Was it open that long just to handle those in line at scheduled closing time?

Yes, but there are crazy people out there claiming that (brown) people were being bused in to vote at that location.
posted by zakur at 9:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

the return of the thin white sock, I have a lot of feelings along the lines that you've just laid out above. I'm holding out hope that there will be an un-forecasted wave of women and Latinx voters turning out to vote Trump down. I think there are good reasons to expect that it will happen, but we'll just have to see.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2016

Exactly. This is why the whole idea of a "stealth Trump" vote still being taken seriously is so maddening, and yet entirely predictable. It's predicated on the idea that supporters for Trump are embarrassed and won't speak up. But it totally misses the fact that as story after story after story in Pantsuit Nation makes clear, plenty of Clinton supporters (women and men, across the political spectrum) have been made genuinely afraid to speak up.

I suspect both of these narratives will turn out to be true. We’ll see shy Trump voters who vote Trump and stealth Clinton supporters turning out for her.
posted by pharm at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Seems pretty impossible to prove, what does he want, damages?

To add to his "the election is rigged" narrative.
posted by craven_morhead at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I didn't wake up early enough to vote before work today here in Philly, so I'm looking forward to it as soon as I get out. I hope the lines aren't too long, seeing as how the gosh darn sun goes down at 5:30 now and it gets cold. Either way, can't wait to cast my vote for Sec. Clinton!
posted by lazaruslong at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Suburban Philadelphia here, at the fulcrum of the swing: short lines but lots of people coming in to vote with families (we took our daughter and son). We heard from some people on legal duty for Hilary about some standard poll issues and conflicts, not anything systemic yet.

Someone up thread mentioned working with bankers and worrying about their positions. It may not be as bad as you think. I teach at a business school and I don't think more than a percent of faculty members are going for Trump (if any), and I get similar vibes from my students.

Anyhow, while watching returns tonight my family is building a gingerbread White House and a tiny gingerbread Hilary - feeling good about it all working out (no gingerbread Trump is planned)...
posted by blahblahblah at 9:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Like father, like son
posted by melissasaurus at 9:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Yes, but there are crazy people out there claiming that (brown) people were being bused in to vote at that location.

Just to be clear, the actual bussing of voters to polling places is not illegal, as long as that's where they're legally allowed to vote (as was the case in this instance).
posted by zombieflanders at 9:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The, I agree that a close margin is very undesirable, but from the signs I'm seeing around turnout, I'm optimistic about a big margin. Right now there's a slow stream of feedback about long lines and big turnout and if that tapers off then we might be in trouble but if this stream keeps building into a flood, I think we'll be okay.
posted by feloniousmonk at 9:54 AM on November 8, 2016

To add to his "the election is rigged" narrative.

But he doesn't actually have to sue to accomplish that. This makes me nervous. Maybe I should start drinking.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Right now, exactly equal amounts of people who follow Jake Tapper voted for Clinton and Trump, or said they did.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:55 AM on November 8, 2016

Potomac Avenue Vote first, then drink. Some places won't let you vote drunk. (If you already voted, of course, then drink up.)
posted by SansPoint at 9:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Friendly reminder, nervous chat/"I'm drinking"/fanfic about bad outcomes can go to Chat.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

They're teeing up the rigged narrative for tomorrow.

I don't think that's going to get much purchase other than among the core deplorables.

First of all, people want this election over. What's the story of today? Huge queues, discussion of efforts to curtail early voting. ordinary people coping with a process that doesn't scale as it should: a shared experience (regardless of party) of waiting your turn no matter what.

The process itself is never going to be friction-free . It could be much better than it is, but many of the inevitable human and technical glitches get magnified under scrutiny. A lawsuit saying "not fair, make it worse" (when the Nevada SoS is an elected Republican!) falls as flat as a fart. I think it's more reflective of how the scenes at the Cardenas market last Friday felt like a pressure valve being released -- for me, at least, it knocked my JCPL down a lot of notches -- and the Trump campaign can't bear that.
posted by holgate at 9:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to chime in to say how excited (!!) I am today. I work in a design studio in Oregon with a lot of women, including me, in positions of responsibility. Many of us are wearing pantsuits, wearing pins and generally exuding a fog of giddiness at the possibility of our first woman president.
I want to say thank you to all of you. I have many conservative family members on FB posting un-informed, un-truththful and upsetting posts. I was able sort through the chaff, using many of the materials posted in these election threads, and clearly articulate my position. Possibly for the first time ever! So thank you Mefites! We really are stronger together.
posted by heatherbeth at 9:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

Does anyone know what's going on in Pennsylvania that Trumps lead seems so big as of now? It's a real stand-out among the swing states with data. I realize these data are even less valid than exit polls, but it's still strange that PA is such an outlier, isn't it?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:57 AM on November 8, 2016

Greetings from inner ring suburban Detroit! In our rapidly diversifying little city, there was only one person in line in front of me at 11:00 for our precinct, but the other two precincts that vote in our location were busier. Of the dozen or so booths, only two were free when we walked in.

After we finished our vote, I received a text from a friend in a more upscale inner ring Detroit suburb, who was given the business by the poll workers - they demanded ID (not actually necessary), so she went home for her passport, came back, then was told they needed to call City Hall to verify it. I told her to call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report it, because even if she was able to vote, they shouldn't be acting like that. They took her complaint seriously, gave her the number to the appropriate county people, and she's taking it from there. They did say they were getting A TON of calls today.

I strongly encouraged my friend to follow through, because if this is the shit they give a white lady with a Master degree in a bougie suburb, it's certainly worse for others who might not be as well-equipped to make the complaint. She says she is already on the line with the county folks.
posted by palindromic at 9:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [72 favorites]

I went with my mom and sister to vote, we all voted for Hillary, and it feels like such a relief. Thank you, MetaFilter, for keeping me semi-sane during this insane election.

Both my sister and I took advantage of same-day registration, and it probably took less than 20 minutes to register and to vote. (We live in a very white area of Wisconsin). I was surprised to learn that only 13 states and DC have same-day registration. I've taken advantage of same-day registration a lot over the years, particularly when I was in college as I moved a lot, and it's pretty shameful that so many states don't have it.
posted by airish at 9:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

If only I had a penguin... That page isn't working for me, but I suspect because the middle of Pennsylvania is full of racist white folks. Once you get outside of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh suburbs, it's practically a Southern state. (I grew up and lived in Philly for almost my entire life, so... yeah.)
posted by SansPoint at 9:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

It's nice when the Trump campaign openly admits that more people voting is bad for their victory chances.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Voted with my 18-year-old daughter! She has come to the polling place with me for every primary and every general since she's been alive. And now she's not a bystander any more.

Our location was busier than I've even seen it, but there was really no wait to speak of. Our neighborhood is probably one of the bluest in the entire state. Anecdotally I've heard that lines are much longer elsewhere--out the door and around the block in multiracial, mixed income Old Louisville and over two-hour wait in the lily-white, upper-middle income Norton Commons. Everyone is reporting patience and friendliness though!

I just hope that many work places have this attitude!
posted by chaoticgood at 10:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

So my 7 y/o daughter inherited a cell phone and received a text from a Hillary GOTV with the same name as a relative, and my daughter thought she was talking to said relative.

http://imgur.com/a/Mbg8Y

The volunteer now knows our pet situation.
posted by splen at 10:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [93 favorites]

Just to be clear, the actual bussing of voters to polling places is not illegal, as long as that's where they're legally allowed to vote (as was the case in this instance).

Of course, but here is Trump's claim:

It's being reported that certain key Democratic polling locations in Clark County were kept open for hours and hours beyond closing time to bus and bring democratic voters in. Folks, it's a rigged system. It's a rigged system and we're going to beat it. We're going to beat it.

posted by zakur at 10:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh god I can't do two separate election threads!! Aaaargh!!!

Thank you, mods, for all your work, and thank you fellow MeFites. You've been the best resource on this election. Easily.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

It's nice when the Trump campaign openly admits that more people voting is bad for their victory chances.

You'd think that a campaign that ran on a "silent majority" platform of people just itching to reject politicians, hyping up all the brand new voters they were bringing to the polls, would be in favor of more people voting. But you know, not those people.
posted by zachlipton at 10:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

America, you can do it! It's been a crazy election, showing facets of fellow humans that I never expected to see, but also to so many inspirational stories about people banding together, each doing their own part to prove that their vision of America is not sexist, racist or nativist. Thanks to all of you who shared stories, filtered the media and kept company on these massive threads. Vote, and make history today!
posted by ersatz at 10:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Okay I'm dying here. These pictures are too funny.

Both Trump and son peeking while voting. BOTH
posted by Jalliah at 10:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [77 favorites]

It seems like pokestops are giving out double today, along with pokemon spawning more often today, so all the more reason to get out and vote.
posted by drezdn at 10:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

If only I had a penguin... without any technical knowledge I strongly suspect gigo (garbage in, garbage out). The numbers both appear wrong and are not being updated - who knows how good their survey methods might be?
posted by meinvt at 10:05 AM on November 8, 2016

Yeah, Ralston was flipping about how inaccurate their NV numbers were.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:06 AM on November 8, 2016

Seattle Election Update: I voted like two weeks ago, so no polling place for me.

However, I just now went out side, turned around three times, spat, and cursed.

#Doingmypart
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

We all know it's a dogwhistle, but:

Does Trump know that you can't vote anywhere, bussed or not, if you aren't registered there? Dems are not bringing in people from other states/counties, because that would be pointless.

Therefore, if you have so few polling stations in your area that you need to keep them open very late and bus people in (because it's too far for them to get to any of them presumably) then that's not rigging, but crappy planning. (Or let's be honest, racist voter suppression).

I mean, I know truth does not matter to this man, but you don't have to know much about How Voting Works to understand that what he says cannot possibly be true.
posted by emjaybee at 10:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

In case you were wondering: Exit poll data from networks/AP is literally locked in a room until 5 p.m. so just FYI we basically know nothing reliable until then.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Does anyone know what's going on in Pennsylvania that Trumps lead seems so big as of now? It's a real stand-out among the swing states with data. I realize these data are even less valid than exit polls, but it's still strange that PA is such an outlier, isn't it?

The website says "Updated: Nov. 8, 2016 6:07 PM EST" which, if I can read a clock right, is about 5 hours in the future.
posted by muddgirl at 10:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

San Francisco voting update: Hopped on a bikeshare bike, went to City Hall, dropped off ballot without getting off bike, got sticker, returned bike. Then went to fancy indie grocery store, bought an excessive quantity of limes for margaritas, rewarded myself with a doughnut from the new artisanal doughnut shop, and discussed my "I'm voting for tacos" shirt with the owner, who is extremely pro-taco and will be pouring shots of 120 proof Knob Creek at her counter this afternoon because everybody needs a drink.

Acting like a coastal elite snob seemed like the more appropriate way to spend the morning. Take that, Trump.
posted by zachlipton at 10:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [49 favorites]

I spent my lunch hour driving past five polling places in the Georgia county where I work (south of the perimeter, roughly 85% African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian - a county in which all public school students are offered free breakfast and lunch).

Y'all, those parking lots were hopping - people hugging each other, smiling, waving. I saw a couple of enormous pickups parked at the edges of two of the polling place lots, but the drivers were sitting behind the wheel and not interfering. For all I know, they had carried voters to the polls and were waiting in the shade until their passengers were done.
posted by catlet at 10:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

The Votecastr numbers haven't changed since the page went live over two hours ago. They apologized on Twitter for including Jill Stein in their Nevada numbers (where she's not on the ballot) but didn't actually fix it. Even if their untested methodology isn't junk, it seems like they don't have any idea what they're doing.
posted by theodolite at 10:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I don't think that's going to get much purchase other than among the core deplorables.

But it only takes a few "Second Amendment people" deciding to do something to cause violence.
posted by Sangermaine at 10:12 AM on November 8, 2016

San Francisco voting update: Hopped on a bikeshare bike, went to City Hall, dropped off ballot without getting off bike, got sticker, returned bike. Then went to fancy indie grocery store, bought an excessive quantity of limes for margaritas, rewarded myself with a doughnut from the new artisanal doughnut shop, and discussed my "I'm voting for tacos" shirt with the owner, who is extremely pro-taco and will be pouring shots of 120 proof Knob Creek at her counter this afternoon because everybody needs a drink.

Defecate on Market St and throw a rock at a Google bus and I think you get some sort of San Francisco pentathlon medal.
posted by GuyZero at 10:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [104 favorites]

Another lurker posting to say thanks, I couldnt have done this without you metafilter!

I just read this post's title and started crying - it couldn't encapsulate the difference between these candidates better.
posted by Illusory contour at 10:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Does Trump know that you can't vote anywhere, bussed or not, if you aren't registered there?

In general if you start a question with "Does Trump know" the answer is going to be no. And even if he did, he doesn't care.
posted by potrzebie at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Hope you all don't mind. I voted too

I love this, Jalliah. If you like, please feel free to consider one half of my vote for Clinton yours, and I will take credit for one half of your most recent vote for a progressive member of Parliament. We can continue doing this North American vote sharing for as long as you like. We may have to MeMail back and forth to decide our combined vote in future election cycles.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Votecaster site probably means UTC, not EST.
I think If only I had a penguin's question was about why the early voting results were so different from the poll data, which has been showing about the opposite.
Not about the 'Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle' aspect of the state.
posted by MtDewd at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2016

Btw, the Onion has an election page that is being updated every few minutes.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

So this is funny. Deadspin yesterday posted a piece on how each member of its staff is voting, with a really epic amount of hand-wringing such as:

"This is not an adolescent rebellion against the concept of voting, or a Naderite rejection of lesser-evilism. It does sound very self-indulgent and “I don’t have a TV”-ish to announce that I’m not sure if I’ll vote, but Marchman asked, and it’s the truth. It may be even more self-indulgent to cast a pointless symbolic vote, either for or against Clinton, than to not bother either way..."

"My vote doesn’t matter, especially because I live in Pennsylvania..."

"Then I will tell myself that this act of fearful ad-hoc cooperative dam-plugging purchases for me some accountability from either her administration or her broader brand of wan un-Republicanism that I may cash in at some later date, like a Good Little Leftist, when actually all it will have accomplished is assuring the Democratic Party establishment that they can continue winning my vote in the smallest possible margin between themselves and a Republican Party Nazifying at warp speed unto eternity. And then at some point in the future I will die..."

"If I lived in a swing state I would hold my nose and do so; since I do not, I’ll write in Piggy Poop Balls or something..."

Here is sister site Jezebel's response.
posted by acidic at 10:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [95 favorites]

Defecate on Market St and throw a rock at a Google bus and I think you get some sort of San Francisco pentathlon medal.

Two GOTV taco trucks, all covered in signs and banners and with a megaphone telling people to vote, just went by on Market St. It's all happening here.
posted by zachlipton at 10:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

For anyone who's early voted in the presidential election in AZ, they're having trouble verifying signatures on 7,000 early and mail-in ballots. (Huge fuckin' surprise there.) They're calling people until 7 p.m. tonight to verify ballots. You might want to check on the status of your early vote.
posted by WidgetAlley at 10:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

These threads have been my lifeline through this election cycle, but I've been pretty quiet. Trump's candidacy galvanized me into action this year; I've been phone banking for Hillary for weeks and am an assistant inspector today at a local university polling precinct. I feel pretty confident Hillary will win, but am glad I'll be too busy today to fret. Great turnout from the students here. Of course, being in California, pot is also on the ballot.
posted by zenzicube at 10:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

My town (Alexandria Va.) reported long lines at polls' opening; as of 10am, they're also reporting just over 53% of all registered voters in the city have successfully cast their ballots.
posted by easily confused at 10:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

My son (18) is going to vote today. It's his first election, and he's been agonizing over it.
Partly because he was a serious Bernie Sanders supporter, and is still bummed he's not on the ballot.
Partly because he spent hours over the past two weeks researching candidates, and is stressed from taking that time from school.

Shortly after dropping him at school we got a robocall asking us to write in Bernie. (We live in Vermont, this is a thing)
posted by doctornemo at 10:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The mods are awesome and Frimble is some form of internet deity. I wanted to join the chorus because I just got an eyeful from a site I don't care to name. It. Is. UGLY OUT THERE.
posted by adept256 at 10:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

These election mega-threads are what finally pushed me, a European, to register after lurking for 10 years or so. I'm looking forward to spending time with you all this evening.
posted by Unwandering star of the North at 10:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [71 favorites]

Ending on a lie: Trump said Tom Brady supports him. Gisele Bundchen, who is married to Brady, says not so.

Not that it matters. Massachusetts is deep blue.
posted by bearwife at 10:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I think If only I had a penguin's question was about why the early voting results were so different from the poll data, which has been showing about the opposite.

The short answer would be that PA has no early voting and incredibly restricted absentee voting, mostly targeted at the elderly.
posted by muddgirl at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Jeb Lund (Mobute) in Spy on being from Florida and the Green Party
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Of the people, by the people, and for the people, EAGLE!!!

Come on, you knew it was coming.
posted by ChrisR at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

A huge welcome to Unwandering star of the North and everyone else who's checking in here today as a new member!
posted by zachlipton at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Now that it's finally election day, I just want to tell you all: good luck, and we're all counting on you.
posted by LooseFilter at 10:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Seeing the activity at Susan B. Anthony's grave makes me wish I could visit Highgate and pay my respects to Ernestine Rose—the atheist, feminist abolitionist & suffragist just a generation before Anthony—whose words seem quite fitting for this election:

But say some, would you expose woman to the contact of rough, rude, drinking, swearing, fighting men at the ballot box? What a humiliating confession lies in this plea for keeping woman in the background! Is the brutality of some men, then, a reason why woman should be kept from her rights? If man, in his superior wisdom, cannot devise means to enable woman to deposit her vote without having her finer sensibilities shocked by such disgraceful conduct, then there is an additional reason as well as necessity why she should be there to civilize, refine and purify him, even at the ballot box...

posted by audi alteram partem at 10:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

From our Deutsch friends:

Bitte nicht den Horror-Clown!
posted by seinwave at 10:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Alternate theory on the peeking Trump pics: they're cheating off of their wives' ballots because they don't know how to fill one out.
posted by prefpara at 10:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

Just got confirmation from my local election board (now that their website is back up) that the poll worker telling everyone that it was "illegal to use electronic devices in the polling place" was in the wrong, and they would correct it.
posted by jferg at 10:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Just got back from my Cincinnati polling place and it was pretty much the same as every other year when I vote mid-day: no lines whatsoever. The only notable change was half the polling place staff looked barely old enough to vote whereas in every year previous they looked solidly in the "we've been retired for 10 years or more" demographic.
posted by mmascolino at 10:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Bitte nicht den Horror-Clown!

When the Germans are using the English term for it, you know you've got a problem.
posted by nickmark at 10:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

I love this, Jalliah. If you like, please feel free to consider one half of my vote for Clinton yours, and I will take credit for one half of your most recent vote for a progressive member of Parliament. We can continue doing this North American vote sharing for as long as you like. We may have to MeMail back and forth to decide our combined vote in future election cycles.

Love it! I most recently voted Liberal for Justin. So if you are happy that he's in consider half that vote yours.
posted by Jalliah at 10:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Final 538 presidential forecast isn't so bad
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Geez, I hope Slate's numbers are right. Blue across the board.
posted by bearwife at 10:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

The first vote I ever cast in a presidential election was for Bill Clinton. Four years later, pregnant with my first and only child, I voted for Bill's reelection. My son is now a college student. This year, he cast his first vote in a presidential general election, for Hillary. He saved the envelope his ballot arrived in. I have waited decades, literal decades, to vote for Hillary as my president, and I'm overcome with joy to finally be able to do so. I'm putting on my pantsuit in just a few minutes!
posted by Miss Scarlet with the Candlestick in the Lounge at 10:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [44 favorites]

Update from Berkeley: Consistent stream of voters coming in, but the line to check in hasn't been more than three deep. LOTS of college students, which I hear is a bit of a surprise. Also a surprise: No less than six federal election monitors hanging around.

Only 9.5 hours to go!
posted by clorox at 10:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Two calls into Arizona and I got reached who I was able to help her find her polling place and confirm the closing time. I know we're all super plugged into this and it's hard to believe, but there's people out there who need that nudge to go vote. Go call them.
posted by zachlipton at 10:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I DID THE THING
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Jeopardy! contestant informal poll update as of 1:30 PM:

-350 responses
-83% (n=290) for Clinton
-Trump (4%; n=15) continues to lag 3rd party (12%; n=41)
-~1% abstaining from voting
-Only 30% of respondents report living in swing states

No breakdown by gender, race, age, etc, but the coveted and influential Jeopardy! contestant demographic appears to be With Her.
posted by palindromic at 10:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

Germans are using the English term for it

Vielleicht "von Klownschtücke?"
posted by spitbull at 10:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

If any of the responses were not in the form of a question, do they still count?
posted by zombieflanders at 10:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

So far, I've been keeping up with both threads (gave up on Sunday's), which means I'm getting very little done at work.
Off to lunch now. I assume I won't catch up again until Friday.
posted by MtDewd at 10:37 AM on November 8, 2016

Carl Diggler (previously) predicts a Clinton landslide.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

A great German newspaper headline: Bitte nicht den Horror-Clown!
posted by acidic at 10:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Lines at my polling place in Grand Rapids were the longest I've ever seen them, but that doesn't mean much since we just moved here in August. My wife voted this morning on the way into work and had a line of about an hour; MIL and I rolled up around 9:15 and took about 45 minutes. I have no basis of comparison for those times, but when I lived and voted in California, I hardly ever had to wait at all. Even with all that waiting, and 14 poll station at my precinct, I was only the 330-somethingth person to vote there, which seems a little odd, but the line wasn't moving super-quick. Even with an ID and a registration card, you're still required to fill out an "application to vote", which slows things down a bit, and you have to go through 5 different poll workers before you actually get your ballot.

I'm a little sad that in this particular election I'm missing out on the poeticism of voting in a state named after a mythic Amazonian queen, but it'll be alright. Wife and I are going out for tacos and drinks later, but they probably won't start calling states on the news until after 11pm. Hopefully we can make it until Wisconsin goes blue and I'll have to instruct the bartender on how to make a brandy old fashioned.
posted by LionIndex at 10:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Let's really not give votecastr links any credit whatsoever. They have no fucking clue, it's an untested, proprietary model of something that's notoriously unreliable to begin with, and every click we give them forestalls the whole company dying in a fire.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Question in DuoLingo group on Facebook: “How does one say, ‘Please welcome the 45th president of the United States, Donald J Trump’ in spanish?”

Answer: “You translate it like this: ‘CHINGA TU MADRE Donald Trump’”
posted by kirkaracha at 10:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [97 favorites]

My wife compares my laugh to a champagne cork popping.

This weekend, I saw a play featuring a lesbian couple with a teenage daughter. The theatre company - trying to do some sort of "both sides are the same" bullshit I assume - rewrote part of the script so that the daughter talks about how one of her mothers is voting for Clinton and one of her mothers is voting for Trump. I released my champagne cork laugh at that point.

I admit, its a bit of a stereotype for me to believe that all lesbians would be in favor of Clinton (because I'm guessing Mary Cheney is voting for Trump) but the thought that either member of a married gay female couple with a daughter in 2016 would vote for Trump was so ludicrous that I couldn't help but pop that cork laugh. Laughing also helped me keep my mouth from literally yelling "shame" at the stage for the meek false equivalency.

I'm in Hawaii and I don't get to vote today until almost 9pm EST (4 pm HST) so the Presidential Race will hopefully be decided by the time I fill out my ballot. I have complete faith that Clinton is going to win. Let's go out and make history!
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Love it! I most recently voted Liberal for Justin. So if you are happy that he's in consider half that vote yours.

Perfect! I am thrilled to say I voted for him a little bit!
posted by Rock Steady at 10:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Since it seems like Votecastr is only showing info on possible swing states, is there anywhere to track/view live info on other states?
posted by tryniti at 10:42 AM on November 8, 2016

Aw, Tim Kaine got beaten to the polls this morning.
posted by ceejaytee at 10:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

I'm looking forward to spending time with you all this evening.

True story. Last month I volunteered to be a poll worker and got an appointment letter and everything. Participation feels important. But I backed out because of a) the lingering physical/mental anxiety this election has caused and worry that spending the day at a polling place would exacerbate it ; b) the fact that I would have had to spend 14 hours today dealing partly with people who make me very, very angry; c) and the fact that I wouldn't be able to watch the results come in tonight with the rest of Metafilter.

I'm a horrible American, but I'm a good Mefite.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I would go farther and say maybe nobody post this Votecastr shit here, are we going to post astrologer predictions too?
posted by selfnoise at 10:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

So today in California, I voted for the first female president, to repeal the death penalty, and to legalize marijuana. That's a ballot I won't soon forget.

My polling place was not crowded, but that's normal because we have lots of polling stations generally (but if turnout is down, that's a good thing in this normally-red county).
posted by LooseFilter at 10:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

LionIndex, you're voting in a state who's name means "Great Lake" and in a city about fast moving water. Water goes with the flow (literally, haha.....don't shoot me) and also can carve it's way through rock. We will get through this election and who whomever our president ends up being.
posted by INFJ at 10:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

There are so many proud woman voters on my Facebook feed right now. For me, the excitement of the first female president got pushed to the background, but after seeing all of their pictures I am so excited that I am grinning like a huge doofus.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

New Yorker Cartoon by Benjamin Schwartz: Finish Him

you could also play this as you walk into your polling place
posted by numaner at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Suburban PA: polling places had pretty good turnout but few lines because shit be efficient there. I took my dad over to his polling place to vote despite apprehensions that we might cancel each other out. Hoping that my deprogramming had an effect.

Out further west towards Lancaster county, signs run about 99-1 Trump. Not unexpected at all; philly is deep indigo, the rurals are pure scarlet and the purple ripples where they meet are shallow.
posted by delfin at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Votecastr is totally unproven and thus should be presumed to be no better than a wild guess based on sheep entrails. They might have something accurate, or something that could be accurate with refinement, but until there's a proven track record there's no reason to think so. If they're still around for 2020, and we can judge today's results against the real totals, then they might be worth paying attention to.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I think it's similar in MA. I assume the dispensary lines will start forming tomorrow, however.

Nope:

If approved, marijuana legalization would take effect on December 15, 2016.
posted by tocts at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

We will get through this election and who whomever our president ends up being.

* DISCLAIMER: May not apply to PoC, women, LBGTQ people, Jews, Muslims, people who live in cities, anyone who makes under $250k, immigrants, Syrians, Yemeni, Ukrainians, and many others.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Here in DC, several 70-something folks commented that the lines at the polling place were the longest they could recall seeing.

Hopeful that this level of engagement and sense of mission—stop Trump!—extends from the rock-bound coast of Maine to the sunny shores of California.

Thanks, MeFi and MeFites, for making this space!
posted by the sobsister at 10:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Donny getting loudly booed at his polling place
posted by numaner at 10:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

The New York Post did not endorse a candidate. Nor did it run a non-endorsement editorial. Murdoch doesn't back losers, especially not losers who think they can take on Fox News.
posted by holgate at 10:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Things I learned today:

(1) Trump is an ASMR fiend and Jared Kushner is an ASMRtist.

"Donald J. Trump is not sleeping much these days. Aboard his gold-plated jumbo jet, the Republican nominee does not like to rest or be alone with his thoughts, insisting that aides stay up and keep talking to him. He prefers the soothing, whispery voice of his son-in-law." (via NYT)

(2) Trevor Noah has the best reading list. (also via NYT)

(3) On Election Day 2016, you can wake up two hours before your alarm, lay there for 20 minutes trying fruitlessly to fall back asleep, finally decide that if you can't sleep you might as well be the first voter in the door, arrive at your polling place at 6am on the dot, and you will still have 39 fellow insomniacs ahead of you in line.
posted by ourobouros at 10:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

A wonderful couple who have been volunteering came in today to act as greeters, dressed all in matching white for the suffragettes. They said the last time they wore their whites was for the Equal Rights Amendment. I had to take a break for a minute.
posted by QuestionableQuail at 10:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

A few deleted - we're asking that folks take food and drink and general "I'm nervous" conversation to Chat, and state-level stuff to the State level election thread.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Pollworker in SF here. Jumping to the end of the thread because this is my lunch (!) break and I don't have time to read everything yet. I will savor it later for sure, though!

We have two precincts voting at our place instead of one, so there has been a lot of confusion as we shepherd people into two lines with different address rosters. There was a line around the block when we opened at 7 a.m. and I think the longest anyone waited in line was 20 minutes -- plus, as you know, the SF ballot is gigantic this year so people are taking a loooooong time to vote.

No sign of electioneering or poll watchers yet. I had to ask one woman to cover up her Hillary buttons and one (young, skinny, white, hipster) dude to cover up his MAGA hat. No pantsuits I can recall seeing, but I will look out for them from now on (it's mostly been a rush since we opened).

We're letting all the little kids feed the ballots into the machine or drop the envelopes in the vote-by-mail box, and so far the parents are really excited to do that. We've given out so many stickers to toddlers and babes in arms that I'm seriously worried we might run out of stickers by teatime.
posted by vickyverky at 10:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Shit, now I'm worried I won't get an "I Voted" sticker if I show up at my polling place after work.
posted by SansPoint at 10:54 AM on November 8, 2016

FTR the "ballot order" explanation linked above is a decade out of date; I know the candidate-ordering rules for my state are definitely not as described there any longer.
posted by inconstant at 10:54 AM on November 8, 2016

Forgot to post this yesterday: Members of group honoring FBI boss have longtime Trump ties

FBI Director James Comey was honored Monday night by a group whose board includes several people with longtime ties to Donald Trump, including the CEO of the National Enquirer and a convicted felon who goes by the nickname "Joey No Socks."

Comey, already criticized over his handling of Hillary Clinton's email investigation in the final days of the presidential campaign, accepted the lifetime achievement award from the nonprofit Federal Drug Agents Foundation. The group lists more than three dozen board directors on its website; another was the developer of a troubled Trump-branded tower in Toronto.

I assure you that this would be the scandal of the century if a bunch of people with Clinton ties honored Comey last night.
posted by zachlipton at 10:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

I've been thinking about this a lot: one thing that this year has accomplished for me and I think a lot of other women who lead privileged upper-middle-class type lives is to give us the gift of visceral, bone-deep solidarity with people of color. I have always felt a sort of academic solidarity with PoC, like any good lifelong queer-identified feminist Democrat, but I admit sometimes my outrage at the indignities heaped upon them has been performative. Not so anymore. This election has shown to me that we have one deep and important thing in common, maybe the MOST important thing: many of the white men who have run this country for my entire life still believe they rightfully own our bodies. They do not regard any of us as fully human. They have given occasional lip service to our freedoms and rights but that was all it was. This election season has made that impossible to deny.

It has been a hard year+ of this hideous, embarrassing, dehumanizing, absurd election, losing an innocence I didn't even know I still had. But it is gone and it will never come back, and I am better for it.

Thanks Mefites for this election journey. I've been glued to these threads for months. I hope in a few hours we'll be celebrating together. But my soul is older than it used to be. I understand the fight in a way I never did before. And I don't think I'm alone.

It's weird to be thinking, "Thank you, Donald Trump," but who knows when or if the scales would have fallen from my eyes if that scum hadn't taken it upon himself to run for president. Thank you, Donald Trump. I am a sadder but wiser woman than I was in 2015.

Before this year, I'm not sure how much it would have bothered me that "brothers and sisters" as a statement of solidarity endorsed the gender binary, and now it does, and I love that. So with that in mind, I say: Onward and upward, my brothers and sisters and others, my world of siblings. Take the fight to them. I love you all.
posted by potrzebie at 10:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [65 favorites]

"My vote doesn’t matter, especially because I live in Pennsylvania..."

I guess I can understand feeling that there's no point if your candidate is definitely losing your state. But what's the deal with people, not in that circumstance, who give, as a reason for not voting, that their vote won't make a difference? Are they unaware that elections are decided by aggregate choices? It sometimes sounds like they think voting in the election would only be meaningful if it were a tie and their own individual vote were the tie-breaker. A very self-centered view of voting, which isn't actually about the ego of the voter.
posted by thelonius at 10:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

It seems to be a real lawsuit, and we find out what they want: all the ballots from four NV early voting sites to be sequestered while they challenge the votes.
posted by zachlipton at 10:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Mother Jones has created a map to log intimidation, etc. at the polls as they are reported.
posted by Bella Donna at 10:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Clark County Response to Trump Lawsuit: We're preserving the records already.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

It seems to be a real lawsuit, and we find out what they want: all the ballots from four NV early voting sites to be sequestered while they challenge the votes.

This can't work can it? The rules are pretty clear aren't they? As well as precedent.
posted by Jalliah at 11:01 AM on November 8, 2016

I thought it was perfectly clear that everyone in line at closing time gets to vote.
posted by thelonius at 11:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

From the latest on world reaction to the U.S. election:

Germany’s first female leader was speaking alongside Erna Solberg, Norway’s second female prime minister. Solberg said it “may be inspiring for many young women to see politics not just as something that belongs to men.”

But she added: “There isn’t some kind of global girlfriends network that wants to rule the world.”

But I thought I was voting for a shadowy cabal of pantsuited global girlfriends. Dang.
posted by peeedro at 11:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [49 favorites]

Yeah, this is DOA.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:03 AM on November 8, 2016

It seems to be a real lawsuit, and we find out what they want: all the ballots from four NV early voting sites to be sequestered while they challenge the votes.

This can't work can it? The rules are pretty clear aren't they? As well as precedent.

Did they find a judge that likes Trump? If so, then the above doesn't matter.
posted by selfnoise at 11:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

“There isn’t some kind of global girlfriends network that wants to rule the world.”

THERE'S NOT?!

*insert GIF of Ross Perot punching his hat*
posted by SansPoint at 11:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I agree, Kutsuwamushi, the import of casting a vote for a woman was somehow lost in all the crazy that this is a historic moment.

I dropped my mail-in ballot in the box at the polling place with my daughter, who was chagrined that she couldn't chant HIL-LA-RY inside as is her wont. I was so proud to be able to vote with her and my wife for our first woman president. (TTTCS)

And I'm sad that my grandmother, born two years before women's suffrage, passed away a few months before being able to finally cast her vote to put a woman in the White House.

To the long line of women and their allies who helped bring us to this moment, thank you!
posted by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 11:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

JFC do NOT associate the greasy cheeto with my beloved ASMR, universe, I swear to god
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I'm British, but my nine-year-old niece has just told me about a good conversation she had with her American drama teacher this evening. Niece and teacher discussed Trump being sexist and racist and HRC being A Good Thing (and that drama teacher went to the same high school as HRC). So yay to niece for talking politics with adults she doesn't know well, and yay to drama teacher for taking her seriously.
posted by paduasoy at 11:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Here's Trump's fig leaf for his inevitable "Pennsylvania was rigged" rant: Lines, polling problems greet some area voters
posted by tonycpsu at 11:05 AM on November 8, 2016

Jalliah This can't work can it? The rules are pretty clear aren't they? As well as precedent.

Regrettably precedent is that if it helps the Republican cheat his way to victory, the Republican Justices on Supreme Court will do absolutely anything. And Kennedy is, no question at all, a Republican first and everything else second. He proved that in Bush v Gore.
posted by sotonohito at 11:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I know this is such a small reason to want polling booths, but I find myself today oddly grieving the inability to go, with all of my peers, to the polls today to shout my resounding "no" to the world. My ballot is turned in, I have faith in its outcome- but I also want to be part of humanity coming out for the good today, and it's somewhat sad that I can't be a part of it, can't bring my daughter into it. She was so unimpressed by the boring sight of mom filling out the ballot at the table. Somehow I feel like I've let her down, though I know I haven't. Voting in mail states has complicated feels!
posted by corb at 11:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

These photos of a Trump-supporting phalanx in Coral Springs, FL, remind me too much of the people who gather outside Planned Parenthood facilities.
posted by holgate at 11:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Trump Team Claims A Poll Watcher Was Threatened With A Belt In Philly. Here’s What Really Happened.

Spoiler: The Trump Team is full of shit.
posted by tonycpsu at 11:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Clinton, Bon Jovi Do 'Mannequin Challenge' On Campaign Plane
posted by kirkaracha at 11:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

If you can't make it to Susan B. Anthony's grave today but are in the NYC area, Elizabeth Cady Stanton's and other suffragists' graves are still close by.

Thank you to all the people who linked to the live feed of the grave, though I can only watch in tiny doses since I keep seeing things that make me tear up.
posted by Mchelly at 11:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

They probably have a half a dozen lawsuits already in the chamber, ready to pull the trigger at the slightest hint or whiff of Something They Don't Like Which Is Legal, But They Don't Like It Anyway.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 11:11 AM on November 8, 2016

Couple deleted -- sorry, we've talked over the pros and cons of mail-in ballots in the previous thread, which got somewhat heated - probably better not to reopen the issue in here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Boy howdy, don't go there. Stop listening to CNN. Stop listening to FOX. They both have a vested, monetary interest in this race seeming close. I'd kill for some objective election coverage.
posted by Sphinx at 11:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Spoiler: The Trump Team is full of shit.

This is the spoiler to the whole DVD box set of election coverage.
posted by OmieWise at 11:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Just as a public service: we've had repeated posts of "I just want to tell you all good luck" and "Bitte nicht den Horror-Clown!" and don't really need any more. Also, my personal thanks to those of you who have been working hard to make sure der Horror-Clown does not remain to haunt our dreams, and a hearty welcome to those who have joined to share the experience!
posted by languagehat at 11:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

The 250 person line in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester New York to pay their respects at Susan B Anthony's grave.

If you're in DC, stop by Congressional Cemetery today and pay your respects to Belva Lockwood, the first female presidential candidate to appear on US ballots nationally (1884). She's in Section 7, Range 78, Site 296a, and "I voted" stickers are already appearing on her stone.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

Hours until until first poll closes: 03:46:59.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Looks like they're going all in on contesting the entire election:

@sahilkapur: From Trump's NV lawsuit. Seems like he's laying the groundwork to contest the result, and thus refuse to concede.

@frankthorp: Trump Deputy Campaign Director to @HallieJackson RE: NV lawsuit: "Whether this is the only one or one of many I have no idea."

posted by zombieflanders at 11:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

How to Abuse The Passive Voice, By David Brooks

David Brooks is fretting about American morality again -- and deftly deploying the passive voice to avoid blaming people who deserve blame. [...]
That would be progress and even inspiring, but -- maybe because of the candidate who is leading it -- the working-class revolt has been laced with bigotry, anti-Semitism, class hatred, misogyny and authoritarianism that has further rent the American fabric.
That's right: Working-class whites have been victimized by all these forces, but the result is that their revolt "has been laced" with hatred for all the groups allegedly gaining at whites' expense. So who's doing the lacing, David? Brooks won't say, because he's in romanticizing-the-proles mode and doesn't want to assess blame. To the extent he'll name a culprit, he blames Trump -- as if the crowds responding to Trump's hatemongering are deeply pained by it rather than cheering it on. [...]
Most disturbing, all of this has been greeted with moral numbness.
"Has been greeted" by whom, David? Not by liberals, Democrats, or even disaffected Republican moderate women. The people who've greeted this with moral numbness have been Trump's base, as well as members of the Republican establishment who either don't worry about any of this or are biting their tongues in the hope that Trump will sign all their Kochite bills if he reaches the Oval Office.

posted by tonycpsu at 11:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

Regrettably precedent is that if it helps the Republican cheat his way to victory, the Republican Justices on Supreme Court will do absolutely anything.

Good news! With Scalia's seat still empty the most the Republicans can do is to force a 4-4 tie that would uphold the appeals court's decision. And the appeals court in charge of Nevada is the notoriously non-Republican 9th Circuit.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Boy howdy, don't go there. Stop listening to CNN. Stop listening to FOX. They both have a vested, monetary interest in this race seeming close. I'd kill for some objective election coverage.

The networks coverage of the election has been deplorable... But if they are artificially keeping it sound close, that might help foster greater voter turnout - which is a good thing for Hillary. So I'm kind of okay with their crappy reporting in this instance.
posted by el io at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Voting report from Midtown Memphis: Short line, but they were out of stickers when I voted. A poll worker said they had asked for more stickers. 48% of the approximately 4,000 voters registered at our precinct voted early.
posted by vibrotronica at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016

Trump's campaign can contest whatever they want. The networks are tired of his shit. They are going to call the election tonight.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Actual Talking Points Memo headline:

Christie Quietly Casts Vote For Trump In The Dark
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

This Astronaut Voted from Space. What's Your Excuse?
posted by octothorpe at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

More on the NV case:

@MNailey: Suit wants the machines *quarantined* i.e. not counted tonight according to Pete Williams.

I doubt they'll get their way, though.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Am now waiting for a Billy Bragg / Joe Henry gig to start here in the U.K. before heading home to pull an all-nighter watching the votes come in.

I have a suspicion Billy and Joe may have some thoughts on the election. If so will share.
posted by garius at 11:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Trump Team Claims A Poll Watcher Was Threatened With A Belt In Philly. Here’s What Really Happened.

I was hoping to see a Pooty Tang impersonator busting up some Trump brownshirts, but I'm fine with this too.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

When I was a kid, my great aunt told me to read up on suffragettes and the entire movement. She was born in 1911. They had to make a constitutional amendment so she could vote.

I am proud as fuck to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton. This one's for you, Dorothy.
posted by Sphinx at 11:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

And the appeals court in charge of Nevada is the notoriously non-Republican 9th Circuit.

Speaking of which... This is why the Republicans obstruction of Federal judges is so insidious.
posted by drezdn at 11:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My uber-conservative aunt posted this just now. It's like a window into deep evangelical crazy:

The Christian Choice for 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:17 AM on November 8, 2016

Actual Talking Points Memo headline:

Christie Quietly Casts Vote For Trump In The Dark

The piece reads the best with Springsteen's "State Trooper" playing in the background.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Good news! With Scalia's seat still empty the most the Republicans can do is to force a 4-4 tie that would uphold the appeals court's decision.

Unless RGB is obliged to recuse herself for publicly discussing the election this summer (and essentially saying what most decent people were thinking). That's why Hill's opponent was going on and on about her -- to lay the groundwork for that.
posted by mochapickle at 11:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Today's fun election tweet from Anne Coulter:

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

On the flip side, neither Trump nor Melania would qualify as worthwhile voters.
posted by pangolin party at 11:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

This morning my alarm clock went off at 6am and it was dark and storming and cold. My husband wasn't in bed but I just snoozed twice.
Suddenly, bursting in from the bathroom comes my husband marching and giving salutes, singing some song about voting and 'merica and pulling my arms out of bed. I was the one that suggested we get up that early to go vote and he cringed at it the night before. The tables were turned.
I can pridefully say, thanks to his enthusiasm, I was the very first ballot received at the Bayles Elementary School in Dallas, TX. He was the second.
Straight democratic ticket. It was a strangely cathartic feeling.
posted by hillabeans at 11:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [61 favorites]

Obama really waiting until the last possible moment to declare a national state of emergency, cancel the election, rule as dictator.
posted by andoatnp at 11:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [81 favorites]

I thought it was perfectly clear that everyone in line at closing time gets to vote.

A Twitter comment on the lawsuit speculates that they may intend to argue that this only applies to Election Day, in the statute.
posted by thelonius at 11:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

How many biological grandparents does Ann Coulter think it's possible to have?
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [70 favorites]

I decided to escape the US election frenzy and election anxiety by carefully planning my annual family visit to Canada for this week, it was supposed to be an enjoyable respite and break from the insanity.

Instead, I am hiding in my room right now while my mother is watching CBC TV, they are doing wall-to-wall election coverage. I told her that I had specifically come up to Canada to avoid media coverage, and she just shrugs, and says, well, we are interested in the election too.

Last night, my sister and brother-in-law with their two teenagers came over, and not only are they obsessed with the election, but my brother-in-law is deeply into conspiracy theories, such as: the election is rigged, and Clinton has been working with ISIS. Also, this zinger, "of course the culture at large is sexist, but there is absolutely no sexism directed at Clinton, that is all made up".

At the best of times, my family is not easy.

Folks, I just don't know if I am going to make it. Thank you for being here.
posted by nanook at 11:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Obama really waiting until the last possible moment to declare a national state of emergency, cancel the election, rule as dictator.

Also he's really been lazy about taking all our guns.
posted by dis_integration at 11:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [45 favorites]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

How many grandparents do people even have?
My grandmother was born in Norway in 1891. She came to America in 1905. So I'm to be disenfranchised?
posted by thelonius at 11:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

On the flip side, neither Trump nor Melania would qualify as worthwhile voters.

Neither would any of their children or grandchildren, unless Tiffany has a kid.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

All four of my grandparents were born in the United States, and it doesn't mean a damn thing about the legitimacy of my vote or anyone else's.

However, I vote we all never listen to Ann Coulter ever again.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 11:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

Well here's hoping that Clinton does so well that they can fight Nevada for as long as they want and it wouldn't make a difference anyways.
posted by Jalliah at 11:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

How many biological grandparents does Ann Coulter think it's possible to have?

There's the seed of a great horror short story here.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

56% 17% 83%: Why These Out-Of-Context Numbers Just Gave You An Anxiety Attack [The Onion]
posted by drezdn at 11:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Blocking Ann Coulter on Twitter earlier this year continues to pay dividends.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Unless RGB is obliged to recuse herself

No one can make a Justice recuse herself. She's the only arbiter of whether she should or not.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

On behalf of my Nisei grandparents (as well as the two whose ancestors have been here since before the Revolutionary War), FUCK. YOU.
posted by sunset in snow country at 11:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide.

What strikes me about this is that it would take out a bunch of older white people but not so many African-Americans and fewer Latinos that she probably thinks. So even as a racist bid, it doesn't really help.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

"...at least 4 grandparents..."

Coulter slipped. She referred to her own Agarinthian genetics rather than our human genetics. She makes a slip like that once every couple years.
posted by gurple at 11:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [31 favorites]

Courtesy of Metachat, this awesome clip of President Obama explaining yesterday in NH to a Hillary crowd where "Fired up! Ready to go!" came from. And now I am!
posted by bearwife at 11:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

State of the University of Pittsburgh Campus Report:

I took a tour of the three voting locations on campus near my office. All seems well--bustling and short lines but no long lines indicative of the fuckery that took place in previous years when Republican poll watchers challenged every student trying to vote and held up the lines for hours. No candy distribution is necessary. (I'm pretty sure I saw pizza distribution already happening at one anyway.)

I'm glad I got an "I Voted" sticker because there are canvassers on literally every corner asking every person who walks past whether they voted or not yet. There are three Hillary tables set up distributing stickers and signs and information. There are taco trucks outside one of the polling stations.

Everyone's out with their Hillary/Kaine and I Voted stickers.

No sign of the Trump Youth that were plaguing campus last week. Not even a whiff. Good riddance, fuckers.

I am not getting a single thing done at work today.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

*Gollum bites the finger off an undecided voter and it falls on the Hillary Clinton button*

-- Matthew Baldwin on twitter
posted by straight at 11:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Livestream of the Nevada hearing on Trump's suit. So far the judge seems skeptical
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Voted this morning with Baby Kitty. We walked to the polling place in Philly (about a block from our house) decked out in our finest closest thing to a pant suit I own and his Hillary Onesie. So excited to vote! There was barely anyone at the polls when I went (about 9:30 am) but it's never really busy in my neck of the woods.

My older sister wore one of my grandmother's pantsuits to the polls this morning with her 3 daughters. My grandmother passed away this June, so it was a tribute to her to wear it.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 11:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

Livestream of the Las Vegas hearing
posted by porn in the woods at 11:27 AM on November 8, 2016

I've been calling myself a EuroMutt for years. Irish, Scottish, English, German and something Eastern Europe-ish. I had four grandparents, and all but one came over on a boat.

I wish I could vote twice.
posted by Sphinx at 11:27 AM on November 8, 2016

The best thing about the 4 grandparents rule is that in Ann's fantasy it's not a qualifying factor for running for president... just for voting. Turnip could run but not vote for himself.
posted by Behemoth at 11:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

"I decided to escape the US election frenzy and election anxiety by carefully planning my annual family visit to Canada for this week, it was supposed to be an enjoyable respite and break from the insanity."

In my case, I was setting up an appointment with my tattoo artist who is booked months in advance. I chose tonight at 9:30 PM because it was the first time available after a busy wedding reception weekend, etc. - it didn't occur to me at the time that a random Tuesday night in November might have any significance.

So hey, at least I have an hour's worth of incessant buzzing and moderate discomfort coming up soon to help distract me from the ... uh ... incessant buzzing and moderate discomfort that I'm already experiencing. It's a fair trade, I think.
posted by komara at 11:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

No one can make a Justice recuse herself. She's the only arbiter of whether she should or not.

Nods. But I think their strategy was to make enough noise to encourage her to do so.
posted by mochapickle at 11:28 AM on November 8, 2016

I typed this up late last night. Here is as good a place as any for it:

First Thoughts on Election Day
My one year-old daughter isn't the only one having trouble sleeping early on election day. Like a lot of people, I find myself frustrated about this election cycle, and uneasy about some of the potential outcomes. I'm particularly worried about the polarization I've seen, and what that might mean for our future.

I keep thinking about a series of long discussion I had a few years ago with two friends of mine. They're smart people, but pretty hardcore libertarians, and I couldn't figure out why these smart people seemed to hold very different views than I did on some very important issues. So I proposed a sort of fireside chat series; long nights spent in front of a chiminea (it was fall, probably about this time of year) with beers and loooong political discussions.

I expected we were all pretty socially liberal, and that was mostly right, though their brand of socially liberal was (is?) even more hands-off than mine, extending to entertaining the notion that the government should stay out of all vice regulation altogether, etc.

Our big divide was economic. Their first principles for what a government should do, as best as I understood them, was that on the whole, people should not use "force" against each other. Force, on a basic level, meant that we shouldn't kill each other or steal from each other. The government's job, then, is to keep people from exerting force on each other. To maintain a police force, then, and maybe a military, was about as far as it goes. And to do those things it needs to tax its people, but because taxation is a form of force (the government taking money that rightfully belongs to the citizens) it should be as minimal as possible, and the government should therefore do as little as possible as to require the smallest possible amount of tax. (I hope I've done as much justice to their ideals as can be done in a one-paragraph summary).

My baseline idea for what a government should do is different. It's tougher to distill into first principles, but it generally boils down to the stance that in a first-world country where there is enough collective wealth and enough collective resources to provide food, shelter, and health care to everybody, then providing basic food, shelter, and health care (along with the necessities like physical protection) should be society's goal, and government is the best option (albeit flawed) for providing those things.

This is a Very Big Divide, and in no universe does my ideal political candidate look like theirs. But our discussions never got personal, and nobody got angry, thanks to a mutual respect and a mutual understanding that everyone was engaging in the discussion in good faith.
These days I feel like there is hardly ever any mutual respect when people are engaging in a political discussion from opposite sides of the spectrum, and hardly ever a presumption the other side is engaging in good faith. I worry a lot about the trend of the alt-right's attacks on "media bias," and some people's rejection of any news source that doesn't come from the alt-right. It's difficult to even have a serious discussion when both sides can't agree to a shared set of facts or authoritative sources.

I don't think there are any easy solutions to this; it's even less likely I'll come up with any at 1am on election day. I can only say that I'm going to try to continue and engage in good faith in discussions with people whose views are different than mine, and hope others do the same.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

My uber-conservative aunt posted this just now. It's like a window into deep evangelical crazy:

Dear Lord, if it be Your Will, please teach Your wordy believers that brevity is the soul of wit. I ask this in Your Name, Amen.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 11:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Save a few of those "I Voted" stickers for the African-American Suffragists who struggled.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

Another charmer: man in Kiss outfit, Trump face & hat chants Trump's name as man arrested for sign placement
posted by porn in the woods at 11:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

That Deadspin post... ugh. From the comments:

“Voting is fine, but it’s not enough about me. How can I make it less about other people and more about my perception of myself?”

Thank heavens for the women on this site, the men are the worst.

That same "it's all about me and my individual choice" view of politics that's being exhibited by most of the members of the Deadspin staff reminded me of this comment from an LGM post yesterday:

And to put a very specific edge on it: voting is an act of collective power. Talk about whether an individual vote “matters” or what an individual vote is trying to “express” misses the reality that votes aren’t supposed to do ANYTHING in the singular.

And this is where I blame small l-liberalism from the 18th century on down for insisting that voting was an exercise of individual reason, intuiting out what was the empirically correct decision from a position of disinterested patriotic virtue. That’s always been bollocks. A political system in which the individual vote matters is an autocracy or, at best, an aristocracy.

Whereas democracy is supposed to be about the demos making collective decisions, which requires organization, forming coalitions, hashing out agendas. And contrary to the small-l liberals’ intense fear of group political activity, this is a good thing. Political parties, not individual voters, are well-suited to both organize power in useful ways and to really think about politcal problems.

posted by tonycpsu at 11:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

@Wendy6141217
@BoyGeorge Im getting up to vote at 6:15am. Do you mind if I write your name in for president?

@BoyGeorge Retweeted Wendy Woodard
Yes. It's Hillary Clinton.
posted by chris24 at 11:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [159 favorites]

Alleged Pimp, and known wire tapper James O'Keefe's Project Veritas has a site where anyone can report 'voter fraud.' There's no captcha on it.
posted by drezdn at 11:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

Oh hey, it me, and my whitebread "real America" ~~ass~~ pussy still wouldn't vote for him in a million years. Go home, Coulter.
posted by phunniemee at 11:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Time to vote. And now, I must ask myself, have I done everything, tried my best, have I given it my all mocking Republicans on Twitter?
posted by andoatnp at 11:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

HFA staffer's surprise proposal
posted by rewil at 11:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting

Deep irony here: my paternal grandfather, a Russian Jew, fled the country to escape the 25 year military conscription for Jews, and when he got here, he learned English and eventually put himself through medical school. Eventually he married my maternal grandmother, a first generation citizen whose own parents had left Russia and come to the USA to establish a successful business. And even more deeply ironical, my maternal grandmother, a child psychiatrist, and my maternal grandfather, a physician and former professor of medicine at the University of Vienna, fled to this country from Austria to escape Hitler and the Holocaust, shortly after my maternal grandfather was fired for being a Jew.

Too bad we are not a family who represents what is best and most wonderful about the USA, huh?
posted by bearwife at 11:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Live stream of the Nevada hearing. Judge, just a second ago: "aren't you skipping like 70 steps?"
posted by theodolite at 11:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Judge is beyond skeptical, she just cut Trump's lawyer off mid sentence and told him to have a seat.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

@DukeStJournal

Judge is stuttering in disbelief at Trump lawyer. "What. Are. You. Asking. For." Not going great for the plaintiffs.
posted by kingless at 11:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

@ddale8:

Man. Trump, just now, falsely claims that people voting Republican are having their votes switched to Democrats

There were allegations of such vote-switching. When authorities investigated, they found that the voters themselves had messed up.

Impossible to overstate how unusual and alarming this is - a presidential candidate is insisting the election is fraudulent *during* voting.

posted by zombieflanders at 11:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

Another charmer: man in Kiss outfit, Trump face & hat chants Trump's name as man arrested for sign placement

If you look closely, that guy looks a lot like David Duke. Who, if you Google him, is himself looking like a cross between Carrot Top and David Icke these days.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@ChelseaClinton:
One of the greatest honors of my life was voting for you today mom. As always, I'm beyond proud of you
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [84 favorites]

Donella Wilson casts ballot for Hillary Clinton Donella was born in 1909. Her parents were born slaves.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [89 favorites]

Judge is stuttering in disbelief at Trump lawyer. "What. Are. You. Asking. For." Not going great for the plaintiffs.

My favorite bit is that Trump's lawyers demands the state pay them for the suit.
posted by drezdn at 11:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Forgot to post this yesterday: Members of group honoring FBI boss have longtime Trump ties

I thought we decided in the last thread it is because they only know the single windsor.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

Donella was born in 1909. Her parents were born slaves.

Ironically enough, this is the reason that African-American voters are more likely to have 4 grandparents born in the US than, say, your average Trump voter.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [89 favorites]

Checking in as another long-time (over a decade now!) lurker who was finally inspired by the election threads to join!

I figure here is as good a place as any to share a relevant song that has been running through my head since the primaries began- Ghetto Manifesto by The Coup, featuring the lyrics:

Met Donald Trump and he froze up
Standing on his Bentley yelling "Pimps down, hoes up"

I'm proud to stand with all the Bad Hombres and Nasty Women out there who will be doing just that today. Thank you to everyone who has put in their time, money, sweat and tears this year to make this country a better place for all of us!
posted by Deutscheben at 11:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Jim Geraghty at the National Review did an analysis of @RalstonReports assessment that Trump has basically lost Nevada. TL;DR - Trump's in big trouble.

Does Hillary Clinton Already Have Nevada Locked Up?

"In other words, the broad contours of Ralston’s argument are hard to dispute. Democrats walk into Election Day with roughly the same advantage in registered turnout in the early vote that they had in 2012, and that year they won overall by about 6 percentage points. Trump needs an unbelievable performance among Election Day voters and a lot of crossovers and to win among independents by a solid margin. It’s a tall, tall order."
posted by chris24 at 11:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

It was as close to town hall as I could get. PokePAC in action! I'll do another after work if I can. Poke To The Polls! Go vote, then get a sticker and catch pokemon! Why not? It's a beautiful day!
posted by jermsplan at 11:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Katy Tur was poking really hard at Ghouliani. He's not a happy camper.
posted by Talez at 11:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

My wife voted this morning and reported no line, so I brought my son in to vote on the way to school. On the way there, he told me about a story his teacher had read at school, about a "person with brown skin" (his words) who was barred from voting because he could not answer tough questions or read very difficult words. I explained that there used to be lots of rules that were intended only to block people from voting, that a long time ago only white men who owned houses could vote, and that we have changed the rules so that everyone could help decide how our country should be run. He said that was good, because it was wrong to tell people they could not vote. I agreed.

I walked him through the process, including reminding him that we don't discuss our vote choices out loud at the polling place. He watched as I was verified to vote and I pointed out a woman registering to vote on site. He listened to the ballot instructions and talked with me quietly as I filled in the ovals, then he got to see me feed the ballot into the machine. He then picked up an "I Voted" sticker to wear to school.

The line at his school (a polling place, but not OUR polling place) was enormous - stretching down the hall and out the door. Many coworkers reporting long lines as well. Friends on Facebook reporting lines in other states. The rhetoric has been nasty this election but perhaps it is getting more people out to vote.

The important thing about a participatory democracy is that people actually participate. I'm glad I was able to show my son how it works. I'm glad that there was no conflict at our polling place. I'm glad that my part is over, and I'm hopeful that tomorrow will have a brighter outlook. We'll see.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [41 favorites]

From livestream, NV lawyer says early voting is different, and you don't have to be in line by the time the poll is scheduled to close to vote. if there's a line there you can join it. Election day is different.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Clark County attorney admitted the end of the line procedure was not followed, but that early voting is different, and does not have the same hard cutoff as on Election day itself. She says if the line still exists, new voters could join it after the poll closed.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Metafilter, a big part of me wants to spend today in my pajamas eating junk, getting high and loading new comments here. I'm going to go out for my second round of canvassing instead. All I really regret is sweating out my Hillary shirt yesterday, leaving it too stank to wear today. I'll have to go with the Superman shirt instead, and hope that folks take it as a symbol of my strong support of immigration's vital role in American greatness.
posted by EatTheWeek at 11:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Talez: "Katy Tur was poking really hard at Ghouliani. He's not a happy camper."

Link please?
posted by boo_radley at 11:40 AM on November 8, 2016

Oh snap, "You still somehow think you're entitled to an order in your favor". This hearing is over.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [45 favorites]

Judge is stuttering in disbelief at Trump lawyer. "What. Are. You. Asking. For." Not going great for the plaintiffs.

'Your honor, I move for a "bad court thingy."'
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [77 favorites]

Christ. If Trump really is trying to throw the election through lawsuits on the day of voting itself, I am going to come over there and get citizenship just so I can vote against every person who had anything to do with the man I possibly can for the rest of my life.
posted by Devonian at 11:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Oh snap, "You still somehow think you're entitled to an order in your favor". This hearing is over.

And he wept, for there were no more worlds to fail to conquer.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 11:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Link please?

I wish I could. I was watching live on an iPad.
posted by Talez at 11:42 AM on November 8, 2016

I hadn't realized until just now that this is Chelsea Clinton's first chance to vote for one of her parents for president. She was just 16 in 1996.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [41 favorites]

thank you for the link, tonycpsu, always glad to find another columnist who loathes David Brooks.
posted by emjaybee at 11:43 AM on November 8, 2016

Partial loose transcript of NV judge talking to Trump lawyer:

"I'm sure you wouldn't do this... but it sounds like the vision is... these are people who give up their time, or they're people who are citizens who believe in the right to vote... It's disturbing to me to think that those individuals might be harassed."

"There will be no harrassment."

"How can you tell me that? Have you watched Twitter? Have you watched any cable news? There are trolls. ... Why would I order them to make information available to you about people who are at polls .. so that those people can be harassed..."
posted by tonycpsu at 11:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [68 favorites]

My grandfather was born in China because his father was a Christian missionary at the time. Why does Ann Coulter want to disenfranchise the families of white Christians?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 11:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Haha, holy shit, this judge is asking (paraphrased) "why should I give you the information on these polling workers? Have you watched Twitter?" She's concerned about them being harassed for doing their duty.
posted by yasaman at 11:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

The Nevada Judge called out Team Trump for wanting the list of poll workers for the purpose of harassment! Wow!
posted by Yowser at 11:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

@ncnaacp: *BREAKING NEWS, Durham County Board of Elections voting unanimously to extend the voting hours 1.5 [hrs?]. We're calling on @NCSBE to honor this
posted by zombieflanders at 11:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

Ever wonder what happens to the guy who came in last at his law school? He's wasting a judge's time in Nevada right now. Watch live.

She's not having their shenanigans about making the poll workers name public. "Have you seen the internet?!?"
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [37 favorites]

HFA staffer's surprise proposal

I'm supposed to be working not crying.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It is so fucking mindboggling, still, that one of the two major political parties in this country is willfully staking out the position that we want as few people as possible to vote. African-American voter turnout in NC is down? Great, let's brag about it in a press release! People in Nevada were trying to vote early? No! They should have been turned away and disenfranchised, because the hours we wrote down are more important that the right of an American citizen to vote. Because somehow that's what would be fair. It's stunning! I just can't imagine taking one of those positions and not having at least a momentary "are we the baddies?" realization.
posted by penduluum at 11:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [64 favorites]

Man did they encounter the wrong judge.
posted by selfnoise at 11:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [46 favorites]

Wow, is this going to be over today? I can't do another 2000.
posted by Sphinx at 11:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Judge is doing a terrific job of shutting down Trump's lawyer on his intimidation tactic.
posted by Twain Device at 11:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

We finally got through to vote after almost an hour in line. Apparently their computer system was having issues with the way our precinct was split. Depending on where you live in the precinct you got one of two ever so slightly different ballots. When asked "is there a paper fallback if the computers go down?" the poll workers just shook their heads sadly. Software testing! It's important!

Mini zrail was quite the trooper, aided in part by silent Veggie Tales in line. By the time we finally got our ballots she was too tired to watch me fill in the Hillary/Tim bubble, but I'll be able to tell her she was there when it happened.
posted by zrail at 11:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

This is why elections matter. Because they get you a judge who knows what the internet is and what happens there.
posted by zachlipton at 11:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [83 favorites]

Ever wonder what happens to the guy who came in last at his law school? He's wasting a judge's time in Nevada right now. Watch live.

Every time he interrupts the judge, I wish, for his sake, that he'd be struck mute.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I just drank three pints of strong beer at lunch. Not sure if I should continue drinking or take a nap. Encountered an old man who suggested that getting drunk was the point of Election Day.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Uh oh, she just killed the live stream.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wow, is this going to be over today? I can't do another 2000.

It's unlikely the margin will be close enough that we will need every state's results to come in to know who won.

But it won't be over today. Trump will be filing lawsuits in every state he loses, and we'll have to deal with that bullshit. But likely it won't make a difference.
posted by dis_integration at 11:49 AM on November 8, 2016

Here's a livestream that works.
posted by melissasaurus at 11:50 AM on November 8, 2016

Not my live stream. http://www.lasvegasnow.com/breaking-live-news
posted by craven_morhead at 11:50 AM on November 8, 2016

Here's Shirley Chisholm's grave. People are visiting Susan B. Anthony, but save Shirley a thought too - 1st woman to receive electoral vote.
posted by octothorpe at 11:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [57 favorites]

Every time he interrupts the judge, I wish, for his sake, that he'd be struck mute.

Nah, let him earn his contempt charge.
posted by Mitrovarr at 11:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

I hope the motherfucker gets billed for all this bullshit for bullshits sake.
posted by Artw at 11:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Holy shit that moment when she ordered the camera to stop, they all turned to stare and the camera started zooming out...haha! The stream didn't stop though so it must've been a different camera.
posted by acidic at 11:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Is there a transcript of the Nevada court hearing?
posted by StrawberryPie at 11:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

This poor judge, though. Every single word of this is going to be examined and obsessed-over for years by conspiracy theorists.
posted by acidic at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I want as many people as possible to vote, even if they don't vote the same way as me. I believe the more we participate the better our system is.

Only 9% of America Chose Trump and Clinton as the Nominees. I wonder how many of the people saying "Worst. Candidates. Ever." didn't get off their asses and do something about their choice?

I'm delighted with Clinton and disgusted by Trump. And I voted in the primaries.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

NV Judge, "I'm not going to issue any order"
posted by craven_morhead at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I want the Rick and Morty treatment of Nevada judge.
posted by drezdn at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

This is an epic smackdown by the judge. The executive summary of her judgment is: SRSLY WTF
posted by mcstayinskool at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

There's Now A Garbage Truck 'Fortress' Protecting Trump Tower
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad that I know Donald Trump is going to stiff this bozo arguing on his behalf right now.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [40 favorites]

The lawyer is now attempting the "just having this hearing was a victory, so I win" technique.
posted by penduluum at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

This poor judge, though. Every single word of this is going to be examined and obsessed-over for years by conspiracy theorists.

I'm getting the feeling she can handle it.

Nasty woman getting shit done!
posted by mudpuppie at 11:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [45 favorites]

Here in the Bluegrass state we can't buy booze until the polls close.

Saints preserve us!
posted by uncleozzy at 11:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting....

Yeah, well, that disenfranchises me: my father (who served in the US Navy for 32 years) and three of my grandparents were all immigrants. Which also means my nephews --- an Army soldier and a Marine --- are also disenfranchised. And while I do have that one born-here grandfather, his mother was an immigrant.... in fact, looking through over two hundred years of my family in this country, not one single person has, according to Ann Coulter, ever been qualified to cast a vote.

Up yours, Annie baby.
posted by easily confused at 11:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

There's Now A Garbage Truck 'Fortress' Protecting Trump Tower

E Tu Naked Cowboy!
posted by drezdn at 11:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

The lawyer is now attempting the "just having this hearing was a victory, so I win" technique.

It was a fishing expedition and the judge shut that shit right down. They just want something to scream "rigged!" about.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

And as Salon points out, the "two historically unpopular candidates" meme discounts Hills' 60+ percent approval ratings as Secretary of State.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

I thought I was too late to request an absentee ballot, but in the nick of time yesterday my husband realized we weren't. I faxed ours in about an hour ago. #turnlouisianapurple?
posted by Night_owl at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

The lawyer is now attempting the "just having this hearing was a victory, so I win" technique.

"It was an honor just to be eviscerated." [fake]
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

That lawyer did terrible job for me so I have no obligation to pay them for doing such a bad job. - DJT /fake
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Taking a meal break in Ward 5 of Manchester, NH, which I picked for containing some of the poorest and least Anglo neighborhoods in town.

People here are very receptive to the idea of voting Democratic, it's just a matter of getting them turned out.

Also, I know people are justifiably skeptical of Votecastr, but it currently shows Clinton with significant leads in all listed states: FL, IA, NV, NH, OH, and PA. Probably just a sign of shy Trump voters, though. I know I would be.
posted by Coventry at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

In case people aren't clear on precisely what form of awful this is, she's repeating die Nürnberger Gesetze here. She wants only the equivalent of Deutschblütiger to be able to vote, ie people with 4 ~~German~~ American grandparents. And not those nasty Mischlings or Jude.
posted by Justinian at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [44 favorites]

Trump will eventually sue Reality. He'll lose that suit, too, but not before Justice dies on the witness stand under cross-examination by state's attorney, Pyrrhus.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Protip for any lawyer: Do. Not. Interrupt. A. Judge. Ever.

I'll slightly disagree. Interrupt a judge once. She'll give you the smile and nod then refute the living crap out of your argument. Wear the softer shoes, they hold sweat better.
posted by Sphinx at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

"If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide."

In case people aren't clear on precisely what form of awful this is, she's repeating die Nürnberger Gesetze here. She wants only the equivalent of Deutschblütiger to be able to vote, ie people with 4 German American grandparents. And not those nasty Mischlings or Jude.

but like - who has more than 4 (biological)grandparents?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

A friend of mine posted that his daughter's school is not only having an election today, but that the children had to register to vote several weeks ago. Teaching them young!
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Shout out to anyone voting in the Illinois 7th Congressional District!

Dirty Seventh! Whut WHUT!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Apparently no votes for whitebread Canadian-Americans like myself, either. My dad's not even American.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It occurs to me that Coulter's rule would disqualify a lot of the proud Trumpist readers of the Boston Herald, but if the Irish and Italians of the Boston suburbs ever contemplate her words, I will eat a bug.
posted by Countess Elena at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2016

I've told this story before but back in 2004 I knew a 4 year old who declared that while they knew Bush was bad they still preferred Bush to Kerry because -- and I quote -- Bush had a round head and Kerry's was too square.
posted by spitbull at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

@JYSexton
Arizona high schoolers just walked out to protest Trump and Joe Arpaio. It's about time we expunge this intolerance and idiocy.

Live video and tweets from local ABC station.
posted by melissasaurus at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

Point made on the repulsive "grandparents" thing; Coulter is a troll, maybe we can let that drop. For food and drink commentary, head over to Chat please.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

There's Now A Garbage Truck 'Fortress' Protecting Trump Tower

Is the garbage on fire
posted by emjaybee at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [61 favorites]

RIGHT NOW
North high school students walkout in Phoenix to canvass for votes on foot and they have a giant Arpaio effigy rolling with them!
On MSNBC live on scene right now a kid popped up behind the correspondent and yelled "FUCKJOEARPAIO!"
Good luck with that 3-second delay MSNBC. These kids aren't interested in filtering themselves
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [40 favorites]

NyDaily NewsFlorida Trump volunteer pepper-sprays Clinton supporter who shouted at her outside polling site

Seems less like intimidation more like fights breaking out. But, stay safe folks, don't get drawn in
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

If he has a concession speech, he didn't write it, he hasn't read it, and it won't survive 2 seconds at the podium. He may not even take the stage at all. Is that unprecedented?

It's rigged, of course. He's taking it to court.[real in a few hours]. He will blame everyone but himself. Hackers. Fraud. The FBI. The moon. A witch cursed him.

I'm going to hear it, it'll be unavoidable if you follow the news. In my fantasy he takes the podium and says 'I am a loser' and walks away and that's the last thing he ever says in public.
posted by adept256 at 12:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

My favorite bit is that Trump's lawyers demands the state pay them for the suit.

Well, it's not like Trump's going to pay them.
posted by Tabitha Someday at 12:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Probably just a sign of shy Trump voters, though.

Actually, it seems that the votecastr methodology involves no exit polling at all, just inference from voter numbers and locations...
posted by Coventry at 12:07 PM on November 8, 2016

A friend of mine posted that his daughter's school is not only having an election today, but that the children had to register to vote several weeks ago. Teaching them young!

Surely some cast absentee ballots and then skipped class?
posted by Kabanos at 12:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Seems less like intimidation more like fights breaking out.

More like criminal assault breaking out.
posted by thelonius at 12:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Economic anxiety. We need to empathize and work with these people.

@robtned
One of @realDonaldTrump 's volunteer "observers" outside a Columbus polling place this morning [pic]

TL;DClick - a man wearing a Put the White Back in the White House.
posted by chris24 at 12:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm still having a really tough time with the whole "Trump would only win if X couldn't vote' (last discussion that was disenfranchising women)." bit. Fuck that right in the ear.
posted by Sphinx at 12:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

There's Now A Garbage Truck 'Fortress' Protecting Trump Tower

It'll be nice to see Trump lose in the city he oozed from.
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The kids are all right
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

You would think, with computerized balloting, the candidates for every voting location in the state could be stored, so you could vote anywhere, and get served up the proper slates. Or, at least, the same idea within a given county.

That's how early voting works in Florida at the county level. I got on line about 6pm the first night of early vote and was herded through ID check (iPads capturing if info and checking against rolls, electronic register signing), sent to a spot to have my ballot printed out, then sent to color in my lines for voting. In Florida its draw an arrow. If memory serves, I could have taken a ballot selfie by about 6:50pm.

This morning I sent the kids in to a local poll place with our extra candy and they came back with "voted" stickers. #GettingRiggyWithIt
posted by tilde at 12:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Josh Marshall @JoshTPM: Trump's Razor: Lawyer who brought the Nevada case is a construction litigator.

The mind boggles.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

I'm going to hear it, it'll be unavoidable if you follow the news. In my fantasy he takes the podium and says 'I am a loser' and walks away and that's the last thing he ever says in public.

I'm hoping he rips off his toupee like Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor at the end of the first Superman movie.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

If the Drumpster proceeds to file suits concerning various voting things around the country, who has to pay for it? The NV comments suggest that the lawyer will get stiffed as per previous contractor statements, but what exactly are the possible economic hits this will have on the Orange Rebellion's campaign funds? Can he afford all this nonsense?
posted by njohnson23 at 12:09 PM on November 8, 2016

NyDaily NewsFlorida Trump volunteer pepper-sprays Clinton supporter who shouted at her outside polling site

Ah, Florida.
As a Floridian, I wish that some of my fellow citizens would grow the fuck up, but on the other hand, they are just so damn entertaining. It's not an election without a little bit of Florida. We're like the saffron of crazy; a little bit goes a long way.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 12:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Billy Bush Embarrassed Trump a Year Before the Bus Tape

The pathological giggler followed the billionaire as he kept failing to vote.
...
He voted. "At least you can say The Trumpster didn't give up," he assured us. Let the record show that, at least for a moment, Donald Trump tried to make "The Trumpster" happen.

posted by kirkaracha at 12:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

A friend of mine posted that his daughter's school is not only having an election today, but that the children had to register to vote several weeks ago. Teaching them young!

Surely some cast absentee ballots and then skipped class?

Sadly, the monkey bars don't open until the polls close.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Hillary's ground game is on point here in battleground Colorado. So far, in addition to the usual campaign emails, I have gotten:

- Four phone calls in Sept/Oct re: my intention to vote and info on volunteering
- A caller asking if I was heading to Hillary's rally in Pueblo
- An early canvasser in October confirming my intention to vote
- Both a canvasser and a caller on Saturday (I promised I'd drop my ballot that day and I did)
- JUST NOW: A followup email to confirm my voting location

From Hillary's opponent, I have gotten two glossy cardstock mailers focusing on the ISIS threat, which I promptly threw into the recycling.

I actually disconnected my landline this fall to stop the relentless robocalls I get every election. Living in a red county, they're all fire and brimstone and guns guns guns, and there's no way to make them stop.
posted by mochapickle at 12:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I know Trump is known for stiffing people, but would he really stiff a lawyer? Seems like a bigly mistake.
posted by drezdn at 12:11 PM on November 8, 2016

@painted_eel:
my son is voting for the first time i'm so proud
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Useless trivia: Hillary will break a 24 year streak of the president not being a grandparent. The last grandparent president was Bush Sr.
posted by Rhomboid at 12:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

All official Willie Nelson For President merch has been reduced by 20%. That's not a good sign for ol' Willie's chances today.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I know Trump is known for stiffing people, but would he really stiff a lawyer? Seems like a bigly mistake.

If he just watched that lawyer at work, he probably would figure stiffing him would be a fairly safe choice.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Forget the booing, the best is the people laughing at Trump as he shows up to vote. I hope that's his future. A national joke.

Speaking of that, a not-joke, WaPo: Anti-Semitism is no longer an undertone of Trump’s campaign. It’s the melody.

When the election returns come in Tuesday night, it will be Nov. 9 in Germany — the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass” at the start of the Holocaust when Nazis vandalized synagogues and businesses.

I pray that on this solemn anniversary, Americans tell Donald Trump and the world that we are never going back there.

posted by zachlipton at 12:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

My favorite bit is that Trump's lawyers demands the state pay them for the suit.

Grifters gonna grift.
posted by zakur at 12:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I hope that's his future. A national joke.

I get the sentiment, but this fucker tried to make racism and sexism mainstream. I don't want people laughing about him, I want them struggling to keep their last meal down.
posted by Mooski at 12:17 PM on November 8, 2016

Pantsuits will trump the Trump lawsuits, y'all.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I voted! We brought the baby with us, which earned us the privilege of cutting in line, apparently. The line wasn't terribly long, but apparently they didn't want babies waiting out in the cold. 👍
posted by XtinaS at 12:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Today Is Not a Day for Celebration

As welcome as Trump’s loss will be, such celebration and consolation would be premature. The majority of voters will have done their duty to protect our democracy—and perhaps the world—from a grave threat, but we cannot move on so easily. Not until America grapples with the hatred that made Trump so successful.

posted by kirkaracha at 12:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [27 favorites]

Hello, dear Mefites! Out canvassing for Brad Schneider in the Illinois 10th district, in the hope that anyone voting for him will vote for Hillary and Tammy, too! Its a beautiful fall day, and the activity is helping me keep from going bonkers from dread. Taking a lunch break and thinking of y'all!
posted by Reverend John at 12:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I have five words to say to Chelsea Clinton: Rock on with your sock on. Wait, that's six words.
posted by Sphinx at 12:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Josh Marshall @JoshTPM: Trump's Razor: Lawyer who brought the Nevada case is a construction litigator.

This was not sarcasm: "the lawyers who brought the suit on Trump's behalf are a construction and commercial insurance lawyer and construction and family law attorney."

The RNC has a crapton of real election lawyers and they're surely on standby in Nevada. My guess is they took one look at this and said they wanted nothing to do with it, so Trump's people called up someone they knew from their hotel construction days and made them do the dirty work.
posted by zachlipton at 12:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [40 favorites]

Today Is Not a Day for Celebration

Beg to fucking differ.
posted by prefpara at 12:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [53 favorites]

The NV lawyer being a construction lawyer totally fits. Last night, Trump and the R Party likely met with the actual bigly lawyers who could mount a proper case. All of them walked away from that because they didn't want to sully their name with a non-starter. So trump went with someone out of their depth who probably would have been willing to repeat trump's words (like a puppet) via a teleprompter if the price was right and the court would let them.

"That lawyer couldn't handle himself. Sad. I'll have to adjust the bill 70% off and he'll be happy for it. Welcome to the Biglys." (fake)
posted by nobeagle at 12:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'll celebrate if I wanna. Bah.
posted by raysmj at 12:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

John might want to follow the Trumps' lead and glance over to be sure.

@SenJohnMcCain
Cindy & I cast our ballots in #Phoenix earlier today - make sure to get out & #vote too! [image]

@thegarance Retweeted John McCain
Cindy McCain apparently wore a white pantsuit to vote in Arizona today.
posted by chris24 at 12:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [61 favorites]

> This morning my alarm clock went off at 6am and it was dark and storming and cold.

This morning I checked my phone, and the first thing I saw was "Sunset today will be at 5:38 pm".

Nature is mocking us. Well, at least it's Mocking those of us on some curved line that crosses Austin, TX. That is all.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 12:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

One house on our walk to vote had a Perot yard sign. Well executed.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

I have such great Mississippi friends and I've curated my Facebook so well, the only "Trump's lined up to win" thing that has crossed my feed is a message from Hillary Clinton.
posted by thebrokedown at 12:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Went to vote, they couldn't find me in their list for that polling place, even though I was on the master list of registered voters in my state and my boyfriend who lives with me had successfully voted at that location earlier in the day. They said there must have been a "mistake at city hall" and I had to fill out a provisional ballot... disappointing.
posted by geegollygosh at 12:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Lawsuit : DENIED
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

About a 45-minute voting experience in AZ this morning, versus the usual 10 minutes. I didn't mind that but what I did mind was the two elderly White male voting box monitors who eyeballed my ballot as I inserted it. It's not really voter intimidation but it still bothered me as a Blue voter in a Red state. I think I'll switch to early voting in the future (though apparently something is going a little hinky with that too today per news reports). Is it tomorrow yet?
posted by fuse theorem at 12:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@KevinMKruse
If Republicans won't give Merrick Garland a SCOTUS confirmation hearing, Clinton should nominate this Clark County judge instead.
posted by chris24 at 12:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

I think we should start to tackle "the hatred that made Trump so successful" next week, after a bit of a breather... the first volley here is a Clinton victory tonight, loud and clear

That and you kinda need to get some clue as to how they are all going to respond before you can start dealing with it. That's pretty much up in the air at this point.
posted by Jalliah at 12:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My agenda looks like this:

This week: Celebrate
Next week: cogitate over where we go from here as a country
An undetermined period at some point thereafter: check the fuck out from politics for a little while and replenish my evens.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

Prediction: Trump won't concede if Hillary wins. He'll spend the next four years claiming a rigged election and stoking resentment amongst his sorry ass supporters.
posted by angrybear at 12:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think we should start to tackle "the hatred that made Trump so successful" next week, after a bit of a breather... the first volley here is a Clinton victory tonight, loud and clear

No breather. Not even one day. The amount of work to be done is too huge. Bannon, Trump's wingman is still a threat, and action to take him out must start today.
posted by ocschwar at 12:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

You guys,my surgery was cancelled, so I stopped on the way home to get serpent food, taco fixings and champagne. I got carded y'all.my 5x birthday was a few days ago. It was hysterical. But, the good news is that a t petsmart, my dentist, and the grocers, I was able to pull out my handy voter info and direct people to their polling places, convinced two retail bosses that they should give the workers an extra hour to vote, and volunteered to take a minivan of kids born in the 90s from the store to the polls.

Fired up. Ready to go.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [76 favorites]

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide.

I hate feeding the trolls... but I don't think this statement is even true. While this hypothetical rule would disqualify most Latino voters, it would also disqualify about 40% of white voters (including me)... and virtually zero black voters.
posted by miyabo at 12:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Today Is Not a Day for Celebration

How about: "Today is Not the Day for Scolding Think Pieces Targeted at Allies Rather than Enemies".
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [71 favorites]

I'll just say, that if a Supreme Court nomination can be withdrawn, that the first thing president Obama does tomorrow should be to withdraw the nomination of Garland, and nominate whomever president no-fucks Obama really wants to nominate. Let the current sen stew over this or (soon to be) president Clinton's presumed nominations.
posted by nobeagle at 12:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

Good luck with that. That's entirely legal according to NV law.

Others have pointed out that this move contributes to Trumps "the election was rigged" narrative, and just to be clear, I expect that's the entire point of filing a hopeless lawsuit.

Unlike Romney in 2012, Trump knows he's losing (TTTCS). A few extra votes in Nevada from a successful lawsuit won't matter, but from the standpoint of salving his ego and his credibility among the deplorables, it makes sense.
posted by Gelatin at 12:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

No breather. Not even one day. The amount of work to be done is too huge. Bannon, Trump's wingman is still a threat, and action to take him out must start today.

First rule of long term sustainable action: You are no good to the cause if you are physically and emotionally burnt out. Take time to breathe and re-energize.

Second rule: Take the time to celebrate the victories. This is connected to rule 1.
posted by Jalliah at 12:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [48 favorites]

You have to think there's a phone list of senators willing to meet with Garland tomorrow.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Prediction: Trump won't concede if Hillary wins. He'll spend the next four years claiming a rigged election and stoking resentment amongst his sorry ass supporters.

I'm drafting a ballot measure for Massachusetts, for 2017. It is nonbinding.

TL, Didn't Write (just yet): "Whereas 2016, it is the sense of the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that Donald J. Trump of New York is a horse's ass."

As frivolous as this sounds, it's not as frivolous as him running for president. And it would tie up more of his resources than those advancing the resolution. And, by November 2017, the case for this resolution will be firmly established.
posted by ocschwar at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

So proud of the Arizona students walking out today. When I lived in AZ, I dated a jr. high teacher who worked with refugee populations; the timing is about right that some of her students I volunteered around then may be in the protestors. Some of them are probably the younger siblings of people in classes I TA'ed for. In general I believe Arizona to be a world class dumpster fire all on its own but I am momentarily proud of some small piece today.
posted by Alterscape at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm sorry, what is TTTCS?
posted by mochapickle at 12:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

> I got carded y'all.my 5x birthday was a few days ago

I got carded today, too, and I'm not much younger than you. Election Days give us youthful glows? Or maybe the cashier didn't expect an adult to be buying champagne in a can.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Expect a few years of truther nonsense and harassment subpoenas for release of already-public information. "Why weren't the machines segregated," is going to be the next "where is the real birth certificate."
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 12:36 PM on November 8, 2016

TTTCS = turn turn turn curse spit, to avoid jinxing
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Clinton's stage tonight is literally America.
posted by zachlipton at 12:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm sorry, what is TTTCS?

This thread comes with its own wiki.
posted by zachlipton at 12:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

In my neighborhood, a suburb of Seattle, I'm seeing signs for local elections, for Hillary, and for... Gary Johnson. Not a Trump one anywhere I've been today.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:37 PM on November 8, 2016

"Why weren't the machines segregated," is going to be the next "where is the real birth certificate."

I'm pretty sure Trump voters want everything to be segregated.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Take Tale of Two Cities Seriously
posted by Jpfed at 12:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

and jinx, on preview.

Re Garland: That may be what I'd *like* Obama to do, but I strongly doubt he will.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's nice when the Trump campaign openly admits that more people voting is bad for their victory chances.

The Republican Party has pretty much openly admitted it for years now. It's a wonder the Democrats don't call them on it more often. (It is, sadly, no surprise at all the press doesn't.)
posted by Gelatin at 12:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Sydney Carton did.
posted by drezdn at 12:39 PM on November 8, 2016

While this hypothetical rule would disqualify most Latino voters, it would also disqualify about 40% of white voters (including me)... and virtually zero black voters.

This is simply untrue. Roughly 800,000-900,000 Africans have immigrated to the United States since 2000 alone, and there are about 4 million Caribbean immigrants currently living in the US (not all of whom are Black -- but still).
posted by sea change at 12:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Twitter: "if Trump doesn't win"

Vows of suicide, leaving the country, throwing things out windows, crying yourself to sleep for four years...
posted by mochapickle at 12:41 PM on November 8, 2016

Calling voters one last time for GOTV. It's time to go off script. Your dumb baby can watch itself for an hour-we've got a Republic to save.
posted by andoatnp at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
Plato
posted by robbyrobs at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Jalliah: Hope you all don't mind. I voted too.

Don't worry, eh. I showed my Democrat card to the poll-watcher and she totally let me commit voter fraud and cast a ballot in your name.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Limbaugh: George W. Bush voted for Clinton
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

As a newly-minted US citizen, I just got back from voting in my first-ever US election, for the first-ever woman President. I cried. It was so cool. Now to wait and see if I need beer or Xanax tonight....
posted by biscotti at 12:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

What Time Will the Presidency Be Decided?

We’ll be tracking the results live after the polls close, using early returns to try to infer how the rest of the country might vote. There are two basic paths for how the evening might proceed. Here’s what we’ll know, and when.

posted by kirkaracha at 12:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Twitter: "if Trump doesn't win"

I love the people saying it's rigged because they only see Trump signs.

Yo, come on into the city. You'll see some signs. They are not Trump signs, I assure you.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

The Republican Party has pretty much openly admitted it for years now. It's a wonder the Democrats don't call them on it more often. (It is, sadly, no surprise at all the press doesn't.)

They can't even bring bills to the floor and trust they'll win with their own party in the majority in Congress, they essentially have to suppress even that vote.
posted by jason_steakums at 12:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

@AriBerman
This is Fred, 99, from Madison. Engineer in WWII. Made 2 trips to polls & 1 to DMV with @votermolly to get photo ID to vote in WI today [image]

@AriBerman
Fred was born before women could vote. "We had our first black president, now it's time for first woman" he told me
posted by chris24 at 12:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [31 favorites]

I think we should start to tackle "the hatred that made Trump so successful" next week, after a bit of a breather... the first volley here is a Clinton victory tonight, loud and clear....

No breather. Not even one day. The amount of work to be done is too huge. Bannon, Trump's wingman is still a threat, and action to take him out must start today.
posted by ocschwar at 12:29 PM

Half an hour ago I would have agreed with the former statement. But I just walked across the large public university campus where I work to get lunch. A young woman walked past me, and she had a mild form of cerebral palsy or some other mobility impairment. Right as she passed me, two other able-bodied young women walked in front of me. One of them nudged her friend and then made fun of the woman with the impairment -- imitating spastic movements and going "derrrrrrp." Exactly the same as what Trump did when talking about the disabled reporter. Her friend laughed.

I literally haven't seen that shit since the second grade playground. These were college students.

As soon as I realized what had happened (me: "Did she just really...? Oh my god. She really did."), they were too mixed up in the crowd for me to say anything to them.

No breather. Not even one day. Nothing changes between today and tomorrow if we don't make it change.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [49 favorites]

from upthread: @thegarance Garance Franke-Ruta Retweeted John McCain Cindy McCain apparently wore a white pantsuit to vote in Arizona today.

This would have gone completely over my head if it weren't for these election threads.
posted by klarck at 12:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

On a lighter note, y'all...

I was over in the coffee nook of my neighborhood grocery store this morning when I noticed two older women sitting nearby. One of them had a button with a big H on it, so I lifted my baby daughter out of her carrier and showed them her Hillary onesie. Both women were absolutely delighted and opened up about how overwhelmed they were to be able to vote for a woman for president. Only at the end of this interaction did I realize that the H button wasn't a Hillary campaign button at all, but a button that said "Hi!" (to encourage passersby to talk to her about joining the local chapter of the Kiwanis Club). So yeah, just two ladies who happened to be super excited to gush about Hillary Clinton.
posted by duffell at 12:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

Now to wait and see if I need beer or Xanax tonight....

Why not both!

No really, don't try this unless you want vague memories of dancing down main street in leopard print boxers. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience or anything. Ah, college, I miss you so.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

that the first thing president Obama does tomorrow should be to withdraw the nomination of Garland, and nominate whomever president no-fucks Obama really wants to nominate. Let the current sen stew over this or (soon to be) president Clinton's presumed nominations.

First, I think based on his actions re the judiciary we should consider the possibility that Obama *did* nominate the SCOTUS justice he wanted. Second, I think from a strategic standpoint, he should consult with HRC to see what she'd prefer at this point. My guess is, if the lame duck congress wants to approve Garland (which it seems likely), she'd rather do that than use her limited political capital on the appointment of her own justice. I think we're gonna end up with Garland and no fight, which is probably better than whomever else we could get with a fight and 3-4 month delay. Hill's got lots of work to do, lots of good to do, if Obama can take this off her plate I think it's a good idea. Now, that's premised on thinking Garland is a good pick, I think reasonable lefty's can disagree on that.
posted by skewed at 12:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Lebanon County PA has confirmed an error with voting machines at some polling stations, causing people who voted straight Republican to have their votes registered as straight Democrat. (Source. Note there is a horrible auto-play video, sorry.)

I am very disappointed by this. Yes, every Hillary vote is vital; so is non-fraudulent voting. You know -- you KNOW -- Voldemort is going to use this to substantiate his claim that the election was rigged and victory stolen from him.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

"If Trump doesn't win I'm leaving the country and moving to Oklahoma".

Okay, I laughed at that one.
posted by yhbc at 12:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

Limbaugh: George W. Bush voted for Clinton

And the ironing? Limbaugh created Trump.
posted by uraniumwilly at 12:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just want to add to the chorus of thanks to the posting community here. I lurk more than I post, because what I like to do best is absorb information and turn it over endlessly in my head. That has sort of backfired enormously this election and I've frequently found myself overwhelmed, and like others finding this place a refuge.

I moved to the U.S. in summer 2015 and received my LPR card early this spring. I am not eligible to vote, and I've been feeling pretty sad and powerless about it. Thanks in part to the encouraging posts here, I've donated and phonebanked for HRC, all the while trying to learn more about the nuances of American politics and the election process. It's been a terrifying lesson in real time, and I'm not nearly done learning. I did only a little bit to help, but it helped me feel better and it is here that I truly feel less alone. Thank you.
posted by orbit-3 at 12:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

"Election Night Therapy:" Keepin' it 1600 goes live on Periscope at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
[Twitter link from host, The Ringer]
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

My wife just sent me a recap of her election day, out in the yard with our dogs and the many free range children that wander into our yard to play:

"Me: The doggies are jealous of us today, cause they don't get to vote.
Neighborhood kiddos: You got to vote???
Me: Yup!
Kiddos: Who'd you vote for?
Me: I voted for Hillary!
Kiddos: Yay! Donald Trump is mean, and lies, and wants to build a wall! How much longer till Hillary wins?
This really just happened. There is hope for our future yet. "

For context, we live in a heavily minority neighborhood of Northern VA, we're the only white people on this side of the street for about 10 townhouses.
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Unlike Romney in 2012, Trump knows he's losing

You know -- I'm not 100% certain that he does.
posted by tzikeh at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

PredictIt just sent me an email announcing new betting markets for the 2020 election.

*dropkicks laptop 2500 miles away into the Pacific Ocean*
posted by duffell at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

Lebanon County PA has confirmed an error with voting machines at some polling stations, causing people who voted straight Republican to have their votes registered as straight Democrat.

Federal. Elections. Agency.

ugh. why does the US let amateurs run the show?
posted by GuyZero at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Lebanon County PA has confirmed an error with voting machines at some polling stations, causing people who voted straight Republican to have their votes registered as straight Democrat.

I really wish this would stop happening. This is a recurring glitch with the machines we use in PA, every damn time some precinct has problems with it. As I was getting ready this morning, my husband asked me if I was going to vote straight D slate or do it individually and I was like "Meh, straight D, there's no reason not to" and he warned me that our voting machines like to change straight slates to the opposite slate. It's a thing.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

> Clinton's stage tonight is literally America.

I wouldn't have stuck the podium in Oklahoma, if I'd been the one in charge. Seems dangerous. (Earthquakes.)
posted by Spathe Cadet at 12:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

George W. Bush voted for Clinton

OK, there is a sentence for the history books.

Seriously focus on it for a second. We live in momentous times.
posted by spitbull at 12:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [40 favorites]

...the first thing president Obama does tomorrow should be to withdraw the nomination of Garland, and nominate whomever president no-fucks Obama really wants to nominate.

I can't see any version of Obama using Garland like that. Hanging him out as a pawn. That's not his style.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

On the one hand: I never believe a word that comes out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth.
On the other hand: I have no doubt that George W. Bush did, in fact, vote for Hillary Clinton.
On the gripping hand: Fuck Rush Limbaugh.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

I am very disappointed by this. Yes, every Hillary vote is vital; so is non-fraudulent voting. You know -- you KNOW -- Voldemort is going to use this to substantiate his claim that the election was rigged and victory stolen from him.

From TFA:

The Bureau of Elections has a software expert who was able to solve the problem in each case, he said. It involves a calibration issue regarding the machine.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. He can claim whatever he wants, but this case won't substantiate anything.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

ha! why do all these "if trump doesn't win" people want to come to canada? do they think we lean more to the right than a clinton administration? do they not know anything about countries aside from america?

oh, wait.
posted by dazed_one at 12:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

ha! why do all these "if trump doesn't win" people want to come to canada?

I wonder why none of them ever say Mexico?
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Our fate was sealed long before November 8

Sarah Kendzior links today to Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist murdered on November 7, 1837.
posted by kingless at 12:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

do they not know anything about countries aside from america?

That's rhetorical, right? Because you know they don't.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I don't get to vote for another two hours, but let me just tell you: my #1 ref desk question is usually "Where is the bathroom?" but today it's "Where is my polling place?"

Now, the people who want to know their polling place but who won't tell me their address or zip...
posted by blnkfrnk at 12:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I think it just shows the performativity of the "I'm moving to Canada if my candidate loses" trope. It doesn't have any real meaning, it's just a way of expressing a deep dislike for the other candidate.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I can't see any version of Obama using Garland like that.

If Obama were to withdraw the nomination, the Republicans could pretend that they weren't obstructionists in the end.
posted by drezdn at 12:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

how does that ticket switch even happen?!?!?!? like from a database technological perspective. how is this stuff not tested to an absurd limit?

The machines are touch-screen so I assume the problem is with the part of the screen being touched recording a hit for another part of the screen.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Compassion is Political

Increasingly over the past few election threads, I’ve seen folks comment that they don’t know what they’re going to do after the election. What else will so completely occupy their time and energy? If Clinton wins, how will they adjust to the sudden drop in existential anxiety? If Trump wins… how do we even form a question about what to do next? Mefites who have gotten involved with canvassing efforts, joined secret Facebook groups of women for Clinton, or just participated in the Metafilter election threads have noted how they value the sense of community that these activities have brought, and worry that they will miss that component after today.

As author Rebecca Solnit has been posting on Facebook, we should view Election Day not as an ending, but as just the beginning of the work that we need to do, however.

Prologue
In the book ”Last Chance to See” , between observing and reporting on endangered animals, Douglas Adams and co-author Mark Carwardine observe that in the former colonial countries they traveled through in Africa, as a relic of their origins as local colonial bureaucracies enforcing policies set far away in other countries, many politicians and government workers have the power to prevent stuff from getting done, but lack the power to make proactive change. They can withhold travel permits, collect fines (and bribes), withhold aid to communities, and so on; but initiating new programs that would help their constituents and countries is often outside of their power. Much like the US president can veto laws enacted by Congress, but the power to make new legislation is reserved for Congress. This distinction between negative power (power against) and affirmative power (power to) is important.

In US presidential elections, we often talk about the power of the vote that citizens have as an affirmative power. However, when we vote for a president, we make a selection from a very limited list of options. Most of us have no effective opportunity to contribute to the formation of that list of candidates. Effectively, to get on the ballot a candidate needs a large-scale party structure behind them, as well as access to a hefty amount of money. This structurally biases our list of options toward candidates with ties to current political establishments or parties. It means that, for those of us whose politics do not fit into the two to four parties whose candidates can get on the ballot, we will never have a candidate for whom we can say, “yes, I affirmatively support this candidate”. Furthermore, since a candidate merely needs a plurality of votes cast in order to win, the two established political parties are not necessarily incentivized to follow the will of the majority of citizens, but can as or more easily win the presidency by discouraging votes for the other party. How they govern in between elections then becomes not irrelevant, but less relevant. Although presidential acceptance speeches and party rhetoric reference “mandates” given by the voters, the campaign strategies of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and the fact that unfulfilled campaign promises are so common that they are the butt of many political jokes, indicate that politicians view the electoral process as a tool, not as an exercise of affirmative power by the citizenry. As citizens, our vote in the presidential election is effectively a veto, an exercise in harm reduction, not a selection. Structurally, the presidential election only gives us negative power, not affirmative power.

Voting in presidential elections is merely one component of democratic participation. The structural power dynamics in other levels of elections for public office vary, and there are many avenues for participation outside of the voting booth. Some of our other options for democratic participation also involve the exercise of negative power rather than affirmative power. Voting for a president is like protesting against a government action that will cause harm – protesting against the Iraq War, for example, or protesting against a pipeline being built. Exercising the negative power that we have is important to prevent harm and immiseration (for our fellow citizens and for our fellow human beings in the US and around the world). Ultimately, however, we need to act affirmatively to build a better world. And we do need to, and can, build a better world.

This post is to urge you to begin the task of building a better world today.

Step 1
Stay in touch.

Exercising the affirmative power that we have as citizens requires acting together with other citizens. This requires movement-building. Movement-building requires community organizing. Community organizing requires the existence of a community to organize. Don’t let your connections built during the election campaign lapse.

Some groups have been working very hard at movement-building over the past several years – Black Lives Matter, Fight for 15, NoDAPL and other land and water defenders, the groups advocating for free university tuition and student debt forgiveness that arose from the Occupy movement, groups fighting for safe and affordable housing (against evictions, gentrification, and the gutting of municipal services such as occurred with Detroit’s public water system). Joining one of these groups is a good option to shift your election efforts toward affirmative democratic participation.

The strong and widespread GOTV efforts of the Clinton campaign can also provide a very strong organizational leg up for new organizational efforts. Here you are, already connected with many other people who care about building a better country and a better world, and have at least some overlapping ideas with you of what that entails. Make plans to keep in touch with these people. Do this today, before everyone dissipates in post-election exhaustion. Are you on a Pantsuit Nation type Facebook group? Ask if the group can shift toward organizing for positive change post-election, or create a new Facebook group for that purpose and invite everyone in the original group to join and to keep in touch. Organize some sort of online group that Mefites who have been invested in this election can join (note to self). Whatever it takes, maintaining these connections is an important first step.

Step 2(a)
Learn active/participatory facilitation skills.

Working together with other people, organizing community and building movements, requires a certain set of skills that are not commonly taught in school or work environments. Education researchers know that group work and pedagogy that facilitates socially constructed learning, done well, improves learning outcomes over individualized learning (even when also done well). Many of us have probably had numerous negative or frustrating experiences with group work in school, as well as ineffective meetings at work, and so on, however. Clinton’s campaign slogan is partially correct: we are stronger together… if we are organized effectively. Learning effective facilitation skills for encouraging positive, productive participation in our communities and in our movements is crucial.

Also, the more people who develop this skill set, the better! Both for community organizing and movement-building, and just for strengthening our democracy in all aspects of everyday life.

Step 2(b)
Discuss and affirm shared values.

This election has been fundamentally different than other presidential elections in my lifetime in that one of the candidates represents, fundamentally, directly, and blatantly, a move away from democracy and toward neo-fascism. The Trump campaign and the alt-right and related movements that it has brought to light represent the politics of hate and fear. We need to not just defeat Trump today, but repudiate hatred and fear as political principles. This requires recognizing that compassion, love, tolerance, openness all have a political dimension as well. Values are about how we treat each other, and in a democracy (“of the people, by the people, for the people”), government policy is how we treat each other on a national, statewide, or municipal level. But government policy is how we, collectively, treat each other; so it is about our shared values. We need to assert compassion as a shared value. Thus my title, compassion is political.

To do this, we need to revive the idea of consciousness-raising groups (or, there are many other antecedents to this idea, eg. from various religious traditions or from progressive activist traditions beyond the feminist movement). Joining an already existing group or movement that aligns with your values, such as the ones I listed in Step 1, is a good way to get started exercising affirmative power and making positive change. But whether you do this, or organize friends and family who have not previously been active, articulating and affirming shared values is important for a variety of reasons. Discussing and agreeing upon shared values allows groups to practice effective facilitation skills before trying to organize specific actions with deadlines. Clearly identifying shared values gives groups guideposts for deciding how to accomplish their organizational or movement-building goals, and how not to accomplish those goals. Movement-building and community organizing also requires that we see ourselves not just as atomized individuals, but as members of a community; discussing shared values gives us practice viewing ourselves as part of a community, which will come in handy later for identifying shared problems and opportunities for collective action (emphasis on collective). Affirming shared values also builds trust within our groups or communities. Trust is a prerequisite for most people for committing our time and energy to our communities and movements. Having a clear sense that we are working toward shared goals or a shared vision can also help prevent burn-out, which will be important since making affirmative change - exercising our affirmative democratic power - is a long-term activity, not bounded by election seasons.

Step 2(c)
Learn media literacy skills, including internet media literacy skills.

It’s really helpful to have a shared reality – what we can agree upon as accepted facts – as well as shared values.

Step 3
Act. Act collectively (with others, as part of a community or movement) to exercise your affirmative democratic power.

Join an existing movement or community organization working toward affirmative democratic change that aligns with your values. Or identify shared problems or issues within your community, then articulate a vision for affirmative change that would improve your community (so that you are not only or always reacting to prevent further harm and immiseration), and start a new organization to make the necessary changes via collective action.

Sometimes acting gets a bad rap. People don’t want to identify as or be identified as an activist. But think about what this is saying: is only ever exercising the negative powers of citizenship within a democracy in line with your values? Do you truly believe that there are no positive changes that could be made within your community, your municipality, your state, or the country as a whole? Not only is it okay to exercise our affirmative powers of citizenship (as well as exercising our negative powers to prevent harm), I would argue that it is our democratic responsibility.

Maintain the connections you have made during the election campaigns. Build skills to facilitate your democratic participation and to help you facilitate others’ democratic participation. Think about, discuss, and develop collective values and vision. And act collectively, asserting our positive democratic power. Election Day is just a beginning.
posted by eviemath at 12:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [44 favorites]

I am under the impression that Obama nominated Garland because he legit admires him as a judge. Obama and Garland had a mutual understanding that the nomination and confirmation process would be an ugly ordeal. Withdrawing after Garland was kept in limbo for months would be a huge dick move.
posted by Jpfed at 12:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Broward Country is Florida's biggest Democratic county and having yuuuggge turnout.

@tbonier
Broward County. 67% Obama '12. As of 2:30 PM, total turnout exceeds final '12 total vote by over 4,700 votes.
posted by chris24 at 12:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

There's no need for Obama to withdraw the nomination, is there? Clinton can withdraw it herself and nominate whoever else she wants (including Garland, for that matter) once she's sworn in. Obama withdrawing it would be seen as a victory by Republicans.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

ha! why do all these "if trump doesn't win" people want to come to canada?

Was even funnier when the same group threatened such an exodus over healthcare reform. Healthcare reform? F THIS, to Canada! Ummm, yeeeeeah.
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

That makes me rather glad to have filled out all paper ballots to date, which I assume (perhaps erroneously?) can be rechecked if the scantron thing misreads it.

I also wonder if that isn't an argument against straight-ticket voting -- a single machine error is guaranteed to change your entire ballot, rather than possibly just affecting one thing. Better to invest in more polling stations or longer early-voting hours if necessary to offset the time cost?

@sio42: Since zombieflanders said it was a calibration issue, and in context of the sentence "The Republican and Democratic straight tickets appear next to each other on the ballot", I assumed it was that people that touched the screen where "[major party name]" was being displayed actually registered to the machine as having touched a different region. Or something like that.

I hate touchscreens.
posted by inconstant at 12:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Anyone have a link to a video with the hearing re: the poll closing times? I missed the livestream and it sounds like it was awesome.
posted by 0xFCAF at 12:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

FWIW there was at least one of these "I press the touch screen and it does the wrong thing!" things that was being debunked even on /r/the_donald (the guy was pressing in the wrong place to make it look like it refused to vote for Trump). I'm sure this stuff happens, but I'm suspicious of anything I hear today.

Either way, paper ballots are the answer.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Obama wouldn't withdraw, but if the decision ends up being to let Hillary nominate the next justice, Garland will announce at some point after the election commotion has died down that he is withdrawing himself from consideration.

Still, I think Garland in the lame-duck session is by far the most likely outcome for SCOTUS if Hillary wins.
posted by skewed at 1:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I voted straight ticket but checked doubleplusgood at the confirmation screens (there are like three of them, seriously, you get ample chances to be like heeyyyy waittaminute) to make sure it registered correctly.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Clinton's stage tonight is literally America.

Here's another view of it. Looks like the Alaska cocktail table has been cordoned off but Hawaii (?) will be accessible for stage diving.

Somewhat worryingly, they're unfurling an American flag across what looks to be Alberta and Saskatchewan.
posted by Kabanos at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

There's no need for Obama to withdraw the nomination, is there? Clinton can withdraw it herself and nominate whoever else she wants (including Garland, for that matter) once she's sworn in.

The Senate could choose to act on the the nomination now, before she's sworn in.
posted by zakur at 1:01 PM on November 8, 2016

Somewhat worryingly, they're unfurling an American flag across what looks to be Alberta and Saskatchewan.

54-40 or fight!
posted by ocschwar at 1:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

> "My vote doesn’t matter, especially because I live in Pennsylvania..."

Whut.

We're a swing state.

With a close Senate election.

This person is ignorant.
posted by desuetude at 1:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

And while I think Obama does admire Garland as a judge and thinks he'd make a good Supreme Court Justice, he in particular was chosen because he is a politically moderate judge who the Republicans would have a harder time refusing to review, from a political capital standpoint. In fact, some high-profile senator (I forgot who right now) was on record in the lead up to this whole thing saying something like, "Obama could nominate a moderate, non-activist Supreme Court Justice, but he won't. Someone like Merrick Garland, for instance. But he won't, not in a million years."

And then Obama turned around and said "Oh yeah? Well, I nominate Merrick Garland then. Your move, chumps."

And then the Republicans just sat on their thumbs anyway, of course.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 1:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Obama recalling Garland and putting up Lefty McLefterson in his place is another example of the fantastical election fanfiction that tends to proliferate in these threads the longer they get.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Still, I think Garland in the lame-duck session is by far the most likely outcome for SCOTUS if Hillary wins.

If everything starts falling into line for Hillary and a 50/51/52 seat D senate, Republican Senators will be lining up outside his door at 6 am tomorrow with a lovely Edible Arrangements centerpiece, begging him to not withdraw his name.
posted by splen at 1:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

If they nominate him under Lame Duck Obama, that's a pretty clear defeat. Garland wouldn't be my favorite, but Obama gets to choose who he wants and that's who he chose. He sounds less horrible than Scalia, at any rate.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 1:04 PM on November 8, 2016

Obama recalling Garland and putting up Lefty McLefterson in his place is another example of the fantastical election fanfiction that tends to proliferate in these threads the longer they get.

He should nominate Bernie Sanders.

Then in January, HRC can nominate Obama.
posted by ocschwar at 1:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

there are like three of them, seriously

I understand the logic here, but I don't like that it's "Click OK on the page that lists all your choices, then press the FLASHING BEEPING RED "VOTE" hardware button, which should be the "I really mean it!" step, but NO, then you also have to go back down to the touchscreen to actually cast your ballot. It's senseless.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:05 PM on November 8, 2016

Obama recalling Garland and putting up Lefty McLefterson in his place is another example of the fantastical election fanfiction that tends to proliferate in these threads the longer they get.

Eh, I personally think that Lefty McLefterson is pretty weak on 4th Amendment protections, we can do better.
posted by skewed at 1:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Following up on odinsdream's post about my tangle with voter ID in Metuchen, NJ today, he's the twitter thread where I've been documenting everything.

Good luck, stay safe, and report voter suppression and intimidation!
posted by WCWedin at 1:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Watching SkyNews, where the reporter introducing the real-live US election coverage is the same guy who was on Shaun of the Dead encouraging viewers to remove the head or destroy the brain.
posted by mochapickle at 1:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

Voter Supression: Jello Biafra Needs More Room on Write-In Section of Ballot.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

> "Eh, I personally think that Lefty McLefterson is pretty weak on 4th Amendment protections, we can do better."

Third, too. He totally quartered a soldier in my house. Really nice gal, the soldier, admittedly, watered the plants when we were out and all.
posted by kyrademon at 1:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

I've lost track, for several reasons. Now I'm just going to browse, have a glass of wine and then go to bed and hope. I'm hopeful. But I also wanted to post this link with an image of Donald Trump watching his wife vote. It has probably already been linked up there somewhere - but look at that image if you don't believe men intimidate their wives into voting what they (the men) want.
posted by mumimor at 1:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Voter Supression: Jello Biafra Needs More Room on Write-In Section of Ballot.

Poke fun if you must, but Jello has turned out to be right about a lot of things. My kid, for example, recently started doing yoga at school.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I like practically everything I've read and seen about Garland, much of which is summarized in the linked Wikipedia article about him. He is brilliant, humble, personable, and most definitely on the liberal side of the fence. He has the makings of a great Justice. I cannot believe Obama would abandon him, or that Clinton would not be happy to continue his nomination. She is, after all, likely to get at least one or two more of her own.
posted by bearwife at 1:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I voted a few hours ago...my SO was exhausted from her work (and no doubt, from hearing me pontificate for the past 18 months). I have lived this really red county in VA for 23 years...and have never seen the turnout like it was today. And the best part was, we were not alone - many folks of color turned out, and more women (sans men).

My SO is quite a bit younger than I, (but not THAT much) so she at least got to see me fill in the oval for Hillary before the (very polite) fellow told her if she was older than 18, she would have to sit in the 'seat over there'. We tried really hard not to explode with laughter at his choice of words.

I'm happy; I voted; and my wonderful SO got to see it :)
posted by PlantGoddess at 1:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Obama recalling Garland and putting up Lefty McLefterson in his place is another example of the fantastical election fanfiction that tends to proliferate in these threads the longer they get.

C'mon. Obama needs to do one solitary and final mic drop on the GOP with a "thank you for fucking NOTHING these past eight years."
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Watching SkyNews, where the reporter introducing the real-live US election coverage is the same guy who was on Shaun of the Dead encouraging viewers to remove the head or destroy the brain.

So, SkyNews is ready to cover all possible outcomes then. Kudos.
posted by nubs at 1:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

And as Salon points out, the "two historically unpopular candidates" meme discounts Hills' 60+ percent approval ratings as Secretary of State.

I mean, no. These are the two candidates since we have begun measuring with the highest unfavorability ratings for Presidential candidate, literally double their next nearest contender. It's good that Secretary Clinton had high approval ratings, but that's a very different thing from pretending these are not broadly unpopular candidates even if many, many people genuinely love Clinton as a candidate.
posted by corb at 1:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Somewhat worryingly, they're unfurling an American flag across what looks to be Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Commence Plan Red. You thought the the Trumpers would come as refugees? Bwahahahahaha!
posted by Diablevert at 1:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Took a turn passing out Democratic sample ballots in a Democratic enclave in VA today. It seemed pretty busy for midday. There were a lot of students voting. Quite a few commented that they were doing this for the first time. This my first time doing this, so I don't know how typical the turnout is.

I ran into one Republican (that know of) the whole time. She was mad her party hadn't put any signs out for their candidates, but thanked me for volunteering anyway. They finally came by and put some signs out after she left. (This was early afternoon.)

I'm going back in a bit help with the after work rush. I'm pretty happy with what I've seen so far.
posted by nangar at 1:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

> Voter Supression: Jello Biafra Needs More Room on Write-In Section of Ballot.

(fake)
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@kenricekdka: PA official: Voter turnout today could exceed 80%. Would be highest total since Bill Clinton vs George HW Bush in 1992 (83%)
posted by zombieflanders at 1:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

How do you feel about HRC now, corb? You've been working on her campaign for awhile.
posted by bearwife at 1:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So I voted, in my deeply blue neighborhood in Altadena, where the turn-off to the elementary school where the polling place is located is flanked by two Clinton/Kaine signs. There was no line, and it was done pretty quickly. When I came out, I chatted with a black lady who said she heard turn-out in other polling places in LA is "through the roof," and she chuckled and sighed and said it's sad it "had to come to this" for that to happen. I told her that as I filled out my ballot, I thought of all the mid-term elections I'd blown off, and I felt ashamed.

I then walked home, feeling buoyant, and that history had been made. I don't own a lot of white or any pantsuits (and it's too bloody hot for that anyway), so I just wore head-to-toe blue, with a Blue Fairy pin for good measure.

YAY!!!!
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 1:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

More good Florida voting news:

@tbonier
Uh, wow. Obama won Orange County, FL by 18%. They are reporting 45k MORE ballots cast than all of '12, with over 3 hours of voting left.
posted by chris24 at 1:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Rigged Constitution [real]
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

If Clinton reassigned FBI agents to go infiltrate white supremacist militias instead of BLM and Occupy, I wonder how many of them would ever come back.
posted by benzenedream at 1:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Warren Buffett shuttled voters to polls on a trolley," reports CNN.

This is the kind of factual accuracy I've come to expect from modern reporting: "It kinda looks like a trolley, ergo it must be a trolley." (It's a bus.)
posted by entropicamericana at 1:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

A candidate for the issues no one else will talk about. [satire]
posted by bonehead at 1:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Less than an hour we start seeing the AP exit poll data (5pm). Less than 6 hours until we should be reasonably certain of the outcome. Then breathe.
posted by humanfont at 1:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Lebanon County PA has confirmed an error with voting machines at some polling stations, causing people who voted straight Republican to have their votes registered as straight Democrat.

This story has unsurprisingly spent most of the day at the top of r/the_donald, which I am clicking over to occasionally because apparently I hate myself, but also because I want to be there to see them implode tonight.
posted by phunniemee at 1:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I think it's somewhat unfair to tar Clinton with the "both candidates are historically unpopular", because she has been well-liked before.

But the media is unable to grok the concept of a race where one candidate is uniquely and enormously worse than the other, so when the Trump dumpster fire reached full heat, they had to cover Clinton's "scandals" in equal proportion to maintain the illusion of balance. That's hurt her tremendously. If Clinton had been running against, say, Rubio, I think her favorability really would be much better.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

Come to think of it, if the GOP doesn't immediately confirm Garland, Obama should withdraw the nomination, and then nominate himself.

If confirmed, he can let the President of Vice finish the lame-duck term, and close this year on the most Onionesque note.

And if not confirmed, he can watch while HRC gets to nominate Lefty McLefterson.
posted by ocschwar at 1:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

How do you feel about HRC now, corb? You've been working on her campaign for awhile.

I've gone from truly hating her - prior to the Trumpocalypse possibility - to thinking of her more as the Distinguished Opposition who I happen to be supporting at the moment. Essentially, in my head she's my collegial Senate opposition who I may join with on a really good bill.

And saving the nation from fascism is a really, really good bill.
posted by corb at 1:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [147 favorites]

Come to think of it, if the GOP doesn't immediately confirm Garland, Obama should withdraw the nomination, and then nominate himself.

Michelle would kill him. I mean she would have to mow through the Secret Service agents in the way but she wants out of Washington.
posted by Jpfed at 1:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

When the election returns come in Tuesday night, it will be Nov. 9 in Germany — the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass” at the start of the Holocaust when Nazis vandalized synagogues and businesses.

November 9 is a date that carries enormous baggage in German history. In addition to Kristallnacht, it's also the day the Beer Hall Putsch (which began the night of November 8) was put down in 1923. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9 1918 (leading eventually to the Weimar Republic).

And on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.
posted by nickmark at 1:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

In which Nigel Farage is schooled: "my guy we literally brexited 250 years ago keep up"
posted by zachlipton at 1:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [40 favorites]

If confirmed, he can let the President of Vice finish the lame-duck term

WHEN CAN I HAVE THIS SCREENPLAY?!
posted by VTX at 1:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's good that Secretary Clinton had high approval ratings, but that's a very different thing from pretending these are not broadly unpopular candidates even if many, many people genuinely love Clinton as a candidate.

Who's pretending? It's an example of the "people love her when she has power, but hate her when she is trying to get power."
posted by zutalors! at 1:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Coastal Carolina coach takes whole team to polling station to vote

"Today is election day and Coastal Carolina head coach Joe Moglia is making sure that every member of his football team shows up to the polls. To do that, Moglia took his players to the local polling station to ensure they participate.

“Every one of our guys is going to vote Tuesday, and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of,” Moglia said, via Myrtle Beach Online. “The service academies do that. There’s not going to be one other university football team in the nation that’s going to do that, and you know every one of them probably should do that.”

“Even though some players have voted early, they will go to the polls Tuesday just to support their teammates. The right to vote is one of the cornerstones of this great democracy and is a privilege no one should take for granted.”
posted by chris24 at 1:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [27 favorites]

Seeing all the Pantsuit Nation posts, plus posts from my friends who voted earlier today is making me all antsy to go out and vote! (I will do it after work.)

And yes, I am wearing an improvised pantsuit. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 1:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Meanwhile, in Spring TX....
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Who's pretending? It's an example of the "people love her when she has power, but hate her when she is trying to get power."

But that doesn't change what the numbers actually say. Favorability ratings don't have a "but misogyny" factor that we can subtract to find out what her "true" unfavorability is. A lot of people don't like her, and a lot of that is because we live in a sexist society.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Trucks full of what appears to be salt are lined up around the NYC Hilton Midtown, site of Trump's election night party. [real, probably for ice, but a girl can dream about how salty Trump and his folks are gonna be tonight]
posted by stolyarova at 1:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Just got done with an answering-reference-questions shift at the library:

Older White Dude: So if HRC wins the presidency, and left office due to failing health, or impeachment, or if she were arrested or whatever...
Me, inside my head: this conversation is off to a great start boy howdy
OWD: ...Who would be Vice President? Would it be the Republican Speaker of the House? That doesn't seem right, a President and a Vice President from two different parties?
Me: Well, it wouldn't be the first time in American history that's happened. (Thanks, Hamilton!)

So we pull up Wikipedia about the Presidential succession, show him how new pres nominates new VP, approved by Congress, etc, etc, which leads to this exchange:

OWD: Have you heard that the Republicans are planning to refuse to approve any of HRC's choices for the Supreme Court?
Me: (doing my level best to be As Professional As Possible) ...I have heard that particular scuttlebutt, yes.
OWD: So couldn't they refuse to approve a new Vice President?
Me: ...If they wanted to be particularly obstructionist about it, yes, I suppose they could. I can't imagine people would be happy about it, though.
OWD: Well, we'll have to wait and see what happens, eh?

...it's an odd feeling, living in a very red dot in a very blue state.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 1:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Last second third party appeal for Zoltan Istvan, "The Transhumanists' Nominee for President" (New Yorker)

His wife, Lisa, is an ob-gyn. When they met, on Match.com, Istvan was an entrepreneur with a small real-estate fortune, living in Marin County. After they married, he began driving across the country in a bus shaped like a coffin, protesting death, while Lisa mostly stayed in California with their two daughters. Her attitude toward transhumanism seems to be one of forbearance at best.

...

“I wrote a sci-fi book once,” he said. It was an Ayn Rand-esque manifesto called “The Transhumanist Wager.” He added, “I don’t talk about it much these days, because there’s so much authoritarianism in it.”

...

“I auditioned to be Gary Johnson’s running mate,” he said. “I went to New Mexico and spent twenty-four hours at his house. We cooked dinner, talked, watched a few episodes of ‘Orphan Black,’ slept, then cooked breakfast and talked some more.” Johnson didn’t pick Istvan, but they still text. “I’ll probably run as a Libertarian in 2020,” Istvan said. “I’ll just tack a bit to the right and do some apologizing.”

But of course.
posted by Apocryphon at 1:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

> A candidate for the issues no one else will talk about.

Earlier I said I saw Clinton and Johnson signs but no others as I was out and about today. Thor, there, is sitting down the street from my house. Sorry, Thor.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:26 PM on November 8, 2016

stolyarova, I believe they are sand trucks. It's more than 65 degrees here tonight.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

There's The Donald.
Then there's the previously mentioned The Meltdown.
And finally, there's The Meltdown Meltdown.

Meltdown Ouroboros.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 1:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Trucks full of what appears to be salt are lined up around the NYC Hilton Midtown, site of Trump's election night party. [real, probably for ice, but a girl can dream about how salty Trump and his folks are gonna be tonight

It's an NYPD security thing, but they probably want to be prepared in case hell freezes over too.
posted by zachlipton at 1:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I know Zoltan personally and can testify that he's a strong Clinton supporter (or at least, was earlier in the year). He's actually an awesome guy.
posted by stolyarova at 1:28 PM on November 8, 2016

Trucks full of what appears to be salt are lined up around the NYC Hilton Midtown, site of Trump's election night party.

That's not going to keep the demon in unless they put salt between the trucks as well.
posted by Mooski at 1:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [48 favorites]

"A man in the city of East Lansing, Michigan pulled two women wearing hijabs out of line to check their IDs early this morning and attempted to prevent them from voting, officials said."

I mean, what makes people - non-official, none of your freaking business people - even think this is mildly acceptable? And how do they even conceive they will get away with such behaviour?
posted by Megami at 4:11 PM on November 8 [7 favorites +] [!]

I don't know, but the good news is that they won't, thanks to the fact that East Lansing has an awesome county clerk, Barb Byrum. She shut that shit down ASAP by calling the police and having the guy removed.

She also performed the first gay marriage in Michigan (and she married us last November).

Which is an excellent reminder to get excited about the downballot races too -- they really matter. Even the drain commissioner. Seriously.

(God help me, I love election day so much. Thank you all for keeping this lurker company through these last interminable months. You're the best.)
posted by kelborel at 1:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

Just out according to @CNN: "Utah officials report voting machine problems across entire country"

--@realDonaldTrump

What the what now? I can confirm the word "Utah" doesn't appear on CNN's feed all day, and I'm like 99% sure Utah isn't in charge of the whole country's elections.
posted by zachlipton at 1:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

It must be really hard for Trump to decide whether he wants to go down in history as a huge loser, or a huge crybaby loser. Because right now, once again, he can still come out (somewhat) ahead if he just stopped to think first.

But.
posted by Mchelly at 1:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Brought this post over from last election thread. Super-jazzed and want to share......

Sunny day here in South Pasadena. Had planned to vote absentee and decided to drop off ballot at local precinct after working out this morning. Drove by and saw the line around the block. The precinct is a New England style church with a tall steeple and the looming San Gabriel Mountains in the background. I felt like a six year old again. The kid who had the presidents memorized at 4 years old and loved my picture of the country and the terms liberty and freedom. There was a flash where I thought I'd like to have a young son with me and to be a part of this. People in line exercising an important right. I'm yelling F*CK YES! in the car. I like what I see. I like what I am feeling. Different faces. Different colors. No bullshit. I go home to get dressed in blue. I want to stand in this line and enjoy it.

I put on my blue jean jacket and levis, black stetson and HRC campaign colored pashmina scarf. I want to celebrate and am feeling rakish. I drive back to the precinct and stand in line and, yes, begin to tear up. I gather myself when I hear a woman's voice behind me begin a conversation. She seems to be in her late 70's and is wearing a white sun hat and orange blouse. It is light talk. She then says to me,

"I heard that somewhere people are going to be out to suppress the vote. How can they do that?"

"All they have to do is to make you afraid. And all you have to do is let them"

I notice the short, stout man in front of me, a man whose face I cannot see, slowly nodding his head. I sense the determination and courage that he, I and many others in our line have. To face down this threat and, ultimately, our own fears

The precinct was run orderly and well. The line captain's name was Janelle. I think, "That's the name of the first girl I kissed" She let's me stay in line knowing I want to have the experience. I go to where voter sign in as I want to openly say my name and see my name in the voter rolls. The workers are lovely. I can sense this sense of pride in what they are doing. I am very effusive when I feel joyful and happy and gladly share this with them. I know this is needed for those who are working in service. They're smiles and effusiveness back show me that we are all on the same page.

I leave my ballot. I leave thinking "Bullshit slide away and cynicism be damned. It's a good day to be alive"

I cast my vote for my partner who left her body from cancer in 2010. For the lover I stood by when she went through breast cancer 20 years ago. For my mother who successfully raised 10 children and who, whether I like it or not, was strong in her politics and faith. For my 5 sisters, one who said in the 70's, "If women want equal rights they ought to come work on a farm" For the feminist/pro-choice organizer in our town who my family virulently protested. And for the men who have held the line in finding balance. We've had to create our own manhood.

There have been 1-2 moments in my life so far where I have heard the sincere appreciation of the freedoms people found in this country. Both experiences involved women. One was a German woman who was raised behind the Iron Curtain, married the son of the man who postulated the Big Bang Theory, and became a successful fabric designer. The other woman was Vietnamese. I knew very little else about her. Two different people. Their sincerity and appreciation were one and the same. I realized how rare it was for me to hear this. How refreshing it was to hear through a hip, cool cynicism that up to that moment I was not aware was around me. It made that prideful 6 year old come to life again. And to keep aspiring to that 6 year olds dream :)

Here's to that 6 year old in all of us.
posted by goalyeehah at 1:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

Oooh, that Utah tweet is from an Android. Looks like someone got the phone back in his tiny little hands.
posted by zombieflanders at 1:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Twitter says the sand trucks are to "prevent a terrorist attack."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:35 PM on November 8, 2016

zachlipton: "What the what now? I can confirm the word "Utah" doesn't appear on CNN's feed all day"

$2 says he's confusing "county" with "country".
posted by boo_radley at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

NYC garbage trucks have built a wall around Trump Tower as well

Because the existing bollards weren't quite enough, I guess?
posted by mikelieman at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm like 99% sure Utah isn't in charge of the whole country's elections

That 1%, tho...
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just out according to @CNN: "Utah officials report voting machine problems across entire country"

--@realDonaldTrump

Looks like Trump got his Twitter password back. Might be the closest we get tonight to a concession from them.
posted by COD at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have alluded to it before, but in the recent past there have been other relevant examples of voting besides Brexit.

For example, there was one in 2016 that showed that an angry, racist, sexist minority of voters might be able to force unacceptable candidates onto the ballot, but if they do they may find that exposure to the larger voting populace only reveals more widely how worthless those candidates truly are. And when the majority of voters realize this, they just might decisively choose instead the worthy women who were the true best choices.

Brexit times five? Nah. Let's make this the Hugos times 100,000.

And let's put Donald Trump below No Award.
posted by kyrademon at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Protip for Deplorables who have never electioned before: there are voting machine problems every single election. Voting machines blow, but they were a reaction to hanging chads, and and and until we have a federal election system some states and counties are going to be using sub-optimal voting methods and a few people will regrettably be disenfranchised and a few other people will have to spend a few extra minutes talking to the election judges to sort out the irregularities they experienced. It happens every year. You are not special.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

His latest has the ring of Hitler ordering nonexistent divisions into battle to it.

@realDonaldTrump
Don't let up, keep getting out to vote - this election is FAR FROM OVER! We are doing well but there is much time left. GO FLORIDA!
posted by chris24 at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just out according to @CNN: "Utah officials report voting machine problems across entire country"
--@realDonaldTrump

I didn't think I'd live to fear that there would be violence after a US election. Lord Jesus Mitchell.
posted by middleclasstool at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016

In re: trucks. Garbage trucks are some of the heaviest municipal vehicles out there. Ditto trucks full of sand. They both make pretty good blast barriers and car-bomb preventers.
posted by scrump at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I decided to escape the US election frenzy and election anxiety by carefully planning my annual family visit to Canada for this week, it was supposed to be an enjoyable respite and break from the insanity.

I just got back from Toronto. I spent a fair amount of time shouting that I did not want to talk about Trump. People were desperate for an insider perspective on the WTF'ery of the American election and I felt like I was a war vet being pestered by people asking if I had killed anyone.

(I just wanted, and eventually got, correct poutine and Lay's Swiss Chalet flavoured chips)
posted by srboisvert at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I don't understand the truck barricade thing. What's the deal with this? Is that not highly irregular to just... use random road maintenance equipment as a blockade for the protection of commercial properties?

Yeah, I've protested at a lot of high-profile buildings/events in NYC and have never seen this. Maybe it's like a construction industry thing? Maybe instead of confetti they're just going to dump sand on the crowd?
posted by melissasaurus at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Twitter says the sand trucks are to "prevent a terrorist attack."

To spread fear you must know fear.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Voted early this morning and only had to wait 17 minutes, so that was nice. There was only one really minor annoyance when I got to the front of the line. In the past couple days I've developed a bad case of laryngitis and basically can't speak. I gave the poll worker my ID (which has my picture, name and address) but was still required to speak my name and address. I squeaked out my name and address, signed my name and voted, so it didn't impede my ability to vote, but I found it annoying nonetheless and wonder how someone who truly isn't able to speak would be treated.
posted by noneuclidean at 1:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

In my neighborhood, a suburb of Seattle, I'm seeing signs for local elections, for Hillary, and for... Gary Johnson. Not a Trump one anywhere I've been today.

I live in north Seattle, and sadly I saw a van painted up as an American flag with wooden signs mounted on the top that read "Democrats for Trump" in capital letters. Honestly it looked kinda pathetic.

Happier news: I only saw this 'cause I was passing by the Northgate Mall on the way to the El Camion taco truck by Home Depot on Aurora. I have done my patriotic duty for this most electoral of Taco Tuesdays. #Itaco'd
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Twitter says the sand trucks are to "prevent a terrorist attack."

But are they there to protect Trump Tower from a blast from the outside or are they there... to prevent the rest of New York from being harmed from a bomb in Trump Tower?

Who is really being protected here?
posted by GuyZero at 1:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Also wanted to tell everyone who is voting today - give your poll workers a smile! They have a very long, busy day ahead of them

This, very much. My (very much not-a-morning-person) partner is a poll captain today and got up at 4:40 this morning(!) to go to a polling place that will be open until 8 this evening(!!) which he had to help set up and take down, meaning he won't be home until about 10 tonight(!!!).

He texted me earlier this morning that when he arrived at the polling place at 5:30 to prep for the 7 a.m. opening, there were already 10 people in line(!!!!). Did I mention we live in über-D San Francisco?
posted by psoas at 1:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

$2 says he's confusing "county" with "country".

Brian Stelter confirms. One Utah county having some issues. Did Trump get his twitter back?

Speaking of issues, Gizmodo has Trump's Troll Army Is Having a Hard Time Voting. People on 4Chan, much like Trump's children, are unaware you have to, you know, register. (I personally like same-day registration, but that doesn't stop me from feeling gleeful about these posts.)
posted by zachlipton at 1:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

I've said and thought "TTTCS" several times in this election slog, but just now for the first time I actually took the elevator downstairs, crossed the street, turned in a circle three times, cursed, & spat. Playing it safe. No wrath! No wrath!

Good luck to all tonight. I am grateful to this community in ways I don't want to clog the thread with now; please take good care of yourselves in this last stretch.
posted by miles per flower at 1:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Voting machines blow

NY really dragged their feet, and used ye olde lever-action machines as long as they possibly could.

What we got out of the HAVA-thingy was basically "High-school Scantron" with a lock box. Which meets my basic requirements. Never had an issue. And IN THEORY it's auditable end-to-end with the actual ballots in the lock box. IN THEORY.
posted by mikelieman at 1:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Clinton's stage tonight is literally America.

Here's another view of it.

Looks like they'll have a flag for every state. Neat.
posted by cashman at 1:42 PM on November 8, 2016

All those trucks around Trump Tower make it hard for mobs of people to gather outside the tower and spill on the streets.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:42 PM on November 8, 2016

Twitter says the sand trucks are to "prevent a terrorist attack."

Why would anyone attack a loser? Though, during the campaign, Trump alluded to Clinton supporters rioting in the streets if she won, so...maybe he really does believe his own bullshit?
posted by Thorzdad at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016

NYPD has been using dump trucks full of sand as a mobile defensive barrier system for a while now. After Nice, we can really see why.
posted by spitbull at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

In re: trucks. Garbage trucks are some of the heaviest municipal vehicles out there. Ditto trucks full of sand. They both make pretty good blast barriers and car-bomb preventers.

I certainly get that, but what I want to know is why are they around Trump's locations? Are they also around the hall Hillary will be using tonight? If so, fine, that all makes sense, but if only around his places then does somebody know something?

I mean, I feel like of the two of them she's the more likely target of attempted violence.
posted by dnash at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Just out according to @CNN: "Utah officials report voting machine problems across entire country"
--@realDonaldTrump

I like to imagine that a voting machine error in Utah somehow actually orders you an Egg McMuffin.

(Also, looking back, I might have had the first McMullin/McMuffin comment and if so ABSOLUTELY NO RAGRETS)
posted by jason_steakums at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

My boss came around to my desk about a half hour ago and told all us data processors that "the lines are two hours line at the polling stations. Go home and vote."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [54 favorites]

What the what now? I can confirm the word "Utah" doesn't appear on CNN's feed all day, and I'm like 99% sure Utah isn't in charge of the whole country's elections.

My bet is he's trying to create doubt and dissent over Utah's election results because he knows it's going to be either McMullin or Clinton taking Utah's sweet, sweet electoral votes, and it's maddening to him because he started with a 70% Republican advantage.
posted by corb at 1:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

NYC likely has a whole tower of full trash to get rid of tomorrow morning.

It's like prepping for a snowstorm, you get your trucks out early.
posted by bonehead at 1:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Are they also around the hall Hillary will be using tonight?

Yes.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 1:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Javits Center is reportedly surrounded by taco trucks full of lime salt.
posted by spitbull at 1:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

This nyt interactive is quite helpful for when polls close and when the result will likely be known
posted by piyushnz at 1:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

If Trump loses Utah, I'm having a celebratory Egg McMuffin for breakfast tomorrow no matter who actually won Utah's electoral votes.
posted by straight at 1:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Are they also around the hall Hillary will be using tonight?

Javits? Jesus, if the terrorists can get through the layers of taxis surrounding Javits then a few trucks isn't going to stop them.

And have you been to Javits? Even terrorists don't go to that corner of Manhattan. I think everyone already think it's completely dead.
posted by GuyZero at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

If anyone else was sort of confused by the Nevada situation, looking at the CNN and Reuters articles, the suit was a records request, and the judge essentially said "we already keep those records". So I don't view that as a victory so much as a yeah we're already doing this. Like filing a suit asking for who made what post when, and a moderator saying "each post has timestamps, we're not going to do anything special to note when each post came in, that already happens".

What I'm not clear on, is the next steps. So since the Trump campaign is making accusations of hijinks, supposedly complete with signed affidavits from someone who claims to have seen something against the rules, how does that get addressed?
posted by cashman at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

NYC likely has a whole tower of full trash to get rid of tomorrow morning.

Remnants of bullshit mountain.
posted by uraniumwilly at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

You know, dumpster fire is an anagram for I freed Trump.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

Although presidential acceptance speeches and party rhetoric reference “mandates” given by the voters, the campaign strategies of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and the fact that unfulfilled campaign promises are so common that they are the butt of many political jokes, indicate that politicians view the electoral process as a tool, not as an exercise of affirmative power by the citizenry.
Agree with most of the rest of your great post but this part I must take issue with: it's a myth that politicians do not fulfill campaign promises. For the most part they make every effort to and when they don't it is often due to structural reasons (such as the President and Congress being from different parties).
In recent years, the fact-checking website PolitiFact has been paying close attention to this question, and its numbers are largely in line with what scholars find. Examining more than 500 promises President Obama made during his two presidential campaigns, PolitiFact finds that he has fully kept or reached some compromise on 70 percent of them. Similarly, Republican leaders made, by PolitiFact’s count, 53 promises before taking over Congress in 2010; 68 percent of these have been partially or fully kept.

This pattern isn’t unique to America. Scholars in Canada and Europe have examined the phenomenon and found their politicians to be, if anything, even more trustworthy. (The gap probably reflects added incentive — and increased opportunity — politicians have to carry out their policies in a parliamentary system where one party controls both the legislative and executive branches of government.) Across both time and borders, then, the data in this case is fairly clear.

Thus, if you want Democratic campaign promises to be kept - just do your best to give your Democratic President a strong mandate (big margin in popular vote), and a Congress and Senate from the same party. Many of the things that citizens seem to interpret as a failure of political willpower or integrity can be more easily explained by structural factors.
posted by peacheater at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

The Javits Center is reportedly surrounded by taco trucks full of lime salt.

I hear they've taken the additional precaution of lining all of their margarita glasses with it as well.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

WSJ says that George W. and Laura Bush voted two week ago, but didn't vote for Trump or Clinton. No word on who they voted for.

Lindsey Graham is Team Egg.
posted by zachlipton at 1:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Garbage trucks are some of the heaviest municipal vehicles out there. Ditto trucks full of sand. They both make pretty good blast barriers and car-bomb preventers.

I know it isn't likely, but here's my fantasy about the trucks: The moment the Donald takes the stage for his concession speak, their facades fall away to reveal...a fleet of taco trucks.
posted by nubs at 1:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Javits? Jesus, if the terrorists can get through the layers of taxis surrounding Javits then a few trucks isn't going to stop them.

Lats time I was Javits there was so much construction it was like travelling through an assault cause full of pits in the ground and people operating anglegrinders. I think the Kingpin is rebuilding the city there or something?
posted by Artw at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Speaking of issues, Gizmodo has Trump's Troll Army Is Having a Hard Time Voting.

I think this too is trolling. Nothing coming from those boys is real except for racism, misogyny, &c. Still, I can but hope that, by criterion of embarrassment, one or two of them are genuine.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

What I'm not clear on, is the next steps. So since the Trump campaign is making accusations of hijinks, supposedly complete with signed affidavits from someone who claims to have seen something against the rules, how does that get addressed?

Their alleged hijinks involved following the law -- in Nevada, for early voting, you keep letting people vote until the line is gone, no matter when they showed up. It's only on Election Day when you have to be in line by the time of closure in order to get through the door. So it still gets a big NOPE (otherwise known as an order dismissing the case with prejudice).
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Uh, wow. Obama won Orange County, FL by 18%. They are reporting 45k MORE ballots cast than all of '12, with over 3 hours of voting left.

--@tbonier

That's got to be super encouraging, right? 45K votes is more than half of Obama's 2012 FL victory margin.
posted by zachlipton at 1:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

ZOMG, I just went to dig up maggieb's Lime Kiln Hydrophone post from yesterday for some deep cetacean chillwave action when I noticed that the act of favoriting that post brought my faves total to 538. So, no offense but I'm not favoriting anything else, nor changing socks, until our long national nightmare concludes. "Nobody touch nothin'."
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Onion reveals democracy at work more fearlessly than any other news source by placing a camera inside a voting booth. Watch live: (Facebook)
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:52 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Donald's Trumped Up Nevada Lawsuit Is a Fitting End to a Hateful Campaign
posted by zombieflanders at 1:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

NYC garbage trucks have built a wall around Trump Tower as well

I got your wall right here.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

"A Donald Trump cake being wheeled into Trump Tower @abc #ElectionDay"

You guys have to see the cake. It looks like he's about to start sobbing.
posted by zachlipton at 1:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [75 favorites]

People on 4Chan, much like Trump's children, are unaware you have to, you know, register.

It would kind of make sense that Trump's most blindly fervent supporters would easily believe the election is being rigged if they've never voted before and have no idea how voting even works.
posted by wondermouse at 1:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Google Trends Electionland (interactive): Searching for issues around voting Nov. 8.

Also Google Trends: Election 2016
posted by Kabanos at 1:55 PM on November 8, 2016

LMAO. Hope the baker got paid up front. Hope everybody in there did.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

It looks like he's about to start sobbing

It actually looks like he is about to jump out one of his high windows.
posted by bearwife at 1:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ben Jacobs: Cash bar at trump election night event
posted by porn in the woods at 1:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

You guys have to see the cake. It looks like he's about to start sobbing.

I don't know that there is ever a good reason to have a bust of one's self made from cake.
posted by Mooski at 1:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Voted! Eating tacos!
posted by erisfree at 1:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Ben Jacobs: Cash bar at trump election night event

Oh come on.
posted by zutalors! at 1:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

You guys have to see the cake. It looks like he's about to start sobbing.

There really should have been a long fondant tie dangling down past the wheels.
posted by mochapickle at 1:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Lindsay Lohan's running a totally scientific exit poll.
posted by pjenks at 1:59 PM on November 8, 2016

Huh, the idea is that they celebrate a win by eating him in effigy? That's... something.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Say what you will about Trump Cake but they absolutely nailed those inverse-raccoon tan goggles
posted by theodolite at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Every now and then, our school cafeteria serves some kind of special lunch. Like suddenly there will be steak one day or something. Today, out of the blue, they have a taco bar set up. Deliberate or coincidence? You be the judge.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Trump is a chiseler.
posted by stolyarova at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2016

When you have a rat hole that big, you need a lot of sand to pound down it.
posted by eckeric at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2016

I don't know that there is ever a good reason to have a bust of one's self made from cake.

I would need a good reason not to.
posted by maxsparber at 2:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Polls start closing in one hour.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2016

Oy vey - the Clintons will be watching results come in at a hotel mere blocks from Trump Tower. One could walk in person to deliver a concession.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I had to work today and couldn't do GOTV, but it's actually ok, because I've become my office's go-to person for questions about same-day registration, which apparently a lot of people are asking about. I'm pretty sure that I've enabled a couple of people to vote for Gary Johnson, and I don't even care. Voting is good. People who want to vote should be able to vote.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Lindsay Lohan's running a completely scientific exit poll.

Crazy times. I just hearted a Lohan tweet.
posted by bearwife at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Apparently the cake has been rejected.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Ben Jacobs: Cash bar at trump election night event

Oh come on.

Do we know the status of Trump's loans to his campaign? I'm guessing after he loses he's going to be calling in those debts.
posted by dis_integration at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Every now and then, our school cafeteria serves some kind of special lunch. Like suddenly there will be steak one day or something. Today, out of the blue, they have a taco bar set up. Deliberate or coincidence? You be the judge.

I love things like this!

Deliberate but deniable.
posted by Jalliah at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump's chance to redeem himself. He should get that cake boxed up and sent to HRC HQ
posted by ocschwar at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I live in north Seattle, and sadly I saw a van painted up as an American flag with wooden signs mounted on the top that read "Democrats for Trump" in capital letters. Honestly it looked kinda pathetic.

I saw a large white pickup, F350 maybe, in north Seattle a couple days ago with a big TRUMP sign on the tailgate. I couldn't tell if it was painted on or laid out in blue masking tape, but either way, they'd spelled it TURMP.
posted by hades at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [46 favorites]

I voted by mail a couple weeks ago, and my county sends out 'I voted early' stickers. I carefully saved mine for election-party-attending purposes. My ballot was received, signature verified, and turned over for counting in a timely manner, and I could check my ballot's progress on the county recorder's website.

An initially somewhat reluctant but now fully engaged Hillary supporter, I watched the Pantsuit Power video like five times, cried, and cobbled together a pantsuit to wear today (I'm getting a lot of use out of that blazer I bought on clearance for my Dana Scully costume a few years back). Now I get to put my voting sticker on my lapel!

My SO is a credentialed member of the press, and has been dispatched by his employer to cover Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Rodham Clinton stumping in our red state which is taking on a bluish tinge of late. Plus TWO Trump rallies where he saw people in klan hoods, a guy get beaten up, and was heckled and verbally abused by attendees. In contrast, he described the Clinton events as 'all hugs and rainbows.'

This morning he snuggled up real close to me while we watched Sam Bee's opening bit on HRC before getting out of bed.

Just wanted to check in and thank everyone for being awesome.
posted by vortex genie 2 at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Trucks full of what appears to be salt are lined up around the NYC Hilton Midtown, site of Trump's election night party. [real, probably for ice, but a girl can dream about how salty Trump and his folks are gonna be tonight]

They're for salting the earth after the election returns come in tonight.
posted by indubitable at 2:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

It's unclear where the Clintons are going to be, but the Javits Center isn't really walking distance to the Hilton.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 2:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh man who commissioned the cake and said "lifelike"
posted by mrzarquon at 2:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

In case you missed the Nevada court hearing on Trump's lawsuit, here's Vanity Fair's transcript of Judge Gloria Sturman's comments from the bench. On the main request to "preserve" the votes from the early voting site:

“Are [the votes] not to be counted?” she asked, exasperated, to Trump’s lawyer during a hearing on Tuesday. “What are you saying? Why are we here? You want to preserve the poll data? That is offensive to me. Why don’t we wait to see if the secretary of state wants to do this?”

Then, when the Trump lawyer asked her to order the names of all the poll workers to be released publicly:

“I am not going to expose people doing their civic duty helping their fellow citizens vote, that they are taking their personal time to preserve … to public attention, ridicule, and harassment,” Sturman continued, before commanding Trump’s lawyer: “Thank you, sit down.”

posted by msalt at 2:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [56 favorites]

I voted! Got to my polling station at 4:30 and waited behind one guy. This being Philly, we were in a church/outreach ministry building and the tv screen on the wall was playing Scarface. I knew one of the poll-workers from volunteering for Hillary, which was awesome!

I don't own a pantsuit so I changed into a white dress, and listened to the Hamilton soundtrack on my walk. It was amazing in its low-key-ness; nothing big, nothing special, just hit the buttons and done. I loved every moment.

Now to stress-eat and -clean until tonight.
posted by kalimac at 2:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

That excerpt skips over my favorite thing I've heard a judge say, maybe ever -- "Do you watch Twitter? Have you watched any cable news show?"
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

The DSNY are already big damn heroes, every single damn day. Why the hell should they be dragged into antiterrorist duty?
posted by whuppy at 2:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

@pourmecoffee
Germany: not enthusiastic about Donald Trump.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Apparently the life-like Trump cake was an unsolicited gift and was rejected by security.

My theory - it is actually filled with large-ish hissing eels.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Apparently the cake has been rejected.

Does this mean it was a lie?
posted by Dr Dracator at 2:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

The gist of the Nevada ruling was basically "take it to the [Republican] Secretary of State's office."

(I think Judge Garland would be a good Justice, and his having to sit on his hands for most of this year may shape his attitude towards overreach in ways that have long-term benefit.)
posted by holgate at 2:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sick of being talked to like an idiot? Chris Gethard has a 12-hour public access election coverage thing going on.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Do we know the status of Trump's loans to his campaign? I'm guessing after he loses he's going to be calling in those debts.

Imagining Trump working the phones like Mike Damone.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Husband is working the polls, I asked "any shenanigans?" and he texted "Nope, but some assholes." Can't wait to hear THAT story. He also said it was really busy. His station is in a racially diverse part of town so that was encouraging.

I mentioned we were doing sangria and tacos with friends tonight and a conservative coworker said "Sangria to soothe the pain or celebrate?" I dodged with "Depends on what happens!"

(haha it is totally to celebrate, but I ain't fighting with you at work, man)
posted by emjaybee at 2:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

It's unclear where the Clintons are going to be, but the Javits Center isn't really walking distance to the Hilton.

They're watching at the Peninsula Hotel (700 5th Ave) which is a block away from Trump Tower (725 5th Ave), where Trump will be watching. Later they'll move to the Javits Center and the Hilton, respectively.
posted by acidic at 2:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

To be fair I don't want anyone to accept mysterious cakes. That's how Captain Hook gets you, everybody knows that.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Got up early and voted, no issues, busy but no line, small town in Mass. Then went to work and had trouble focusing. Had a neat call from a guy in Canada who stayed in the hotel (I'm a bartender in a hotel) a few weeks ago, and he wanted the recipe for the kale salad we serve, cuz he loved it so much. I gave him the info and he asked me if I voted and said up there in Ontario they were all thinking of us and hoping we did the right thing and watching nervously. I told him things were, most likely going to be just fine.

Home now and on station, handle of bourbon, some grass, baked cod for dinner later, and the day off tomorrow. I can stay up as late as needed. Let's put this thing to bed my friends, I'm so glad we could do this together.
posted by vrakatar at 2:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

It's unclear where the Clintons are going to be, but the Javits Center isn't really walking distance to the Hilton.

The definition of "walking distance" in Manhattan is one of New Yorkers' favorite things to fight about.
posted by WCWedin at 2:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

CNN's Jake Tapper: Trump is lying about nationwide voting machine problems.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I don't know that there is ever a good reason to have a bust of one's self made from cake.

But this is a ...cellular peptide cake. With mint frosting.
posted by en forme de poire at 2:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

Lats time I was Javits there was so much construction it was like travelling through an assault cause full of pits in the ground and people operating anglegrinders. I think the Kingpin is rebuilding the city there or something?

The entire area is being rebuilt as part of the Hudson Yards complex project. The area around the Javits Center is better now, though. I was there for NY ComicCon and there wasn't much construction around the center itself anymore.

The definition of "walking distance" in Manhattan is one of New Yorkers' favorite things to fight about.

The Javits Center used to be such a pain in the ass to get to. The opening of Hudson Yards Station was a godsend. Trudging from Times Square in partial Dr. Doom armor carrying the rest was not fun.
posted by Sangermaine at 2:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It seems like pokestops are giving out double today, along with pokemon spawning more often today, so all the more reason to get out and vote.

I thought it was just cuz I hit level 25! Too bad my kids don't play, we were out of school today.

I was catching Pokémon in a retail store the other day and my cashier was going on about how it helped her wait 45min in line to early vote at the library.

On the theme of "before She Declared" ... I was working at a Silicon Valley ecommerce company, got laid off, spent months looking for a job, found one at a marketing company, only to quit a few days ago because they ran the place like it was Trumpistan, even down to quoting and praising him as a successful business person to emulate. (By the time I found out the worst of it I'd already been interviewing to leave.). I had to force an exit interview with their joke of a business consultant, and two people quit within 24 hours (one before me, one after me). I quit without a job lined up but I'm hopeful. This election and these threads have me damn hopeful.

The corner poll station has had steady traffic all day. No lines, no waiting at 7:30am. Everyone I've spoken to in person today has early voted and can't wait for this damn thing to be OVER.
posted by tilde at 2:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hillary's motorcade has left Chappaqua for NYC.

The USSS had this to offer:

‏@SecretService
From Nov 2015 to #ElectionDay @SecretService secured 3,220 #Campaign2016 stops & screened over 3 million people. Protection never rests.
posted by xyzzy at 2:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Had they even thought who was going to cut the cake and what that would look like?

If this were a movie (and, to be honest, I'd need a lot of convincing that it's not at this point), the cake's fate would be for Donald to smash it in a rage during his post-loss meltdown, screaming abuse at himself in the voice of his father, while hundreds of onlookers watch him aghast. Then, when the cake is completely destroyed, Donald, covered from head to foot in crumbs and icing, glares at the guests while they stare back open-mouthed. There is an unbearable silence. Then Donald turns on his heel and storms from the room.

That's what should have happened to the cake.
posted by Grangousier at 2:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

CONWAY: What's with the cake?
TRUMP: Little tradition I have. I like to mark big life events by eating Rutger Hauer.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

The gist of the Nevada ruling was basically "take it to the [Republican] Secretary of State's office."

Paraphrasing from the plaintiff, "we need immediate relief from the law and copies of all of that data right now in case we need to file a complaint against the Secretary of State at some unspecified point in the future."
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016

The NYT Upshot's Explore Paths simulator will be handy for tracking possible outcomes as the states start to get called.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016

Several deleted. If you want to talk about favorites limit, do it in the Metatalk. Also please as always don't get into grisly things you'd like to have happen to bad people.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Bad news, guys.

I did an informal Facebook stalker poll of my ex-boyfriends, and things look bad for Clinton. Good for Trump, not too shabby for Gary Johnson.

On the other hand, my ex-girlfriends are universally voting for Hillary.

That's it, Metafilter. No more boyfriends for me. It's bad for democracy.
posted by invincible summer at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [75 favorites]

Or perhaps a tiny Trump was supposed to burst from it shouting "Congratulations!"

Perhaps he still will, wherever the cake ends up.
posted by Grangousier at 2:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Is there an online news stream that I can watch in Canada to watch the results come in? I have no cable. Kodi-based answers are also acceptable.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 2:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've been reading this thread too much but somehow, vrakatar, I can't help but imagine that that kale salad request was just a ruse to see if all Americans were crazy or not.
posted by Diablevert at 2:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

penguin, you could try CNN's livestream on their site. it's what I have on now.
posted by rosiroo at 2:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

First national exit polls have:

White w/ College degrees: T 46 C 45
White w/o College degress: T 65 C 29
posted by Justinian at 2:17 PM on November 8, 2016

Breaking: announcement just made at Denver Elections Office that all state systems are down.
posted by melissasaurus at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The early exit polls are in. Early exit poll: Voters anxious about Trump.
posted by waitingtoderail at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2016

Apparently Bush OG and Laura left their presidential ballots blank.
posted by Happy Dave at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

At what time will we have an indication of the way things are going? 8pm Eastern?
posted by cell divide at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2016

The Trump Cake is Smash Cake, and later on a sticky two-year-old will launch him/herself directly at the face and bore straight in consuming everything in their path until they reach the cake brain where they will begin to pupate. It's how the Trumps reproduce.
posted by um at 2:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

NPR has gone on Facebook Live with coverage:

"We’re at the exact midpoint between Clinton’s and Trump’s #Election2016 parties — at 45th St. and 9th Ave. in Midtown Manhattan, with NPR Politics reporter Scott Detrow."

Fitting.
posted by entropicamericana at 2:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Clinton's stage tonight is literally America.

OMG.

She will literally be The New Colossus.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Montgomery County PA here, long line this morning but moved fast. I'm the demographic that they're talking about and I did not vote with my traditional party - they nominated a sexist, delusional, asshole. This was just too important to stick with the party.
Too damn important.
posted by NoraCharles at 2:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Dana Milbank: They built a cash bar at Trump election night party-- and his supporters are going to pay for it.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Is there an online news stream that I can watch in Canada to watch the results come in? I have no cable. Kodi-based answers are also acceptable.

I think CBC is going to have a live stream on their website.
posted by nubs at 2:21 PM on November 8, 2016

Per @CNN: 2.4 million in Colorado have already voted, of an entire population of 5.356 million
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 2:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

If only I had a penguin...: Is there an online news stream that I can watch in Canada to watch the results come in? I have no cable. Kodi-based answers are also acceptable.

There's a roundup of streaming links here.
posted by bluecore at 2:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Kurt Eichenwald has an interesting 16-quote tweetstream of anonymously sourced slams on Trump from people who know him well, starting here.

1. Source: "If you asked Don, he'd call me his best friend."
Me: "What would you call him?"
Source: "A clinical sociopath."

It ends with this:

Bottom line: In 6 months, I have never found a real Trump friend or anyone who isn't paid by him who has anything nice to say about him.

posted by msalt at 2:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

That Trump cake looks like when Tootie made the bust of Jermaine Jackson
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

I think CBC is going to have a live stream on their website.

And it is indeed live now! I got my timezones mixed up on when it was starting.
posted by nubs at 2:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@mikeduncan:

So just to recap. November 8...

Mundus Patet
Cortés enters Tenochtitlan
Coup of 18 Brumaire
Beer Hall Putsch

Good luck out there

posted by zombieflanders at 2:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

That Trump cake looks like when Tootie made the bust of Jermaine Jackson
--posted by Senor Cardgage

(begins making Senor Cardgage a friendship bracelet)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

pbs says they'll start streaming at the end of this hour, btw. http://www.pbs.org/election2016/election-night-live/
posted by andrewcooke at 2:24 PM on November 8, 2016

Slate: Someone hacked Trump's website and left a poop emoji on it
posted by mochapickle at 2:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Interesting number from the CNN early exits: 38% wanted change. TTTCS, but that's a good sign.
posted by zachlipton at 2:25 PM on November 8, 2016

Apparently Bush OG and Laura left their presidential ballots blank.

I can only think how hollow that choice is going to feel in the future. A moment's sense of superiority, a lifetime of consequences one way or the other.
posted by Miko at 2:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Re the plow trucks: NYC uses them pretty regularly as a no-really-this-street-is-closed mechanism. They close off cross streets for motorcades and parades with them all the time.
posted by Skorgu at 2:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@BrockVergakis
This Navy veteran took a bus and walked 3 blocks on crutches to vote for Clinton in Norfolk. Says Trump doesn't know more than the generals. [image]
posted by chris24 at 2:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Pizza to the Polls is delivering to people stuck in long voting lines. Visit the site to report hungry voters, or donate money.
posted by terooot at 2:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

White w/ College degrees: T 46 C 45

Where the fuck did they get a degree?
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

For anybody phone banking -- what do you do if the person has already voted?
posted by maurreen at 2:28 PM on November 8, 2016

That reporter's Twitter feed indicated the systems are back up. Let's not have a panic derail over a solved problem.

Carry on, and enjoy tonight's popcorn.
posted by absalom at 2:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Eh, Clinton is outperforming Obama among white voters with college or higher and underperforming Obama among white voters without college. Also exit polls are generally garbage. So I'm not worried either way.
posted by Justinian at 2:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Colorado system appears to be up and running again, at least in Denver, unclear on what's happening elsewhere in the state. Where the fuck is my paper bag to breathe into?
posted by mynameisluka at 2:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

At this time of day, I'm reading that as Old/retired people w/ college degree.
posted by maudlin at 2:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Don't pay attention to exit polls. They're not necessarily indicative of anything, and can change over the course of the night,
posted by zombieflanders at 2:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

A national exit poll is pretty silly at this point, there are hours and hours of voting to go even in EST not to mention on the West Coast.
posted by dis_integration at 2:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

For anybody phone banking -- what do you do if the person has already voted?

tell them the next closest polling location so they can vote again, what kind of Democrat are you
posted by prize bull octorok at 2:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

I think CBC is going to have a live stream on their website.

CBC Live blog of US election.
Looks like live TV coverage will begin there as well; not sure when.

Also CBC US Election Results Tracker.
posted by Kabanos at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016

Don't pay attention to exit polls? Right. From Tommy Vietor:

Looking at exit polls is like hooking up with your ex-girlfriend. You know before you do it that you shouldn’t. You do it anyway because you can’t resist. In the short term, you’re gratified, and then it quickly wears off, and you’re ashamed of yourself for the rest of the day.”

posted by Justinian at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Anyone who wants to fuck with the Trump website can now. Just replace everything after "https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/archive/" in that link.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

More info on Broward County, the biggest and best county in Florida for Democrats. Yuge turnout.

@ElectProject
In Broward County FL, 32,206 (+4.8%) more people have voted than in 2012 total at 4:30pm
posted by chris24 at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

For anybody phone banking -- what do you do if the person has already voted?

What I've been told is that if they tell you they voted for Clinton, you can mark them as strong support and that they voted. If they won't tell you who they voted for, just mark as refused contact and move on.
posted by zachlipton at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My fun voting experience this morning: Waited in line for a bit, they couldn't find me on the rolls, and then we realized I was supposed to go to the OTHER polling place on the other side of the room. Which was (equally) lovely and had no lines. Very odd.
posted by kaibutsu at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Poll Report from NC: we just got done poll greeting from 9:30-4 (there were two of us and we wanted to stay together, so we took two consecutive shifts). Our polling spot was a small church in a part of town with a lot of older white people, a minority of African-Americans, and a small but rising Latinx population.

It was an interesting day. 😄

There was never a line, flow was steady but slow. Most folks were very polite, even when refusing literature... but we had three angry white men (at different times) come and yell at both us and the Republican greeter for not being 50ft away. We were all well outside the posted signs, which honestly seemed a bit close, but with the church layout, 50+ ft would have put us right in the parking lot, blocking traffic. They didn't do anything but yell angrily, but it was disconcerting. Interestingly, two had quite bushy beards, so we started evaluating approaching voters on whether they were sporting "50ft beards" or not. (They got offered lit regardless ;))

The awesome parts: 1) I got to help an older African-American lady back to her car after voting; she got a ride to to the polls so she could vote, despite her kidney infection. Once in the car, she's looked up at me and said, "Democrats are gonna win this one." I decided my anxiety could fuck right off after that: if she's could get out and vote in obvious pain and barely walking, I could damn well stand there and hand out slips of paper!

2) A Latino gentleman came out and slowed halfway through the parking lot, looking confused. I asked if he was there to vote, and gen nodded. I asked if he'd like a list of Democratic candidates, he replied "Yes, thank you!" Then he paused, motioned at the door, so I gave him directions on where to go once he got inside. Later, we saw him come out, with a huge smile on his face. He saw us, waved, yelled "Thanks buddy!" and gave a thumbs up.

Great day. :)
posted by Kelrichen at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [37 favorites]

I left work an hour early only to find the trains delayed to fire department activity and my train skipping my stop. Is the MTA in the bag for Trump?
posted by SansPoint at 2:32 PM on November 8, 2016

I can't stop watching http://exitpoll.live/. The non-stop vine-length video of randos saying what they want out of politicians really reminds me about the value of education and getting the message out.
posted by Phredward at 2:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My first adult election was 2000. The words "Broward County" induce painful flashbacks.
posted by Diablevert at 2:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

"A Donald Trump cake being wheeled into Trump Tower @abc #ElectionDay"

You guys have to see the cake. It looks like he's about to start sobbing.

This is why you don't let Honoré Daumier design your cakes.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Anyone who wants to fuck with the Trump website can now. Just replace everything after "https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/archive/" in that link.

It's true!
posted by Mchelly at 2:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Ask if they wanna sing a little song together where you take a popular song and replace one of the words with "vote"

Relatedly, there are more songs about boats than you might think. Not so much with goats or moats or stoats.
posted by dinty_moore at 2:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Exits have Clinton +20 with millenials. This is down from Obama being +23 in 2012. This is not because of Trump voters, he gets less support than Romney, but rather because third parties increased support.
posted by Justinian at 2:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Anyone who wants to fuck with the Trump website can now. Just replace everything after "https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/archive/" in that link.

fun!
posted by mazola at 2:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

@Nate_Cohn
Florida turnout already far above 2012.
Broward is now at 800k, up from 757
Orange is at 527k up from 467
Brevard is at 301k up from 286
posted by chris24 at 2:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Dispatch from your friendly local Texas poll worker:

I just got a lengthy visit from Alex Jones, in the flesh. Look for me on Infowars tonight, I guess. He likes my tattoos and jokingly asked for my phone number. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by marshmallow peep at 2:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [50 favorites]

Anyone who wants to fuck with the Trump website can now.

Grab them by the pussy.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump Website: "CLINTON WINS" ?
posted by Kabanos at 2:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

What's the over / under of Hillary doing a listening tour of America before she goes to the inauguration. Or after?

Targeting the reddest counties?
posted by mrzarquon at 2:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

She will literally be The New Colossus.

As my Scottish mother might have said, it's pantsuit or pants oot when yer astride the great divide.
posted by pracowity at 2:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Trump should never have used a private webserver, obviously.
posted by uosuaq at 2:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Preliminary exit polls suggest that 17 percent of voters are excited by the idea of Clinton as president and 29 percent are scared of it; only 13 percent of voters are excited about Trump as president, while 37 percent said that idea scared them.

from 538's stream.
posted by andrewcooke at 2:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

White w/ College degrees: T 46 C 45

Where the fuck did they get a degree?

Trump University obv.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Update: "A suit has just been filed with a superior court in North Carolina calling for an emergency order to force the state board of election to keep the Durham County polling places open until 9pm tonight. Voting has been severely disrupted there by a county-wide failure of voting machines, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice that has brought the lawsuit says that polling times should be extended to make up for that."

That would mean a late night call for NC if the court agrees.
posted by zachlipton at 2:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

The Trump URL uses a captcha that doesnt load on mobile devices

seriously?
posted by mrzarquon at 2:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Exit polling is particularly useless this year, with increased early vote turnout, and much of that by minority voters.

Guess who can't answer exit polls. People who voted last week.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

It only shows up for you (and whoever else you share the link with.)

.... and in the website's access_log.

I would love to read that, right about now.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

it;s very likely only visible to someone who enters the exact same link on the browser address bar.
posted by andrewcooke at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2016

i don't understand the archive link thing. does it show up to other people or just when you link to it?

Just when you link to it.
posted by Karaage at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2016

The confused Trumpets who don't know how to vote are not a real stretch in my mind. I work at a community college and one of our students came in today freaking out about how this Electoral College thing can just change her vote from Trump to Hillary. She wanted to know how long this had been around and why college people were able to change her vote. And this was not a fresh out of high school person.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 2:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Share this kind of thing in chat, maybe? Website tomfoolery?
posted by agregoli at 2:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

...and the trump web admins redirected the archive page. <laugh type="nelson"/>
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 2:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Finally voted. It seemed busy but not exceptionally so.
posted by drezdn at 2:44 PM on November 8, 2016

It was 93 degrees at Burbank Public Library when I voted. Thankfully, while it took the husband 70 minutes to vote, I walked right in.

Because of her gender, she couldn't join the Marines. She tried. She couldn't be an astronaut. She asked. They told her to bake cookies. She told them to go to hell. Change your name. Change your hair. Change your daughter, your husband. Change your laugh. Smile more. She's been dissected, humiliated, burned at the stake and accused of every crime under the sun by angry, raging, white, ignorant men. And today, we gonna pick the lock for you @hillaryclinton. Today we say yes. - via pantsuit nation

Now, to make tacos.
posted by Sophie1 at 2:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [59 favorites]

Clinton broke Pantsuit Nation (in a good way)

I'll just post cause I can't share from there.

Dear Pantsuit Nation (have you ever heard a better name?!),
On this historic day, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart.
This election hasn't been easy: It's been long, hard-fought, and at times it made us question who we are as Americans. For some of you, it's been difficult to feel like you could wear your support on your sleeve -- and that's why this community has been such a special place. Your stories and photos of family members and friends are wonderful to see, but what truly warms my heart is the thousands of comments of support and love you all send to each other. I'm honored and humbled to have all of you with me, but I'm even prouder to see this community represent the best of America: people of all backgrounds and beliefs who share a vision for a brighter future for our children, and who have each other's backs. That's who we really are, and tonight, we're going to prove it.
Thank you all so much for your support, your hard work, and your votes. Tonight, I hope we'll finally break through that highest, hardest glass ceiling together, and use those pantsuits for the best occasion of all -- celebrating!
-H
posted by Jalliah at 2:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [132 favorites]

What is really astounding that in the 21st century, we're still dealing with long lines at polling places. This isn't the 1950s. Why is it so hard to get simple ballots to people, and tally them? I early-voted and am glad for doing so to avoid the stupidity of waiting in line for your right to vote. If your state doesn't have early voting, well, you know where to complain to before the next election.
posted by docjohn at 2:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It just occured to me that the Green Party is like the bad sci-fi writer that isn't smart enough to plot their story from beginning to satisfying end so the third act relies on the heroes taking out a mothership or some such centralized control center that makes all the robots stop fighting.
It's an overly simple uncreative solution to a complex problem.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

So right now it looks like more people have voted for Clinton in 2016 than Obama '12 with over an hour left to go.

That looks pretty good unless places like Penascola are ridiculously Republican.
posted by vuron at 2:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Why is it so hard to get simple ballots to people, and tally them?

The key to understanding this situation is that these "problems" are there on purpose.
posted by Sangermaine at 2:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Ask if they wanna sing a little song together where you take a popular song and replace one of the words with "vote"

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Election's all around me
C'mon and let's go vote...
posted by dnash at 2:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

minority turnout is way up in Florida. In the preliminary exit polls, 39 percent of voters were people of color. That compares to just 33 percent in 2012.

(538 feed again)
posted by andrewcooke at 2:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

People are leaving flowers and mementoes at the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial in Market Square, Knoxville.

The haze in the background is smoke from wildfires raging across Western North Carolina, North Georgia and East Tennessee.
posted by workerant at 2:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

638 feed again

Oh shit we forgot about the extra 100 electoral votes.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Is there anything about Texas yet? I'm the worst at finding these things. Just really curious about Texas this year.
posted by Jalliah at 2:49 PM on November 8, 2016

SF polls update. We are running out of "I VOTED" stickers, partly because of strong and steady turnout but also because we are all giving the stickers to every little kid who comes in. (We even gave stickers to a couple of dogs.) And apparently there are no more to be had! Our election supervisor is trying to scrounge some more up for us.

We also let all parents know that their kid can feed the ballots into the machine if they want to -- partly so they can be part of history but also because it's kind of cool to have a big beeping robot magically eat a huge piece of paper. Nobody's lost a finger yet, but I was worried about an eighteen-month-old girl who looked like she wanted to dive after the ballots into the machine.

Heading back for the evening rush in a few minutes. No more breaks until it's all over.
posted by vickyverky at 2:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

The Trump website cross-site scripting bug appears to have already been fixed.
posted by jferg at 2:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

#TrumpCake is what happens when you hire over-enthusiastic Latvian hipster musician bakers and don't pay them...
posted by Wordshore at 2:50 PM on November 8, 2016

Matt Taibbi: After This Election, Turn It Off. Let's never follow politics again
posted by homunculus at 2:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

@KatyTurNBC: Publicly and privately we are already hearing frustration from Trump camp about the coordination bw RNC and Team Trump.

HAHAHAHAHA
posted by zombieflanders at 2:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

Breaking: Banksy reveals Donald Trump has been Art Installation all along. [fake]
posted by jferg at 2:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

The whining has already started:

its 5:45 and Kellyanne Conway tells @chucktodd she's disappointed she didn't have the full support of the Republican party.
Publicly and privately we are already hearing frustration from Trump camp about the coordination bw RNC and Team Trump. @alivitali

--@KatyTurNBC
posted by zachlipton at 2:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Coordination would imply an unwillingness to instantly follow his whims.
posted by Artw at 2:51 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm registering fivefortyone.com and fivefortyfour.com just in case D.C. or Puerto Rico become states soon.
posted by drezdn at 2:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

Cleveland GOTV update:

Pulled one last door-to-door canvass on a rainy but warm afternoon.

Had my Hillary T, my Derek Hess hoodie, and my other supplies.

Third pass in the last two days for the addresses, and everyone who was home had already voted for Hillary on Monday or this morning. So despite Cuyahoga's EV barely creeping above the 2012 numbers, I still have hope for Ohio.

Now I'm home and ready for tonight.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:52 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

The rats have started jumping off the sinking ship earlier than usual this year!

First polls close in 8 minutes. It is beginning. Where is that? I can't find any places which close so early but CNN has it on screen.
posted by Justinian at 2:52 PM on November 8, 2016

... Taibbi hastily adds "but keep clicking through to RollingStone.com, and why don't you support our advertisers while you're at it?"
posted by tonycpsu at 2:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh my god, the polls haven't even closed yet in most places. Great job there, Trump campaign. It's gonna be a bloodbath in there, holy shit.
posted by yasaman at 2:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Just want to say I'm so, so impressed by how so many people here have worked on this election.
You're all such good people here.
posted by Jalliah at 2:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

@cballardnews: Voters gather in the Laramie, WY at the statue of Louisa Swain, the first woman to cast a vote.
posted by jazon at 2:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Justinian: Posted earlier in today's firehose.
posted by entropicamericana at 2:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Bolted awake at 5 am from a dream where a loaded revolver was pointed at my
temple. I've been undecided right up to today, but my subconcious seems
less so. In the voting booth, I didn't go over the plusses and minuses and
tactics one more time, but picked (D) on autopilot.
posted by joeyh at 2:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can someone go back in time and make sure Tehhund knows it's Election Day today and they need to vote?
posted by zachlipton at 2:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [52 favorites]

All public data points to good night for the Democrats.
posted by humanfont at 2:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

> "First polls close in 8 minutes. It is beginning. Where is that?"

Indiana and Kentucky.
posted by kyrademon at 2:56 PM on November 8, 2016

Oh he's at most a few hours behind at this point based on my Favorites.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Coming in late - anyone have a link to a recording of the Nevada case? I missed the livestream and would like to see the full thing.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 2:57 PM on November 8, 2016

From the Taibbi link posted by the ever-appreciated homunculus:

"This election took 18 agonizing months to complete. It could have been done in five weeks.

"The only people who benefitted from it taking so long were media companies that depend upon making us miserable as a moneymaking strategy, and politicians who escape general scrutiny when the population is divided.

"We have a lot of real problems in this country, about which we should of course stay informed and vote sensibly. But maybe our biggest problem is the political process itself. Our version of politics dehumanizes and demeans all of us."
posted by Lyme Drop at 2:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Aren't all polls open until 8:00 at night? They close at 5:00? I am shocked.
posted by Oyéah at 2:57 PM on November 8, 2016

I pulled two GOTV door-knocking shifts in Minneapolis this morning+afternoon. Most of the people weren't home, which lulls you into a rhythm of complacency wondering if there's anyone actually voting... But! I did talk to a bunch of people that hadn't voted and got all of them to say they would vote for Hillary/DFL candidates. The best was a house where the elderly mom answered while she had her son on the phone. He didn't know where his polling place was so I was able to assist and turn out a voter not in my packet.

It's just a drop in the bucket, but it counts. Thanks to VTX for the encouragement and all the other MeFites that have been doing this ground work and sharing their stories about it. Getting out there and talking to people about this feels good.
posted by strange chain at 2:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Re: the cash bar at Trump's event tonight. I don't know from election night events - is that normal or not? People are sounding like it's not. I guess I don't get to enough swanky big time events to know whether to expect open bar or not.
posted by dnash at 2:58 PM on November 8, 2016

IF YOU LIVED HERE
YOU'D BE ANXIOUS RIGHT NOW

that's my secret, cap: i'm always anxious
posted by entropicamericana at 2:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

I feel bad for the Trump camp. Nobody told them there'd be voting.
posted by um at 3:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

> "First polls close in 8 minutes. It is beginning. Where is that?"
>Indiana and Kentucky.

Only the part of Indiana in the eastern time zone. Evansville and Gary are in the Central zone, so Indiana's returns won't count until 7pm eastern.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:00 PM on November 8, 2016

> "Aren't all polls open until 8:00 at night?"

Nope. There are a number of states where they close at 6:00, 7:00, or 7:30.
posted by kyrademon at 3:00 PM on November 8, 2016

Oyéah: "Aren't all polls open until 8:00 at night? They close at 5:00? I am shocked."

Looks like they close at 6:00 in Indiana and Kentucky.
posted by octothorpe at 3:01 PM on November 8, 2016

Jesus, the Monday Night Football montage on CNN as the first results are about to come in.
posted by Sangermaine at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Shitty states IMO. How isn't that basically a form of voter suppression?
posted by Windopaene at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

So far I am 0/20 getting actual humans instead of voicemail thru the Hillary phone banking app. Oh well.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016

Nope. There are a number of states where they close at 6:00, 7:00, or 7:30.

Ie. there are a number of states that are ridiculous.
posted by drezdn at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm registering fivefortyone.com and fivefortyfour.com just in case D.C. or Puerto Rico become states soon.

Don't forget the various secession scenarios (Texas, Left Coast, Conch Republic)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Kentucky has a time zone split as well, so I don't know if either state will be reported for another hour.
posted by kyrademon at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Can't believe I've reached the end of the thread!

I've been helping clients fill out ballots all day here in Washington, then dropping them off at the King County building a block away. Most of the clients only want to vote Hilary, they don't care about the rest of the ballot, which is pretty long. But it feels festive. I've missed in person voting, since I last voted in person for Obama in 2008. I can say that vote-by-mail has a downside. Many currently homeless people that don't have a reliable address are totally fucked. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to not be able to vote for candidates at the state level that make or break funding for homeless services, mental health care, and so on.

After work I'm heading home to watch results with family and my refuse-to-even-register partner, who despises the whole process. I think this election may have won her over though not soon enough to register. Thanks mostly to me sharing pro-Hilary memes from Metafilter. She is a skateboarding Latinx that doesn't take shit, so the kick-flip Hilary and all the awesome Taco memes have almost broken down her cynical exterior. That and Kate McKinnon.

Anyone know if you can same-day register in Washington?
posted by kittensofthenight at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

unless places like Penascola are ridiculously Republican.

Kinda, yeah. Escambia County went 60-40 for Romney, the other counties were more like 70-30 but just spitballing Escambia looks like ~40\% of the population of the CST part of FL.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2016

> "How isn't that basically a form of voter suppression?"

Well, basically ... it is.
posted by kyrademon at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

So far I am 0/20 getting actual humans instead of voicemail thru the Hillary phone banking app. Oh well.

Totally normal. You can keep calling or try another state. I promise people do pick up.
posted by zachlipton at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2016

Jesus, the Monday Night Football montage on CNN as the first results are about to come in.

It always seems more like a pay-per-view prizefight teaser to me.
posted by dis_integration at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Kellyanne Conway tells @chucktodd she's disappointed she didn't have the full support of the Republican party.

Maybe calling them all "cucks" was poor strategy
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [46 favorites]

dnash- it is purely bush league at the national level. Open bars are expected, especially election night.
posted by vrakatar at 3:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Poll closing times and how many electoral votes (total) we can know at that time, from that NYT graphic, all times eastern.

6pm
Most of Indiana, the eastern half of Kentucky

7pm
64 electoral votes
Most of Florida, Georgia, the rest of Indiana, the western half of Kentucky, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia

7:30pm
102 electoral votes
North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia

8pm
292 electoral votes
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, the western panhandle of Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, most of Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, most of North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, the eastern half of South Dakota, Tennessee, most of Texas

8:30pm
298 electoral votes
Arkansas

9:00pm
432 electoral votes
New York, Minnesota, the western half of South Dakota, Nebraska, the southwestern corner of North Dakota, the northwestern corner of Michigan, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Wyoming

10pm
457 electoral votes
Iowa, most of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Montana

11pm
535 electoral votes
California, the northern tip of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii

12pm
Most of Alaska

1am
538 electoral votes
The western islands of Alaska

posted by LobsterMitten at 3:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

I didn't have a pantsuit, so I wore suffragette white. My poll worker was my fifth grade teacher. I didn't like her much back then, but she complimented my nails. When my husband walked in a few minutes after I had left, she said "Oh, I just had another LastName," and when he said that's his wife, she said he was a lucky man. So we cool now, Mrs. Conboy. It's also cool that she's out there working the polls in her 80's. I made sure to ask for a sticker, which I wore at work all day. The man offered me two, since I said I didn't get one at the primaries, either, but I declined, saying I didn't want people to think I voted twice. One of my friends at work did not get a sticker, so I ended up regretting not taking that second one. I work in a very conservative industry, but somehow, all the token liberals end up on my team, so I was in a safe little bubble of grim hopefulness.

I live within hearing distance of a shooting range (seriously, who puts a shooting range across the street from a middle school? WTF, RI?) so all I can hear are gunshots right now, and, to be honest, it's making me really on edge.
posted by Ruki at 3:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Senor Cardgage: "Maybe calling them all "cucks" was poor strategy"

Hindsight, huh?
posted by boo_radley at 3:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

This is a state thing, sorry, but the Kentucky House is very important tonight too. The last statehouse in the South controlled by Dems and the only thing stopping Matt Bevin from unified control and turning Kentucky into Kansas by this time next year.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

In case of uncontrolled democracy, break glass.
posted by Splunge at 3:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

> "Anyone know if you can same-day register in Washington?"

From what I can gather from the Washington State Secretary of State's Election Dates and Deadlines page, it looks like no:

October 31 -- Deadline for in-person new Washington State voter registration
posted by kyrademon at 3:07 PM on November 8, 2016

Grauniad vote tracker is already showing results for some NH counties, but according to the "when do the polls close" link upthread, the earliest precincts there don't close until 7pm eastern. I am very confused.
posted by Westringia F. at 3:07 PM on November 8, 2016

Are we really here at poll closing time on election day? Is this really finally happening? Seems unreal to me so far. Maybe after I have a few drinks and I get the TV news going.
posted by glhaynes at 3:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Kentucky has begun to report votes.
posted by kyrademon at 3:08 PM on November 8, 2016

THE BIG MAP IS UP ON CNN!
posted by vrakatar at 3:08 PM on November 8, 2016

> "Grauniad vote tracker is already showing results for some NH counties, but according to the 'when do the polls close' link upthread, the earliest precincts there don't close until 7pm eastern. I am very confused."

It's the ones like Dixville Notch that have the weird midnight voting thing. Note the tiny numbers.
posted by kyrademon at 3:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Westringia F: That's literally 61 votes from midnight, because a bunch of people in NH vote at midnight so they can say they're first. Pay them no heed.
posted by zachlipton at 3:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Results trickling in at the LA Times tracker too.
posted by Rhomboid at 3:09 PM on November 8, 2016

Kentucky has begun to report votes.

I don't know if we're ready for this (KY) jelly.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:09 PM on November 8, 2016

Ah! The midnight thing! Thank you!
posted by Westringia F. at 3:10 PM on November 8, 2016

Westringia F.: "Grauniad vote tracker is already showing results for some NH counties, but according to the "when do the polls close" link upthread, the earliest precincts there don't close until 7pm eastern. I am very confused."

Oh, that's nice. You can zoom in and see details from each county.
posted by octothorpe at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2016

Key race alert: Trump winning one precinct in Kentucky!!

God I forgot how much I hated this horse race nonsense where they report a single district or ward or precinct with its 2000 votes like it's a story.
posted by dis_integration at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

You all ready for this landslide?

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's headlines about the surge in Latino voters and the surprise appearance of shy Hillary supporters.
posted by joedan at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Fuck. I just saw the first map and am starting to hyperventilate in my heart. I'm going to go procure snacks, I will not be strong enough to get through this without many of them.
posted by mynameisluka at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Yes, mynameisluka, early returns indicate that Clinton may not do well in the key swing state of Kentucky. Low energy. Sad!
posted by Justinian at 3:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

I've really enjoyed these election threads, and it's been a good place to get thoughtful and respectful commentary about this election. Unfortunately, as I Canadian, I can't really contribute much to this thread, other than my opinion on the best nicknames for the candidates that I've seen in various place. So without further fanfare, here they are:
Trump: Cheeto-faced Ferret Wearing Shitgibbon, Trumpelthinskin, Cheeto Benito, Gropey McGropeFace, Littlefingers
Clinton: Madame President
That is all.
posted by directnine at 3:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

It's not even the fact that it's Kentucky or that it's red, more that THIS IS HAPPENING. It's really happening.
posted by mynameisluka at 3:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Has anyone figured out if the garbage trucks around trump tower are a proper presidential motorcade for a dumpster fire?
posted by Catblack at 3:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Grauniad vote tracker

As it loads, it says:

...taking deep breaths...

etc.

...all systems go. Good luck America!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Noticing that the money is suddenly piling on Hillary to win on the betting markets.

Right; I have my taco supper ready (well, partially eaten already to be honest). Let's do this.
posted by Wordshore at 3:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm ready to follow this crazy thing in London. The BBC election coverage is spooling up with Jeremy Vine's stupid electoral graphics.

I made a jambalaya and have plenty of booze and coffee to keep me going. I was also wise enough to book tomorrow off work, so come on America, let's do this.
posted by knapah at 3:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Yesterday I got about halfway through Anderson Cooper's smackdown of Kellyanne Conway before I realized, hey, I don't have to listen to her ever again and shut it down.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

BBC coverage just went live! Here we go.
posted by skybluepink at 3:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

There are #MAGA hats encased in lucite beside the stage at Trump's party.
posted by porn in the woods at 3:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Also in London, also booked tomorrow off work, all stocked up with beer and gin. I'm watching CNN, the UK coverage has way too much explaining about how the electoral college works. I'm ready for the next level.

Of course the British public are, as a result, probably going to end up better educated about American democracy than most Americans.
posted by dis_integration at 3:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

This is going too damn fast. I'd be all in favor of making the elections a single week, declared a national holiday and party. Not enough time to hate on the candidates too much, and you get whatever oppo you can in that week. Parades, biergartens, etc.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:21 PM on November 8, 2016

Seth Meyers Mocks ‘Bond Villain’ Trump for Getting His Twitter Account Taken Away
posted by kirkaracha at 3:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

There are an awful lot, and I mean they are an awful lot, of people I never have to listen to again, after this. The one thing I have learned is that the spin makers have no grasp of reality, what so ever. The gullibility factor of people who are barely read, now reading copiously on the web, is very high. That has to be addressed in schools, heavily, so we can be an informed nation.
posted by Oyéah at 3:21 PM on November 8, 2016

Hi MeFi. Another voteless Brit here. I've been reading these threads all year. I'm visiting friends in Hong Kong, and I'm up at 7 am for this. Persuaded friend to take the day off work to watch / drink / celebrate with me (TTTCS).

After Brexit, my faith in democracy has been thoroughly, unpleasantly rattled. Reading your inspiring volunteering and voting stories has been a summerlong, distant glow of hope for the future of humanity, from over the western horizon.

I love you all for what MeFi is.

Let's do this.
posted by Quagkapi at 3:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

First results now coming in from Indiana as well.
posted by kyrademon at 3:22 PM on November 8, 2016

Did Trump's web site get hacked?

Haha, you can put whatever you want into a Trump and Pence URL, get the header

But oh my god it appears 💩 is in the canonical URL
posted by jeffburdges at 3:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

There are #MAGA hats encased in lucite beside the stage at Trump's party.

Please do not open the Ark. I beg of you.
posted by My Dad at 3:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Ugh, the Guardian's map has the little pixelated candidates fighting with each other at intervals. So far WaPo's seems most pleasing to the eye - reds are less red and candidate caricature's are equally boring.
posted by danapiper at 3:23 PM on November 8, 2016

Every Way Jezebel Described Donald Trump During the Presidential Election. A sample, there are hundreds:

Actually three bigoted baby Muppets stacked on top of one another
Half-melted pile of candy corn from Halloween ‘83
An angry ghost
Giant mound of hardened Cheez Whiz
A smushed up caterpillar your 6-year-old brother set on fire with a magnifying glass
Rotten kabocha squash

This is our proudest and most monstrous achievement, and we thank you for being a part of it.

posted by zachlipton at 3:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

I really believe that various communities are coming out in record numbers not just because of a rejection of Trump but also an affirmation of democratic principles.

People don't tend to take time out of their busy days to vote for the "lesser of two evils" especially not in record numbers. No I'm pretty sure that while some of the vote is about safeguarding the future a lot of the vote is about making a positive choice about the direction people want the US to go.

I for one am happy to be looking forward instead of remembering a past that for many wasn't always so happy.
posted by vuron at 3:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I considered taking tomorrow off work because I'm going to be a wreck but decided I needed to see the faces of the smiling women on my train tomorrow morning more than I needed sleep.
posted by phunniemee at 3:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Thank you all so much for your support, your hard work, and your votes. Tonight, I hope we'll finally break through that highest, hardest glass ceiling together, and use those pantsuits for the best occasion of all -- celebrating!
-H

The Javits Center. HRC's campaign is much better attuned to symbolism than the MAGA people, I think.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

And the first blue shows up in New Hampshire!
posted by Windopaene at 3:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Loving the Graun's map but the red is keeping my heart in my throat. Wished I'd had the wherewithal to book tomorrow off work, dammit!
posted by freya_lamb at 3:26 PM on November 8, 2016

Berkeley update 3:25 pm: Pace of voters steady, but not overwhelming. Turns out there are no less than five polling stations within four blocks, which may explain the lack of long queues. Someone moved my damn signs and I am secretly not happy. College students are not good at updating their voter info, knowing which polling place to go to, or walking to the correct polling place (even if it's a block away). I will have the provisional ballot protocol burned into my memory for a long time.

4.583 hours to go.
posted by clorox at 3:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Where are you guys getting your map updates? Im in class so cant watch video.
posted by Tarumba at 3:27 PM on November 8, 2016

Trump has a merch table. No CDs, though.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Gruaniad link above
posted by Windopaene at 3:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

grauniad map
posted by andrewcooke at 3:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Tarumba: this politico map is good. Or, later on, for the called vote.
posted by dis_integration at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tweety on now telling about how Tip O'Neill and co. used to go to a porno theater during early returns as a way to get away from News.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

So, once Hillary takes Florida, its over, right?
posted by monospace at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Some live election results sites:
• Politico: http://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/president?lo=ut_b1
• NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president
• LA Times: http://graphics.latimes.com/la-na-pol-2016-election-results-national/
• CNN: http://www.cnn.com/election/results
• Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2016/nov/08/us-election-2016-results-live-clinton-trump
posted by StrawberryPie at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

"Multiple people shot near polling station; active shooter heavily armed" near Azusa, CA just now.
posted by thefoxgod at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I don't recall election results being so boring ever before. Why are there no actual results, yet? I mean so far I think I've seen one county in Kentucky and one in Indiana and 12 people in New Hampshire.

Does this mean that many of those places where the polls are supposedly closed aren't actually closed and counting yet (presumably because of lines)? or what's taking so long to count? What's the procedure for counting and releasing results?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

CNN just brought up a "KEY RACE ALERT" to update their Kentucky and Indiana numbers... where 1% are in.

If that's a KEY RACE ALERT... I don't even. In what possible scenario are Kentucky and Indiana key races?
posted by Justinian at 3:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

So, once Hillary takes Florida, its over, right?

If she takes Florida and North Carolina, it's virtually impossible for Trump to win.
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

In what possible scenario are Kentucky and Indiana key races?

In the race for your eyeballs.
posted by nubs at 3:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

First live people on the phonebank! One was "other," but one was "absolutely" for Hillary and had already voted :)
posted by en forme de poire at 3:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Tweety on now telling about how Tip O'Neill and co. used to go to a porno theater during early returns as a way to get away from News.

well we hit Peak Chris Matthews pretty early this year
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Take a walk back in time with Great Noments of 2015-16 campaign Year(s)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It always boggles my mind that you guys still have voting going on whilst districts are already calling. Reminds me just how amazing it is that the US exists as a single entity at all.
posted by freya_lamb at 3:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

"Multiple people shot near polling station; active shooter heavily armed" near Azusa, CA just now.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I mean people have to shoot each other near polling places by coincidence, but how much hope do I have for that?
posted by hoyland at 3:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Washington Post also offers a detailed breakdown that is more clear than the NY Times and Guardian.
posted by standardasparagus at 3:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

In case you did not know, the Jacob Javits Center has a glass ceiling.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

So, once Hillary takes Florida, its over, right?

I like NYT's "Paths to the White House" section of their forecast for this type of thing (at the bottom of the page). It assumes all the "safe states" are, well, safe, and then you can click on outcomes for the swing states and see how it will affect things. If she wins Florida and NC, she has 251 ways to win and Trump has 4.
posted by amarynth at 3:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Checkmate states: FL, OH, PA, NC. If Hillary wins any 2 of these, it's pretty much over.
posted by zakur at 3:36 PM on November 8, 2016

CBC news has a map as well.
posted by protondonor at 3:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It always boggles my mind that you guys still have voting going on whilst districts are already calling. Reminds just how amazing it is that the US exists as a single entity at all.

We're big and wide while you guys are skinny and narrow (I mean that geographically, but I'm not here to stop you from sniggering). It's 1:35pm in Hawaii right now and 6:35pm in New York. Nobody's keeping the polls open that late on the East Coast, and closing the polls so early on the West would be unfair and disenfranchise people.
posted by zachlipton at 3:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Some voter intimidation reported in Texas. I'll give you 0 guesses as to whom.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:36 PM on November 8, 2016

CNN just brought up a "KEY RACE ALERT" to update their Kentucky and Indiana numbers... where 1% are in.

If that's a KEY RACE ALERT... I don't even. In what possible scenario are Kentucky and Indiana key races?

TV election coverage is now a stupid waste of time and energy for all involved; there are better ways to get the information, and better conversations. People seem to forget this every four years, just a few months after they remember that politics exists. It's charming but, as they say, 'problematic.'
posted by waxbanks at 3:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Keep in mind that American politics is incredibly tribal especially among conservatives. Trump might be distasteful to many Republicans but they feel compelled to support him because they've been trained to associate Republican values with the things that are important to them. So they vote for the candidate and find various ways to rationalize that vote. Many evangelicals seem to be voting for the VP choice thinking that God will provide and Trump will step aside for Pence, etc.

We all have various reasons to support our political parties and while some are good and some are bad they seem to be about choosing a narrative or vision about the US and the direction it's headed or should be headed.

While I do think there are some truly deplorable people supporting Trump it's probably not the majority of his support. Unfortunately I think there are quite a few that are just along for the ride and expect our system to prevent the worst abuses of a Trump presidency. I think those people who have a definitely different vision of the US than I do should also rest easy knowing that the same system that could theoretically be used to prevent Trump from becoming a dictator can also be used to prevent Hillary from being a dictator when she most likely triumphs later on this evening.

If we are doomed towards incrementalism I want incremental improvements in protecting people's rights rather than incremental erosion of those rights.
posted by vuron at 3:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

In case you did not know, the Jacob Javits Center has a glass ceiling.

Not after tonight. TTTCS
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 3:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Nobody's keeping the polls open that late on the East Coast, and closing the polls so early on the West would be unfair and disenfranchise people.

Yeah, but the obvious solution is for the East Coast to sit on their results until Hawaii closes.
posted by hoyland at 3:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Some precincts are still taking stragglers. Then the votes need to be counted and certified precinct by precinct, and reported through a bureaucratic chain that may or may not be posting for the press on a regular schedule.

So, nothing's really going to happen in terms of results until about 10:00 at the earliest. Relax, have a good dinner, put in a dumb movie, and come back in about four hours.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 3:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, but the obvious solution is for the East Coast to sit on their results until Hawaii closes.

You must not know a lot of east coasters. ;)
posted by mochapickle at 3:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Azusa, CA police urging people to shelter in place & hence not approach said polling site.
posted by Westringia F. at 3:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Bill Mitchell: Trump leads IND 72-25. Good Lord people, something is happening here.

But you don't know what it is...
Do you,
Mr. Mitchell?
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

When asked if Trump has a concession speech, Conway says that Trump is prepared to address the results "as he sees them." Nice.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Some voter intimidation reported in Texas. I'll give you 0 guesses as to whom.

One of my coworkers experienced what was almost certainly an attempt at intimidation from an election judge during early voting. He didn't report it because it's par for the course for him being a hispanic person in Texas.
posted by hoyland at 3:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Utah is not even using precincts in Salt Lake County. They expected the mail in vote to take care of most of it, so, many of the regular polling stations are closed. Utah expected people to walk in vote because they had problems, or problems with mail in.
posted by Oyéah at 3:40 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm still sitting in the campaign office for this congressional race, with 15 other people on a predictive dialer and I gotta say this thing feels really, really obnoxious. Especially since we're not filtering out the people who already voted. And literally everybody is intending to vote in this historic election. So in six hours straight I have gotten exactly three people who haven't voted yet and one who didn't know about my candidate. I'm trying to pitch my voice really sweet and calming to make up for how we're annoying the shit out of people.

The only good thing here is that it's keeping me occupied, literally until the polls close.

Nobody has forecasted this, but NJ-7 is 100% in competition. (This is the race I"m working on.) We have a (I think internal) poll putting us neck and neck with the incumbent, and we've had an enthusiasm advantage from the beginning.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 3:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

[Alarm clock flips]

[I Got You Babe plays on the radio]

Hey there campers, rise and shine! And don't forget there's one more day left until this election is finally over!
posted by ckape at 3:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [62 favorites]

oh no, they said Marco Rubio on TV and now I have the VP Po-tay-to Song stuck in my head again help help
posted by phunniemee at 3:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

I was not aware of Bill Mitchell before this election and as said upthread, he's one of many people I'm pretty sure I'll never see again after this election is fully over.
posted by cell divide at 3:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm liking the Washington Post map, because you can look at the counties reporting in. That's better, I can see how few or many are left.
posted by annsunny at 3:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm watching Democracy Now's coverage on PBS. They are covering the Republican voter blacklist - which is outright vote stealing fraud by state election officials. 1 in 6 voters of colors in 30 Republican run states could be denied their right to vote this year. That could keep the Senate in Republican hands.
posted by COD at 3:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Bill Mitchell is also the president's name in Dave, and I find the existence of a real one very confusing.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Here in Indiana, most people are the common clay of the old Midwest. You know, morons.
posted by pjern at 3:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Honestly if Clinton wins Florida or North Carolina Trump is done baring some extreme weirdness in PA or MI. Yeah winning one of those 2 doesn't completely close out Trump but it makes it where he basically has to start winning Blue states that haven't voted for Republicans in decades.

The real horse race is about senate control because this last week or so has made some of the senate races way too close to call.
posted by vuron at 3:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump leads IND 72-25. Good Lord people, something is happening here.

Yes, so far, in the podunk counties so small it took five minutes to count the results. Sheesh.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

bbc seems to be stereotyping trump voters as working class and not really explaining that many are well off.
posted by andrewcooke at 3:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

It is .09% of the Indiana vote.
posted by bearwife at 3:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I've been experiencing debilitating wrist pain of an unknown cause for several days, but nothing was going to keep me from the polls today. I used the village's one accessible machine and it was (relatively) painless! My children held my arm as I tapped the screen for Hillary, and I could swear I saw happy tears in my daughter's eyes.

We have sparkling grape juice. We are ready.
posted by altopower at 3:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Azusa, CA police urging people to shelter in place & hence not approach said polling site

Yeah, whether or not the shooting was directly related to the election, it seems certain to affect turnout there.
posted by thefoxgod at 3:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I guess the thing that's freaking me out the most while watching these results come in is that all along I believed it wasn't actually possible that anyone would vote for Donald Trump. IT was just a bad dream and on election day the world would wake up, look at their ballots, see Donald J. Trump there, and realize there was no way they could possibly vote for him. But instead millions of people are ticking off that box. Millions! The mind reels.

This.

If HRC wins, she really will have a tough time healing and unifying -- but it gives me hope that this has been her message all along. I hope the nation follows her lead.

It will help if some among the Republican leadership step up to the plate and try to make America a better place and bring back some respectability, honor, and integrity to the Opposition. I remember in 2012 I thought Romney was a bad choice for President, but I guess I never questioned that he would try to be a good President for America, from his perspective at least. Trump is a different animal. I have gained new respect for Romney based on the stand he took during this election. Odd thought to have today as I am hoping for a landslide HRC win.
posted by brambleboy at 3:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

bbc seems to be stereotyping trump voters as working class and not really explaining that many are well off.

CBC was doing the same thing about half an hour ago when I decided I didn't need to listen to a livestream when there isn't anything to report yet.
posted by nubs at 3:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I was born in 1979, the year the Susan B. Anthony dollar was minted, and my grandmother used to collect them for me. I have about 10, plus some other coins from 1979 that she gave me too. They sit in an envelope labeled with my grandfather's careful handwriting, but today they came with me to my polling place to vote.

My grandmother was born in 1922 in Waco, Texas. One of her high school teachers said she was smart enough to go to Baylor, but her parents wouldn't let her and made her enroll in secretarial school. From there she hightailed it to Washington DC and a job at the Pentagon, where she met my grandfather. Spotting her across a boarding house dining room floor he told his friend, "That is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." After the war they moved to San Francisco, where they raised 4 children. She was a devout Methodist, more devout progressive, League of Women Voter volunteer, Ann Richards fan, and proudly wore her "A Woman's Place is in the House and the Senate" t-shirt. She developed Alzheimer's and has been gone 10 years now, and I wish she could be here to see this.
posted by apricot at 3:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [69 favorites]

Bill Mitchell is also the president's name in Dave

And the guy with the first perfect Pac-Man score, and the one with the Donkey Kong high score who's reputedly not as evil as he seems in King of Kong. I hope he's not the same guy.
posted by JHarris at 3:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I hope he's all three
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

brambleboy It will help if some among the Republican leadership step up to the plate and try to make America a better place and bring back some respectability, honor, and integrity to the Opposition.

That would be nice, but so far there's no indication that it will be happening. The Republican leadership is, if anything, indicating that it is gearing up to be even more obstructionist and aggressively abusive of its power for President Clinton than it was for President Obama.
posted by sotonohito at 3:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

She developed Alzheimer's and has been gone 10 years now, and I wish she could be here to see this.

My grandmother was born in Waco in 1918 and she too died of alzheimer's, about 15 years ago now. And I wish so much she were still here with us to see this moment.
posted by Annika Cicada at 3:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

This article will definitely elicit a few lulz:

After so many months loudly proclaiming support for their “god emperor” what could go wrong? Quite a few of them have no idea how voting works.

Trump's Troll Army Is Having a Hard Time Voting
posted by My Dad at 3:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

But I've read lots of opinion pieces about how the angry white people in the midwest that apparently are so enamored about Trump and how their anger at the "Washington Elite" is real and justified and so we should listen to them. You know regardless of how other people have struggled in the last decade or so but seem to rejecting the nativism of Trump.

You know something something privilege, something something equality looks like oppression.
posted by vuron at 3:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

This account is tracking the hearing to extend hours in Durham, NC.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Shooter is not necessarily connected to the polling places. Two polling places happen to be in the vicinity.
posted by Sophie1 at 3:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm an Orthodox Jewish Immigrant My vote is private. Dedicated in honor of US CPT Khan, his devotion makes (religious) freedom possible
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

@PeterBiello tweets regarding Dover, New Hampshire:

(1 of 2) The town of Dover did send out an email saying the polls closed at 8 then another minutes later saying it's 7 p.m.

(2 of 2) Town of Dover still waiting from Sec of State to decide if polls will stay open until 8 now.
posted by schoolgirl report at 3:52 PM on November 8, 2016

1 dead, multiple people shot near Azusa polling station; active shooter heavily armed, officials said

Hopefully just a "regular" shooter rather than election related.
posted by Artw at 3:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Most of the 4chan army can't vote for Trump because they are either underaged or they are foreign nationals. Needless to say watching the trolls trolling the trolls on /pol/ probably isn't your best course of action tonight.

I would obviously extend that to some places on reddit.
posted by vuron at 3:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Partner and I have voted, and now we're at dinner. Partner had an easier time as there was nobody in the N-Z line for our district. I waited 20 minutes, plus another 5 for a cubby to open so I could fill it out. Now, dinner.
posted by SansPoint at 3:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@costareports:
On the phone w/ Giuliani. He just left Trump's apt. Said Trump is "watching everything even tho I'm telling him not to." Drinking Diet Coke.
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

4 minutes until things really take off. Lets see if they can call Virginia fast.

Do we know if they dump all the Florida early vote results instantly even before the panhandle closes?
posted by Justinian at 3:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm an Orthodox Jewish Immigrant My vote is private. Dedicated in honor of US CPT Khan, his devotion makes (religious) freedom possible

That one just got me. I'm just weeping here. This movie just has to end with Trump defeated or the writers have played a shitty shitty trick on us.
posted by peacheater at 3:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Russia to launch 'large-scale' airstrikes on Syria as Americans vote
posted by Artw at 3:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

trolls trolling the trolls

Headline tomorrow: Trolls Troll Trolls; Top Troll Trolled Trolling Trolls
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:58 PM on November 8, 2016

ok, got 'er done here in Sparta MI. I pulled in before 7 this morning and the line stretched around the building so i decided to come back after work. turnout is unreal! this evening, it took 25 minutes arrival-to-departure. bravo for the poll workers who were organized to the max, cheerful and managed to keep the lines moving right along.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 3:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

It took me 45 minutes to vote this morning on the edge of a liberal enclave/conservative region in Virginia. I always vote at the same time, and I spent 40 more minutes in line than I normally do. (It'd apparently been like that all morning.) Lots more pantsuits, white garments, and older folks than normal. I thought it might be because of the boom of subdivisions and a new old folks time since the last presidential election, but it seems like (central) Virginians just really came out for the polls today; I did an errand in the Valley and no one I talked to who had already voted spent less than 45 minutes in line there, either. One guy spent 90 minutes in line.

I celebrated my vote by 1) not running over a House candidate who was hanging out in the road blocking cars from leaving and other cars from parking, 2) going for delicious enchiladas afterword (I'll see your tacos, and raise you some mole!), and 3) making the line around me laugh in resigned bemusement at my quip that we now had 4 or 5 days before the midterm electioneering started. I can fully turn my attention to secret quonsar now: Signups close in 19 hours, people.
posted by julen at 3:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'd guess a Clinton win in the 5-6 point range. Still early, but she's running ahead of Obama in 7 of the 8 IN counties reporting.
posted by My Dad at 3:59 PM on November 8, 2016

Coming up on 7 PM EST. Though it's not my cheat day, I just opened a bottle of Ommegang's 9% ABV Valar Dohaeris. Hoping this will be called sooner than later.
posted by zakur at 3:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

On the phone w/ Giuliani. He just left Trump's apt. Said Trump is "watching everything even tho I'm telling him not to." Drinking Diet Coke.

Should probably change that diet out for a Zero, because that's his political chances

Ha!
posted by mochapickle at 4:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Come on, early call for NC! ...
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:00 PM on November 8, 2016

> Hopefully just a "regular" shooter rather than election related.

It almost doesn't matter; if it scares people into staying inside, it'll have an effect on the election whether or not the shooter intends it. Today there is no such thing as a "regular" shooting.
posted by Westringia F. at 4:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Georgia is too close to call? Well done.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Did MSNBC just say too close to call in Georgia?
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

IIRC, wasn't Georgia lean Trump?
posted by drezdn at 4:01 PM on November 8, 2016

Ugh, no call in NC yet, then. But Georgia!
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:01 PM on November 8, 2016

GA being too close to call and VA being too early to call is good news. Trump is currently ahead 19-3 in EV. Let's hope this is his biggest lead of the night.
posted by Justinian at 4:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

>On the phone w/ Giuliani. He just left Trump's apt. Said Trump is "watching everything even tho I'm telling him not to." Drinking Diet Coke.

Is that a euphemism for sniffing poppers and masturbating?
posted by Catblack at 4:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Just finished 9 straight hours of volunteering in Charlotte, NC with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law as a non-partisan election protector. Cycled through 5 sites several times [and peed in more elementary school bathrooms than ever in my life]-and it was, in the best sense, super boring. No real problems, lots of voters, able to vote.
posted by atomicstone at 4:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Trolls bowled by poll tolls, found to be droll.
posted by RobotHero at 4:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Too early, not too close.

MSNBC said the words "too close."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

floam; they were very specific about GA being too close to call not too early, at least on MSNBC.
posted by Justinian at 4:03 PM on November 8, 2016

This morning when I got off the bus at work (a state college in WA) there were 3 people standing around the dropoff box trying to figure out if they could literally cram their ballots in.

I noticed the county auditor phone number on the side, so even tho I voted almost 2 weeks ago, I made the call and let them know. The guy on the other end sounded a little harried, but did tell me they were "sending a guy around right away" and where the next nearest spot was.

When I got up to my office, one of our work studies said that he'd also called in.

I've never seen a ballot drop-off box too full to take any more votes.
posted by epersonae at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Georgia is too close to call? Well done.

Too early, not too close.

Nope. it's too close.
posted by chris24 at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016

I'll take "too early" for Georgia. That hasn't happened in my lifetime.
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

MSNBC doing some interesting semantic parsing on "Too close to call" (i.e. Georgia) vs "Too early to call" (Virginia, South Carolina)
posted by dersins at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016

CNN said "too close" as well.

They'd never say "too early" as then they would have to admit their jobs really don't matter right now.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here in the UK, Sky TV is focusing on Georgia; exit polling of Clinton 47%, Trump 48%.
posted by Wordshore at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Atlanta polls don't close until 8 pm EST. Definitely too early.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Vermont called for Clinton! I know it's a small state, but I am proud!
posted by vers at 4:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

In Georgia exit polls show the electorate is:

30% Black
5% Hispanic
5% Asian

Much higher than 2012.
posted by chris24 at 4:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Trump real talk tweet storm from Matt Mackowiak:

1/ Dear @realDonaldTrump: Go fuck yourself.
posted by My Dad at 4:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

"Asian/Other" being discussed on MSNBC right now! Heck yes! (I am both)
posted by acidic at 4:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

The election subplot that has me engrossed: did Bill Belichick really write that letter endorsing Donald Trump?

Charles Pierce didn't think so.

But Snopes suggests otherwise.

As a Belichick admirer, I'm still not convinced. Belichick praising Trump's "tremendous campaign" is like Belichick praising the Houston Texans' special teams. And has Belichick ever used the word "tremendous" in public? Hillary's campaign seems much closer to Belichick's standard.

My theory: Belichick offered some formulaic pleasantries when he and his girlfriend had dinner together with Trump last weekend, Trump's camp trumped that up into an endorsement letter, and Belichick doesn't see any upside to denying the letter now that it's out in the world (and maybe even calculates that appearing to support Trump will cement the all-too-critical bond between him and his star quarterback.)
posted by bunbury at 4:06 PM on November 8, 2016

I just heard a woman say that she hadn't voted yet, wondered if she had time, and that "there are a lot of names to get through." I'm in Washington State, which is all mail-in. Our ballots were mailed out weeks ago. Unfortunately she left the room through another door, so I didn't have a chance to grab her and... and... and calmly sit down with the voter's pamphlet, I guess?
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:06 PM on November 8, 2016

Georgia is too close to call? Well done.

Too early, not too close.

I don't have cable and am watching on CBS. They said "too close" on CBS, too.
posted by phunniemee at 4:07 PM on November 8, 2016

Well, she does have time to vote. Our ballot boxes stay open until 8 pm, which is 4 hours away here in Washington.
posted by bearwife at 4:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Using Vermont as an excuse to pop champagne #1
posted by theodolite at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Belicheck confirms Trump letter.
posted by cell divide at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Much higher than 2012.

I just hope every other comment on this thread ends up being joedan saying #shouldhaveexpectedus.
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Given the amount of uncertainly around turnout and third-party voting, and a general desire to avoid reversing themselves too quickly, I have to assume the networks are going to be cautious with some of the early calls on anything that doesn't look like a blowout. Once enough results come in that everyone is reasonably confident that the polls seem to be holding up, they can be a lot more comfortable calling a state like GA.
posted by zachlipton at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Well, I started with 150 fliers, and now I have 31.

I met a lot of people in the evening who said they're not voting because they're too disgusted with both candidates. A fair number came around when I pointed out they could have a huge fair effect by voting just for Maggie Hassan.
posted by Coventry at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Floam, I eat my words! I see that now too. I did hear them say "too close" though!
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016

NBC discussing Georgia as a battleground now
posted by peppermind at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Let's think of all the positive things the Trump campaign gave us. Sad as a sentence unto itself. The word bigly. That is all. TTTSC
posted by drezdn at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Vermont was never in question, was it?
posted by Coventry at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

MSNBC just elaborated and emphasized that, yes, they did mean "too close to call" for Georgia, that Republicans interviewed were quite surprised to see that.

So yes, too close to call.
posted by ipsative at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

CNN has South Carolina -- South Carolina -- in yellow. I have it muted, because, ugh, but I'm pretending that means it's too close rather than too early.

Go Fightin' Mustards!
posted by Sys Rq at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

anyone else sort of admire Nicole Wallace lately?
posted by zutalors! at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I hope somebody updates us on where the MeFi Hillary call team ended up ranking.
posted by sardonyx at 4:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I want to see a map of the US with vote totals updating often, state by state. What site is best for this?
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Let's think of all the positive things the Trump campaign gave us.

Sustained dyspepsia. Revulsion at the color orange. Fear of hair.
posted by mochapickle at 4:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Having hit my favorite limit, I just want you to all know... Good luck, we're all counting on you. (Just assume I would have favorited your choicest comments.)
posted by drezdn at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Florida beginning to report.

Now it gets interesting.
posted by kyrademon at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Have any of the votecastr predictions been (in)validated, yet?
posted by Coventry at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2016

Hopefully just a "regular" shooter....

This country is so, so broken.
posted by rokusan at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

Belicheck confirms Trump letter.

Cheating asshole supports cheating asshole. Shocking.
posted by percor at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Let's think of all the positive things the Trump campaign gave us.

President Hillary Rodham Clinton, God willing.
posted by uosuaq at 4:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [32 favorites]

Rudy Giuliani's on MSNBC. Apparently since he got 19% of the black vote when running for mayor, he is qualified to say that Trump's totally not at the head of a white nationalist movement.
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Guardian showing lots of early R results in Florida, hopefully in low population counties.
posted by Artw at 4:12 PM on November 8, 2016

(I would not take it as conclusive)
posted by Artw at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016

Does anyone with any power at cnn look at a screen like "BREAKING NEWS: TOO EARLY TO CALL" and think about making some changes?
posted by orange ball at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

CNN has South Carolina -- South Carolina -- in yellow. I have it muted, because, ugh, but I'm pretending that means it's too close rather than too early.

Go Fightin' Mustards!

i think they just got some barbeque sauce on their graphic
posted by indubitable at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I want to see a map of the US with vote totals updating often, state by state. What site is best for this?

Washington Post seems to be the best I've found so far. Auto updates, which TPM's doesn't seem to do.
posted by sapere aude at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Which channel should I be watching if I don't have cable?
posted by schmod at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016

On the bus right now, so relying on thread for updates, but South Carolina too close to call?! C'mom Seaboard sweep!
posted by [expletive deleted] at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Harry Enten on fivethirtyeight:

Georgia: Trump will probably hold on to beat Clinton here. Still, Georgia — a state with a large black population (32 percent of voters) — could give us a sense of what African-American turnout in the nation will be. The Democratic parts of the state around Atlanta tend to report their votes last, so don’t be surprised if Trump jumps out to a big lead. Watch out for whether the presidential race here is labeled “too close” or “too early” to call. If it’s the former, Trump may be in real trouble in Georgia — and therefore the nation. The latter isn’t bad news for Trump — it just means the networks are waiting on more returns before making a projection.

...so which is it, too close or too early?
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016

Rural counties R-leaning counties traditionally report first.
posted by drezdn at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm watching MSNBC, but I have to keep muting when Trump surrogates like Kellyanne & Ghouliani are brought on. I try to listen to them, but they are so ridiculous.

I think Kellyanne knows she is bullshitting, but Rudy seems like a true believer. I don't know which is worse.
posted by zakur at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Coventry, Vermont wasn't in question. I'm honestly just proud of my home state for being the first in the nation to be called for HRC tonight!
posted by vers at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

anyone else sort of admire Nicole Wallace lately?

Admire is pushing it, but when I watched that "I will remember you" highlight reel of terrible trump surrogates, I was reminded that Wallace trended the other way. She started out as Kellyanne Conway on steroids and has mostly reeled it in over the past 6-8 months. I couldn't stand Nicole Wallace before. I feel like Rachel slowly is turning her or something.
posted by cashman at 4:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I hope somebody updates us on where the MeFi Hillary call team ended up ranking.

Right now we are #8 on the all time calls list. We are less than 100 calls from being #7! I am dialing my fingers off today. There is plenty of time for us to move up those rankings!
posted by diamondsky at 4:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Ardent Statehood Supporter Wins Puerto Rico's Governorship
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

guardian says less than 1% precincts in florida reporting ffs. read the damn screen.
posted by andrewcooke at 4:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Clinton campaign is truly begging for a few more calls from everyone tonight. Click here and jump on the highest priority phonebank. Please.
posted by zachlipton at 4:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I'm watching PBS streaming on YouTube- so far, thoughtful coverage.
posted by Otherwise at 4:15 PM on November 8, 2016

@daveweigel:
Some worrying news for Democrats... no Dem has been elected president without Kentucky since 2012.
posted by Atom Eyes at 4:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [58 favorites]

I feel like Rachel slowly is turning her or something.

*muzzles self*

I posited in chat that they are holding the Florida early vote until the panhandle closes. So we could see Trump maintain a lead in FL until 8:00est and then BOOM, HEADSHOT as the early vote comes in. That's the hope anyway.
posted by Justinian at 4:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Field report from Midtown Memphis #2: The vibrotronica bunker is out of whiskey.
posted by vibrotronica at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

> "Did Florida just go for Trump? I'm still working and I haven't started drinking so this is very upsetting."

What? No. Only a couple of counties are even starting to report yet.
posted by kyrademon at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Guardian is shading states far too early in the night.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

NBC confirmed that their "too close" in GA meant just that: too close to call. The ATL suburbs will decide it.

Polls don't close in NC till 7.30pm, aside from what might happen in Durham or places like NCCU (a HBCU) where the lines are long.
posted by holgate at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016

So my stepdad is the quintessential old-guy-who-watches-fox-news voter. We were out to dinner the other night and he had already done his early voting (as have I) and to my surprise, he told me that he had written in...Abe Lincoln! I would have never, ever, in a million years, predicted that he would not vote for Trump, but it turns out he just couldn't do it for whatever reason. I'm seeing some of my other friends who are solid GOPers who hate the Clintons with the heat of a thousand suns also indicate that they wrote in someone else - Ted Cruz, their spouse, whoever. It's giving me hope that some of these supposed Trump diehards will find themselves with their ballot in front of them and one of the many, many terrible things that he has said will pop into their head and they just won't be able to do it.

Also, all of a sudden I'm so nervous, which is weird considering I've been feeling relatively chill about Hillary winning pretty much the whole campaign. I think I'm having flashbacks to watching the votes from Brexit roll in and seeing the results from one of the first places to report (Sunderland) pop up with a big red LEAVE on the screen and the sudden feeling of dread that came over me. I know this is not like Brexit because demographics, but, ho boy, am I nervous all of a sudden.
posted by triggerfinger at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Which channel should I be watching if I don't have cable?

NBC is streaming live on Youtube.
posted by waitingtoderail at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I voted in Atlanta this morning*, and as confident as I am that my precint and city is going heavy and hard for Clinton, I don't think Atlanta/Decatur voters have enough statewide clout to turn Georgia blue this year. There are still many many deeply conservative voters in the suburbs and country-side of the state.

That said, I'd be deliriously happy to be proved wrong on this point.

*Quidnunc Kid #1... for District Attorney of Stone Mountain!
posted by Panjandrum at 4:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Rural counties R-leaning counties traditionally report first.

THIS. Folks, don't panic with these early results.
posted by zakur at 4:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Please, everyone, look at what percentage of counties have reported before freaking out about vote updates, especially when it's a couple of minutes after polls have closed.
posted by dfan at 4:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Let's think of all the positive things the Trump campaign gave us. Sad as a sentence unto itself. The word bigly. That is all. TTTSC
posted by drezdn at 7:09 PM on 11/8

Well, by seeing which houses are sporting his signs, you can draw a more accurate "local area asshole map". So there's that too I guess.
posted by Chrischris at 4:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Yeah. All the numbers being thrown around right now are based on at best 2% from a few counties.

Guardian has FL blue now, FWIW.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Calling in from the Left Coast, we got your back. True blue from Canada to Mexico.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 4:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Polls don't close in NC till 7.30pm, aside from what might happen in Durham
CNN said that Durham County poll hours have been extended. Here are details.
posted by thelonius at 4:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

looking at kellyanne conway on cbs and i'd have to say she's either losing a fake eyelash or she just had a stroke.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 4:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

(cat is now watching piano waiting for it. I just hope it doesn't die in there)
posted by emjaybee at 4:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Durham voting hours extended, 2 locations for 90 minutes, 6 for like 30 minutes
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The big news from Chez Biblio is that my son the channer did NOT vote for Trump after all. He wrote in Vermin Supreme instead. I don't know, maybe Kek told him to. Feels good, man.
posted by Biblio at 4:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [31 favorites]

They're calling Georgia too close to call with something like 400 total votes counted? Did I see that right on MSNBC? How is that not "too early"?
posted by Bookhouse at 4:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, the Guardian has changed from pale red to pale blue in Florida. It'll change back and forth for ages I bet.
posted by kitten magic at 4:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

"... at best 2% from a few counties"

A few countries, according to Trump.
posted by Tarumba at 4:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

And so begins the absolute worst part of election night: the fresh panic with every county that reports.

(It's fine. Go watch some Netflix or something. Nothing definitive will be known for a few hours yet.)
posted by tobascodagama at 4:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I have to say this is unnerving, and very difficult to watch. Seeing Trump ahead even for a few minutes speculatively is bad adrenaline, on the up side, I am sure I will love life in Brazil.
posted by Oyéah at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

How is that not "too early"?

Because they are looking at exit polling.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

Cats are weird?
posted by kitten magic at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

This election and the various sites covering it are particularly nerve-wracking; I feel like I'm watching a game of DEFCON but for real.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016

They're calling Georgia too close to call with something like 400 total votes counted? Did I see that right on MSNBC? How is that not "too early"?

They're basing it on private exit polling at first, I think. Then they compare the early returns to the exit polling and forecast models.
posted by Justinian at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Trump cake has been sighted.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I thought exit polling has been off for years now.
posted by drezdn at 4:22 PM on November 8, 2016

Wapo just turned Florida pink. Pink, Pink you stink.
posted by Oyéah at 4:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

Means don't play the piano for a while.
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

Are you, by any chance, posting from WestWorld?
posted by Atom Eyes at 4:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Aw, looks like Jim Acosta lost Rock Paper Scissors for the HQ coverage.
posted by asockpuppet at 4:23 PM on November 8, 2016

Early good news, but things are still developing.

Dave Weigel: "That's Tampa. That's a coffin door swinging on the Trump campaign." (Quoting Steve Contorno: In Hillsborough County, #Florida. Clinton: 53. Trump: 43. 49 percent in.)

Contorno continues: Results so far are all from early voting and mail in ballots, which made up about 49% of RVs. Turnout in 2012 was 73%.
posted by maudlin at 4:23 PM on November 8, 2016

I was born in 1979, the year the Susan B. Anthony dollar was minted, and my grandmother used to collect them for me. I have about 10, plus some other coins from 1979 that she gave me too.

When I was a kid my dad gave me a bunch of Kennedy half dollars and Eisenhower dollars. And I thought the safest way to keep them safe was to deposit them in the bank. "Yeah, that's what they all say. They all say, "D'oh.'"
posted by kirkaracha at 4:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Trump cake has been sighted.

Appetizing.
posted by percor at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wapo just turned Florida pink. Pink, Pink you stink.
posted by Oyéah at 4:22 PM on November 8 [+] [!]

That's...a shocker?
posted by asockpuppet at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Means don't play the piano for a while.

Unless you want to recreate this sketch, of course.
posted by Grangousier at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016

This waiting is the worst. guardian is making me lose my mind...
posted by Windopaene at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016

Imagine if HRC wins and Donald just doesn't leave his apartment.
posted by Talez at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

Are you sure you're not in a Tom and Jerry cartoon?
posted by drezdn at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

I think it means regardless of how the election turns out, your night is going to suck

Also six more weeks of winter
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Exit Polls show:

GA: 48.2 Trump, 46.8 Clinton
VA: 50.9 Clinton, 43.2 Trump

(Doing a weighted average on Male/Female)
posted by pjenks at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2016

It's over.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

I got that on my bingo card, it means drink. Also capture and interrogate that mouse, it might be a spy.
posted by vrakatar at 4:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Florida is pink at the Grauniad site, but that's still with less than1% total votes for the state counted. That hopeful glimpse at Tampa I quoted above may be more meaningful.
posted by maudlin at 4:26 PM on November 8, 2016

> The Clinton campaign is truly begging for a few more calls from everyone tonight. Click here and jump on the highest priority phonebank. Please

I can't make phone calls from where I am right now, but I could text for the next half hour... is there a way to send texts, to allay my panic?
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:26 PM on November 8, 2016

I think Pansuit Nation has broken Facebook on my computer.
posted by hoyland at 4:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

CNN has FL 49.5D/47.8R, about 30% reporting. (TTTCS)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:26 PM on November 8, 2016

Talking Points Memo's election map is actually really cool - click on individual states and they give you county by county results and compares them with 2012 results. Florida is... looking pretty good for Clinton so far. Check out Orange County.
posted by one_bean at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

6:55 PM: Good grief. Pat Toomey just announced that he did vote for Donald Trump after all. He resisted answering this question or perhaps even deciding until now.

Toomey, you're a yellow sack of shit.
posted by tonycpsu at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

It's over.

You think the mouse died in there already?
posted by cashman at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Don't you jink it, Potamac, don't you do it.

I'm watching the FL returns and comparing them to the 2012 returns. It's pretty close to those results but so far Trump is underperforming Romney in more places than he is overperforming. The big D counties haven't come in yet (some of Palm Beach excepted) though so we have to see if Clinton over or underperforms Obama in the D sections.
posted by Justinian at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

According to PBS...NH 1% in with a total of 60 votes????
posted by ian1977 at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Egg is winning all the votes in Appomattox county, Virginia. That's purple on your map!
posted by Windopaene at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

CNN reporting Hillary ahead in FLA with 30 percent reported.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

AAAHHH CBS just sent over to the local affiliate for an update, and they have a reporter in a polling place in my ward! Good sized group of people waiting in line to get their votes in before close in our heavily Mexican neighborhood. !!!!!! Makes my heart so happy.
posted by phunniemee at 4:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Okay 538 has Clinton down to only a 71% chance to win and they're going to give me a goddamn heart attack I'm closing the window
posted by triggerfinger at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I live in a blue county in a red state, and my next door neighbor's kids are outside jumping up and down chanting GO HILL-AR-Y! GO HILL-AR-Y! It makes me feel a little better about how many of our own toes my state is going to shoot off this time.
posted by dilettante at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

It may have been trying to make contact with the cockroach nation, so you probably want to check for that.
posted by Artw at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Are any of you certified to read omens? My cat just burst through the cat door with a live mouse, dropped it and then it ran into the back of the upright piano. It feels significant! But I don't know what it means.

Everybody knows cats and raccoons are republicans, dogs and mice are democrats.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'ma go watch Dr. Strange to distract myself, you guys think you can de-Cheeto this country by the time I'm back plzkthx?
posted by jason_steakums at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

We're all Balloon Boy!

I remember sitting with my grandmother back in 1999 when John Kennedy Jr. was missing, and the dreadful slog of the anchor filling time with any talking head willing to speculate between the quarter hour tolling of "no new developments."
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016

The mouse will make awesome and muffled banging sounds from the piano for days, and the cats will become urgent consumers of music. Clinton will win by a whisker.
posted by Oyéah at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh man, I was comparing the FL vote totals from 2012 to the 2016 reported manually by tabbing between pages. I should have known people would have automated it. Thanks for the link to that TPM app thing.
posted by Justinian at 4:28 PM on November 8, 2016

Ok PBS stinks. They are way behind in totals. Boo not having cable.
posted by ian1977 at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

> Okay 538 has Clinton down to only a 71% chance to win and they're going to give me a goddamn heart attack I'm closing the window

They stopped updating like 12 hours ago :)
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I thought exit polling has been off for years now.

Yeah, it stopped being reliable around the time electronic voting became widespread.

We have been assured it's a coincidence, though.
posted by rokusan at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Anyone know by about what time we are likely to get meaningful results? Because I'm considering a media blackout until then. My stomach has been in knots all day.
posted by bunderful at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

FL blue on Grauniad now
posted by awfurby at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

the guardian are back to pale blue for Florida. This is going to kill me.
posted by kitten magic at 4:29 PM on November 8, 2016

ian there's an MSNBC stream linked upthread
posted by craven_morhead at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016

Everybody relax. I've been through this a few times. The beginning is always hard,but you'll need some energy for later. I'm going to go make some chocolate chip cookies and I'll be back.
posted by Sophie1 at 4:25 PM on November 8

Huh. I made the exact same announcement at the beginning of my last orgy.
posted by Kibbutz at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

CNN called WV for Trump :P surprise
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016

They stopped updating like 12 hours ago :)

Nope, they're doing live adjustments.
posted by waitingtoderail at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016

Ohio: Too close to call
NC: Too early to call
WV: Trump (5)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016

Everybody knows cats and raccoons are republicans, dogs and mice are democrats.

This is the truest thing I've ever heard.
posted by thivaia at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I have to go to bed now. The recurring experience of 2016 has been the alert on my phone going off at 7am and waking me up with a report from the world of the surreal. I hope for all our sakes, but especially yours, that that doesn't happen again tomorrow morning.
posted by Grangousier at 4:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

MSNBC on Youtube
posted by ipsative at 4:31 PM on November 8, 2016

Everybody knows cats and raccoons are republicans, dogs and mice are democrats.

No way. Dogs are way more gun-friendly, anti-drug and pro-police. Also more prone to pack-thinking.
posted by rokusan at 4:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Anyone know by about what time we are likely to get meaningful results?

The media loves and apparently people love to say earlier times, but I wouldn't expect anything definitive until 11:00pm.
posted by cashman at 4:31 PM on November 8, 2016

North Carolina exit poll: 48% Clinton, 47% Trump
Ohio exit poll: 47% Clinton, 48% Trump
(Sky, UK)
posted by Wordshore at 4:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ohio too close, North Carolina still too early too call
posted by peppermind at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016

Per the Guardian map: "West Virginia: Trump wins narrowly with NaN% of the vote"
posted by Artw at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

I can't make phone calls from where I am right now, but I could text for the next half hour... is there a way to send texts, to allay my panic?

Yes! The NextGen climate canvass. I'm too nervous to even do this right now so please do it on my behalf - dead easy, I promise! All from your computer.
posted by peacheater at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016

Quick update from my precinct in the Twin Cities. 72% of registered voters have voted. That does not include the 183 new voters we have registered or the 10-20% estimated that voted early. 1.5 hours left to go.

Minnesota traditionally has the highest turnout in the nation and I think this is going to be a record. My feet ache and my voice is hoarse. Be kind to your election judges!

Back to work!
posted by Elly Vortex at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

National Review senior political correspondent:

@jimgeraghty
On Fox news, Chris Wallace says early data shows Georgia closer than expected. Goodnight, everyone!
posted by chris24 at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016

Seriously all, I am working on calls so I can't even read half the comments so i'm not sure what's happening east coast, but keep calling close races in the western states! Beer in hand! we are getting volunteers to the polls to keep people in line so they don't get discouraged!
posted by QuestionableQuail at 4:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Maybe lets not report the random oscillations of map colors this early on? It would be be nice to keep the comments to a bit more concrete information or thoughts instead of livetweeting the talking heads on CNN.
posted by Think_Long at 4:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

It just occurred to me that my dog may never know a world where a white man is President and started crying for the first time tonight.
posted by phunniemee at 4:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

I'm going to bed by 10pm CST. I project that we'll know by then.
posted by drezdn at 4:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

On Fox news, Chris Wallace says early data shows Georgia closer than expected. Goodnight, everyone!

Conservative pundits, please stop this. At this rate, you're going to get Bill Kristol going, and if he calls it for Hillary, we're all fucked.
posted by tonycpsu at 4:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Exit poll on North Carolina:

Clinton 48.6
Trump 46.5

Exit poll on Ohio:

Clinton 47.0
Trump 47.1

on preview: oops scooped by Wordshore.
PS: CNN posting Exits at poll closings but networks don't seem to be reporting the totals (weighted average of male/female)
posted by pjenks at 4:34 PM on November 8, 2016

We brought the kids to witness as we cast our historic ballots, then stood with signs out by the road for a while. Then we went and ate tacos.

Now I'm at home watching things, reloading things, and hanging out with my friends online. Thank you all for being so sane and positive throughout this crazy process, and thanks especially to our mods.
posted by Songdog at 4:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Google's election results is a pretty nice interface, and should be "fun" , for some definition of that word anyway, to watch tonight.
posted by Fig at 4:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh thanks! Gob bless you chromecast.
posted by ian1977 at 4:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The urban centers usually take longer to tally, and that's where the votes (and the Democratic strongholds) are, so blue-shifting in some initially red states is not unexpected.
posted by xigxag at 4:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Maybe lets not report the random oscillations of map colors this early on?

But how else will we get to 10,000 comments?
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

May I just say that, aside from being an excellent opportunity for a Taco Tuesday, this event pairs very well with micheladas as an alcoholic beverage of choice.
posted by saturday_morning at 4:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

oh no Florida just shaded chartreuse and then I passed out
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@jimsciutto
Breaking: #NorthCarolina elections board extends voting in 8 Durham precincts 20-60mins, Durham is Dem. stronghold w/large minority pop.
posted by chris24 at 4:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Conservative pundits, please stop this. At this rate, you're going to get Bill Kristol going, and if he calls it for Hillary, we're all fucked.

you'd think Kristol would have figured out his powers of wrongness by now and put them to evil use
posted by indubitable at 4:36 PM on November 8, 2016

@Jordanpaul89 on Twitter Trump takes 3-1 state lead. Don't recall any examples of this type of lead being thrown away in recent American history.*

*For people that aren't sports fans both Golden State and Cleveland blew 3-1 leads this year.
posted by drezdn at 4:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

More on key indicators from Florida: Orange County (Orlando) went for Obama by 19 points in 2012. Going for Clinton by 29 points right now.
posted by maudlin at 4:37 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

wait what color is chartreuse?
posted by epersonae at 4:37 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm using this NYT site for real-time election results. It seems good, but I'm interested in alternatives. What are people using?
posted by mcstayinskool at 4:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just walked past an 'I'm With Her' T-shirt here in Melbourne, Australia. I badly wanted to express solidarity but she was on the phone and I didn't want to interrupt her. But it was good to see!
posted by andraste at 4:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

If Trump loses (TTTSC), I imagine the realization being similar to the "I'm surrounded by assholes" scene from Spaceballs.
posted by drezdn at 4:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

These NY Times gauges are pretty slick.
posted by one_bean at 4:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

@WaPoSean
Trump spox Jason Miller says on Fox News WI will be "tough." (campaign speak for "not happening," effectively.)
posted by chris24 at 4:39 PM on November 8, 2016

The Guardian Election Map
posted by ymgve at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Looks like Keepin It 1600 will be starting a live session soon.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Chartreuse is green. Somebody was making a funny, I think.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Dammit, "Ohio is too close to call" is giving me bad flashbacks. And I've also been abandoned in front of the TV because apparently it's too stressful to watch. So it's just me and you guys, MeFi. We should have an official call on when to start drinking. Too early? Or is it already too late?
posted by RedOrGreen at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@JeremySWallace
What's cooking in Duval. Clinton over Trump 49-47 w/ 300K votes in. If that doesn't change, it's over. GOP can't win statewide w/o Duval
posted by chris24 at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

wait what color is chartreuse?

green, with a hint of absinthe.
posted by vrakatar at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016

We should have an official call on when to start drinking.

seriously?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

I made myself this map on 270towin colored with all the states that 538 had at 90% or more one way or the other. I figure that's the start point and I'll fill in or flip others from there as results come in.
posted by VTX at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016

A different kind of election coverage (nb: the caption also labels President Obama as one of two people on stage named Bill Clinton): Michelle Obama Gives Passionate Speech... in Jimmy Choos.
posted by carmicha at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016

TTTSC? I just pierced my foreskin with with a cactus needle and have burned the drop of blood with copal. (Waits for Kukulkan to deflesh the Don's skull and deliver it to Hillz for display in the Oval Office.)

...I know that's grotesque, but this election has me raving a bit...
posted by 1980sPunkersForHillary.com at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

If you're asking when to start drinking, you're already at least eight months late.
posted by 0xFCAF at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

How's the Senate going? Any surprises?
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:41 PM on November 8, 2016

This community has been the best, and only place I've resided during election coverage. I'm not even planning to look in on the network/cable/newsource sights until I get the word on here, so keep the info coming folks. it's been a rocky ride, but we've been on it together.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

It's one of those colors (puce is the other one) that I always think is different from what it is. Which tbqh is why I always find it hilarious.

(And wow, that's definitely not an election map color.)
posted by epersonae at 4:42 PM on November 8, 2016

Bloke on the tele who seems clued up is saying that the Trump/Republican vote from white women in North Carolina has collapsed, and that's significantly altered things there.
posted by Wordshore at 4:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Dems biggest, best county in FL.

@Taniel
Clinton's *raw* vote lead (250K) in Broward is already almost equal to Obama's total 2012 raw vote lead (265K), only based on early votes!
posted by chris24 at 4:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Let's just say the predictors are varying wildly. For instance Wapo was calling West Virginia for Trump, with 0% of the vote in. That was a bit ago, I will try to calm down. Maybe I will go and make a chocolate run, dark with hazelnuts, eh? Get a window up with Gergiev directing anything and go back and forth from that with the sound on. It makes a heavenly little other world, somewhere to go to.
posted by Oyéah at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2016

I just looked at early results and have been stricken with a powerful nausea. Hope me, Metafilter.
posted by jokeefe at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Really who's not drinking? It's nearly one in the morning here people.
posted by mgrrl at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

You guys the friend we're having over for Taco Tuesday has decided based on early results has already decided Trump has won and it's over. Should I uninvite y/n.
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:41 PM on November 8 [+] [!]

Serve him JITB tacos but don't share your weed.
posted by asockpuppet at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

That NYTimes dashboard gauge thing was designed specifically to torture me
posted by theodolite at 4:43 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

How's the Senate going? Any surprises?

Looks like it's going to be mostly old rich white conservative guys again
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

For Trump to win we'd have to be seeing things way of from the pre-election polls, and so far that is not happening (TTTSC).
posted by drezdn at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Speaking of spectacularly wrong conservative pundits, is Dick Morris still around? I just remember him being fired by Fox News for being SO wrong in 2012.
posted by zakur at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016

please, vote Hillary or this country is in big trouble
posted by beemerboxer at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

We had a little election at the library today. 76 kids voted and Hillary won. My coworker really wanted the kids to write in anybody they liked instead of Hillary or Trump, but only about half did. Those votes went to a dizzying array of folks, from Mommy to Thomas the Tank Engine.
posted by Biblio at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

OH Sec. of State: Ohio results starting to roll out at 7:45 EST.
posted by one_bean at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016

There's an active shooter situation at a polling station in Azusa, CA. One fatality so far. I'd been planning on bringing my poll workers donuts; now I wish I could get them bulletproof vests. Just weeping right now.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

You guys stop updating maps you're just giving yourself insane agita
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

@Acosta
A senior adviser from Trump's inner circle tells me: "it will take a miracle for us to win."
posted by chris24 at 4:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

We just had a fire drill, and all the fire wardens are wearing red baseball caps with WARDEN in white block letters. With suits.

*Shudders*
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:45 PM on November 8, 2016

Thomas the Tank Engine.

Thomas the Tank Engine is a Vice President at best, total follower type. #NEVERTHOMAS
posted by drezdn at 4:45 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Waiting for Broward to come in with some election-day results. Should be the nail in Trump's coffin if FL is going blue. Miami-Dade and Palm Beach are starting to report so it should be any time now.
posted by Justinian at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Im sober metafilter i should be shitfaced right now but I'm still in class!
posted by Tarumba at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Florida is making me sick to my stomach. Goddamnit Florida get your act together.
posted by aspo at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@benchmarkpol
Duval county coming in at Clinton +2. We had Trump +4. So far, Clinton overperforming the model by about 3-4% avg. http://benchmark.shareblue.com/florida/
posted by chris24 at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

NBC thinks Florida looks good for Clinton because she's up a point before Miami starts reporting.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016

Really who's not drinking? It's nearly one in the morning here people.

I'm not drinking. I'm practicing for the national decriminalization that I'm hoping will happen during the next president's first term.
posted by headnsouth at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

please, vote Hillary or this country is in big trouble

No electioneering in the thread, beemerboxer!
posted by Atom Eyes at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Like father, like son.

Maybe neither of them can read.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

If you click or scroll-zoom slightly on the Grauniad map the individual counties will come up instead of the ever shifting overview.
posted by lucidium at 4:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The big news from Chez Biblio is that my son the channer did NOT vote for Trump after all. He wrote in Vermin Supreme instead.

That counts for Trump, though.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

There hasn't been enough turning, cursing, or spitting in this thread as far I'm concerned.
posted by lydhre at 4:47 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

OH Sec. of State: Ohio results starting to roll out at 7:45 EST.

The way he phrased it made me think that's when they'll start tabulating and doing things - not the actual announcing.
posted by cashman at 4:47 PM on November 8, 2016

@benchmarkpol
Clinton massively over-performing in Orange County, FL. We had +17, currently at +29. http://benchmark.shareblue.com/florida/
posted by chris24 at 4:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

So based upon the Skunks-Double Skunks rule if Clinton wins and keeps Trump under 200 EVs Democrats automatically retain the presidency in 2020 right?
posted by vuron at 4:48 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Atom Eyes, i like the way you think bro!
posted by beemerboxer at 4:49 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm going to need Clinton to get a call for an important state before I can bust open my official election night provisions. Right now I just feel ill.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Relax on Florida.

@NoahCRothman
CNN reports that, with 35% of the vote in in FL, Clinton is out-performing Obama.
posted by chris24 at 4:49 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Chartreuse
posted by ian1977 at 4:49 PM on November 8, 2016

@Acosta
A senior adviser from Trump's inner circle tells me: "it will take a miracle for us to win."

Re: "miracle" -- I do not think that word means what they think it means.
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

One thing to keep in mind in early voting states: Clinton's whole strategy is to blow Trump out in early voting. So E.V. ballots should be in her favor compared to election day.
posted by one_bean at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I had all these plans for election night food. I made the filling for pumpkin empanadas and just have to make the dough and bake them. I wanted to make nachos. Instead I'm just sitting here refreshing things like crazy and have ordered kababs from my neighborhood shop. AAAAAH!
posted by peacheater at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Orange County, FL is Orlando FWIW. It's pretty big. Not Miami or Jacksonville big but lotta vote there.
posted by Justinian at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016

OMG! Heart cannot take this - Fl just blue-shifted again...yes!
posted by freya_lamb at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

> wait what color is chartreuse?

Somewhere around #7FFF00
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I was going to be all like "have you people not watched an election come in on TV before? Be cool!" And then I realized that maybe you haven't, because I'm basically An Old now, so now I feel bad for thinking that.

But seriously. Be cool.
posted by penduluum at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

NBC has South Carolina for DJT
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016

On bus ride home. Pls let me know which option to select:

A). Calm family dinner with occassional election result checks and a nice glass of wine?
B). Immediate drinking?
C). Full panic mode drinking involving both fists?
posted by nubs at 4:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

NBC called SC for Trump, while Clinton is leading there. Thinking I might want to change channels.
posted by schmod at 4:51 PM on November 8, 2016

> There hasn't been enough turning, cursing, or spitting in this thread as far I'm concerned.

I turned, I spat, it froze.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Guys, stop watching Florida flip back and forth! Broward county hasn't even started reporting yet! There are 2 million votes out in Miami and surroundings! Wait for it! This is me saying this even!

I guess I'm one of those people who gets the panicking out of the way before the main event.
posted by Justinian at 4:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

My (Canadian) boss just came out of her office and tearfully announced to everyone that Florida had been called for Trump. I had to talk her in off the ledge to explain that really, seriously, no such thing has happened.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 4:52 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Florida is going well people.

@Taniel
Miami-Dade posted more results: Clinton +230K. That's only early voting/mail.

Obama won by 210K in the county *overall*.
posted by chris24 at 4:52 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

NBC called SC for Trump, while Clinton is leading there. Thinking I might want to change channels.
posted by schmod at 7:51 PM on November 8 [+] [!]

If this was a troll, know that it totally worked on me.
posted by gerryblog at 4:52 PM on November 8, 2016

I don't understand that SC call at all. No major cities reporting, and the race is very close with under 2% reporting.
posted by codacorolla at 4:52 PM on November 8, 2016

The Johnson votes in Florida are terrifying me. Are those votes that Trump would've gotten or Clinton? Don't fuck with my home state again Third Party punks.
posted by dis_integration at 4:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

codacorolla, I trust the networks when they make a call now. Nobody's going to fuck around like 2000.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

NBC called SC for Trump, while Clinton is leading there. Thinking I might want to change channels.

SC is deep red. Calling it for Trump is prudent.
posted by Talez at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016

I've read that Johnson is slightly favourable for Dems, but what do I know, I apparently have my spell-checker set to UK English.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Virginia is going well too.

@mmurraypolitics
Per @chucktodd: Clinton ahead by 16pts in Loudoun County, VA
Just wow
posted by chris24 at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Are those votes that Trump would've gotten or Clinton?

Almost certainly Trump. That's the vote of Republicans who hate Trump but can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat and/or a Clinton. (Pretty sure this is how my mom finally went. *sigh*)
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't understand that SC call at all. No major cities reporting, and the race is very close with under 2% reporting.

I don't think that SC was ever really in contention, and the exit polling probably made it pretty clear who was going to win.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016

I'm right there with you peacheater, I was going to go buy snacks, but then realized oh right, I'm on massive amounts of codeine cough syrup and can't drive. BAH.
posted by mynameisluka at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Johnsons are fiscally conservative so they are taken from Trump mostly. Steins are from Hillary
posted by Tarumba at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thank God for NOVA.
posted by codacorolla at 4:54 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

That MSNBC call for SC got me to switch over to PBS. b/c WTF.

[insert more random letters here.]
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm sitting with two sane friends in the reddest part of Virginia and one of my friends is one of the guys who programs the computers who predict shit like this, and he has Strong Feelings about things, and every time he so much as twitches a finger or looks pensive I have to order another drink and I cannot. Take. This shit. Anymore.

He still says she's got Florida, though.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

On bus ride home. Pls let me know which option to select:

I've gone for a fairly serene combo of A + B, and it's feeling pretty appropriate.

And seriously, newer election people: tune out the exit polls and the ".000001% of precincts reporting" bullshit. Have some refreshments, breathe deeply and calmly, maintain an even strength, and settle in for a nice evening with your near and dear and us your MeFite pals. It's not a sprint, and we'll all get through it together.

(Also, wrath, thing, preventative TTTCS)
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I turned, I spat, it froze.

BUT DID YOU CURSE
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Waits for Kukulkan to deflesh the Don's skull

Just as an aside on Mesoamerican sacrificial practices, flaying the skin was not really a part of the Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl ritual complex. For that, you really need to turn to Xipe Totec, whose rites routinely included priests removing the skin from sacrifices and wearing in a metaphysical transformation into an avatar (ixiptla) of the god. This transformation, and the sacrifice, were deeply significant and holy acts which venerated both the person being sacrificed and the person doing the sacrifice (even if the skull did end up being displayed on a tzompantli), so not really the kind of end you want for Cheeto Benito.

Also, you shouldn't wish injury on your political rivals. Instead, let us view Trump as the Aztecs viewed the Otomies:

Oh Otomi, how is it you understandest not?... thou art a real Otomi, a miserable Otomi, a green-head, a thick-head, a big tuft of hair over the back of the head, an Otomi blockhead

Seems more fitting.
posted by Panjandrum at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

I don't understand that SC call at all. No major cities reporting, and the race is very close with under 2% reporting.

If the exit polls and earliest returns are in line with expectations of a big Trump win, then the networks can make some pretty quick calls with very little chance of an error. They likely have exits that show there's no hope coming from SC's big cities.
posted by tonycpsu at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Pls let me know which option to select:

A). Calm family dinner with occassional election result checks and a nice glass of wine?
B). Immediate drinking?
C). Full panic mode drinking involving both fists?

A., except keep more wine on hand for celebrating later in the evening.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:55 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

> "Johnsons are fiscally conservative so they are taken from Trump mostly. Steins are from Hillary"

Eh, you'd think so, but it's more complicated.
posted by kyrademon at 4:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

In my state (MI) Johnson is the goto #nevertrump alternative. For FL, YMMV.
posted by Chrischris at 4:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Mynameisluka Depending on where you are Amazon Prime Now can deliver snacks to your home
posted by Tarumba at 4:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Florida is going great people.

@steveschale
#Duuuuuval is basically a tie with all but about 50K votes left to count. That is horrible news for Trump.
posted by chris24 at 4:56 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Yeah I would absolutely not panic, none of the election results have been worse than we expected.
posted by corb at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

A Trump fan in my county was just arrested for trying to vote twice. Said he wanted to "test the system."

It works, buddy! Good luck scraping up bail!
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [55 favorites]

FL just got blown the fuck out. I bet they call it in within a half hour. (edit: for HRC)
posted by one_bean at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Just as an aside on Mesoamerican sacrificial practices,

I love MetaFilter
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

This is over at 9pm. Trump is done in Florida and so too with the election.
posted by Talez at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm pretty sure these guys are who's flipping the state colors back and forth.
posted by delfin at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Florida numbers look good with 73% in.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016

So Trump's party tonight has a cash bar, with $10 beer and $13 mixed drinks. It seems ridiculous, but this is what I pay when I go see a show in downtown Houston and I guess getting to watch the Trump campaign melt down will be high theater, so....
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

>> I turned, I spat, it froze.
> BUT DID YOU CURSE

Oh Fuck.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Guardian has FL, NC, and OH blue. It doesn't mean much just yet, but... It's pretty!
posted by Sys Rq at 4:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's important that I say at this point, no jinxing.
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:58 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Thanks for the Florida updates; when I left the office it was really early but really red. Feeling better now.
posted by nubs at 4:58 PM on November 8, 2016

No excuses: Two women vote while in labor.
posted by Lexica at 4:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

She is destroying FL. I want all the networks to cut to their GOP PR hack and make them squirm on national TV about how they think they can still win this thing.

TTTCS
posted by strange chain at 4:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Florida results coming in:
Miami-Dade: 64 Clinton/34 Trump/1 Johnson
Broward: 61 Clinton/37 Trump
posted by a moisturizing whip at 4:59 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ohio leading for hillary with 12 percent reporting, this might be over by 10 pm Eastern.
posted by vrakatar at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So I can go to bed now knowing Americans haven't done a "Brexit+" right?
posted by twistedonion at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016

Ohio looking like a potential surprise for Clinton.
posted by one_bean at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hey guys, for offices other than POTUS could you please put a (D) or (R) with the name? There are a lot of states and a lot of offices to follow. It's hard to keep track.
posted by VTX at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Update from the flt household: the future is now, thanks to science!

So, two tired boys have decided that news coverage is no good, so we're watching some Pokemon XY instead.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

There hasn't been enough turning, cursing, or spitting in this thread as far I'm concerned.

lydhre, I know!! I am dehydrated from doing it on everyone elses' behalf.

there will be no freezing of the spit though as I am in Australia
posted by kitten magic at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Remember the panhandle of FL is in the central time zone (we call it FlorBama) Remember the 2000 election?
posted by robbyrobs at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

FL 73% in, SOURCE PLS
posted by mcstayinskool at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sky is saying that the exit poll there gives Florida to Hillary. Whatever that means.
posted by Wordshore at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016

CNN's calling NJ, IL, MA, MD, RI, DC, DE for Clinton. Nice work.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Exit Poll of Pennsylvania:

Clinton 50.5
Trump 46.1
posted by pjenks at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

KICK. HIS. LYING. BULLSHITTING. DELUDED. ASS.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [38 favorites]

The remaining votes in FL are pretty red though, it's the panhandle left. Gonna be close. (Yes I'm a bit of a Chicken Little about Flordia)
posted by aspo at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I was really thinking OH would go Trump.
posted by drezdn at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

OK, MS, TN go to Trump obvi.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016

No matter who wins, I'm going to be sick.

Not because of either of the candidates, mind you, but because me and two other mefites are about to consume about 3000 calories each of korean fried chicken. I recommend this strategy to all and sundry.
posted by dmd at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

And the panhandle of FL is very red.
posted by COD at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

This election and last, 90% of voting fraud reports I've seen are by Republicans.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just had a station alert marquee on my screen indicating that Tammy Duckworth and Hillary Clinton win Illinois.
posted by theraflu at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

No Jinxing Means No Early Bedtimes!

This is not hard people.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

FL 73% in, SOURCE PLS

MSNBC had it at 75% in. Kornacki's county-by-county look was the usual "Hillary's great in a few population centers, Trump's great in a whole lot of sparse counties."
posted by tonycpsu at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016

The Guardian map just flashed a bunch of dark blue.
posted by njohnson23 at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016

Missouri too early to call, Trump leading (per MSNBC). Very good.
posted by tivalasvegas at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The real-time gauges on NYT are mesmerizing, I can't look away.
posted by headnsouth at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

A bunch of CNN declared wins at 8 PM ET. Now 69 EVs Clinton , 48 Trump.
posted by beagle at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The illustrations of Hillary and the Orange Rage Demon on the Australian Broadcasting Company website are hilarious. No doubt what they think. Hilz is beaming and angelic, Trump is mid-shout, with his wig flying off.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Exit Poll of FL:

Clinton 47.7
Trump 46.4
posted by pjenks at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016

FL will not be close.
posted by penduluum at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

With you, sio42. It's 1:56. I'm drinking scotch, which happens to be Jura Superstition. I didn't remember which Jura I had at home and feel a little weird about the choice.

I dunno if I can stay awake until MI (my home state) closes though. On the other hand, what even is sleep?

Hey, has anyone tried plotting returns on the poll-adjustement predictor on page 4 of Sam Wang's guide?
posted by nat at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016

Daniel Dale sees nothing good in the numbers for Trump
posted by nubs at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016

Our TV here is mostly for PS4 and YouTube. We got an XBone last Christmas, too, and I hardly ever watch television, so the end result here is I have no idea how the fuck to watch any of this other than livestreaming on my desktop.

On the bright side, that means I'm not torn between being glued to the TV vs being glued to the blue. I can do it all!!
posted by scaryblackdeath at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016

THAT'S SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH TO YOU, MOTHERFUCKERS
posted by tonycpsu at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [68 favorites]

WOO!!! Massachusetts checking in with our 11 blue EVs!
posted by invincible summer at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Not a surprise, but NBC calling IL-Senate for Duckworth!
posted by zachlipton at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

MSNBC EV count:
Clinton 75
Trump 66

Missouri too early to call, with Trump leading. COME ON MISSOURI.
Maine and Virginia too early: Clinton lead.
NC, Georgia too early.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2016

Exit Poll of MO:

Clinton 42.8
Trump 51.2
posted by pjenks at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

A Trump fan in my county was just arrested for trying to vote twice. Said he wanted to "test the system."

Jeez that's like the third one. He really did a number on his supporters to the point where they think they need to commit felonies in order to keep ahead of all the cheatin Democrats.

Food report: Made my husband chicken fried steak, fingerling potatoes, cream pepper gravy and lima beans to take to work. Not my fav so I picked up a sandwich from City Barbecue: brisket, provolone, and roasted peppers. Plus the best hush puppies I have ever had. Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside. Mango Margaritas. Buffalo ranch popcorn and Birthday Cake Flipz pretzels for later. I'm living the dream, babies~!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

All this "Ohio looks good so far in early returns!" type of talk reminds me depressingly of 2004 and makes me think I'm gonna avoid the news possibly until tomorrow morning.

Hillary doesn't need Ohio, though.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

PBS livestream is going. Stress eating and bourbon begins now.
posted by SansPoint at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I usually like election night, but this year I just feel sick.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Man, I wish some restaurant around here delivered synthetic spit, because I'm gonna run dry any second now thanks to you whatever-tempting fuckers, despite the copious amounts of ~~hard cider~~ er, hydration.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Tammy Duckworth is the projected winner in IL.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Yeah, Tammy Duckworth!
posted by triggerfinger at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

MSNBC just called Illinois for Tammy Duckworth (D)!
posted by bluecore at 5:04 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I am punishing myself by listening to CBC radio's election special. Michael Enright, master of conventional wisdom, has pronounced that this campaign lacked focus on policy, going to town on "character" instead. Gosh. How did THAT happen?
posted by maudlin at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Missouri can suck my balls. STL, KC, and CoMo are the only islands of sanity.
posted by asockpuppet at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Exit Poll of NH:

Clinton 46.8
Trump 45.8
posted by pjenks at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Our TV here is mostly for PS4 and YouTube. We got an XBone last Christmas, too, and I hardly ever watch television, so the end result here is I have no idea how the fuck to watch any of this other than livestreaming on my desktop.

I'm watching MSNBC via the YouTube app on my Xbox. It's like watching actual TV.
posted by mochapickle at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

But do we really recognize Mizz-zoo-rah as a state?
posted by drezdn at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

@jwigderson
Fox News is reporting @KellyannePolls is already criticizing RNC gotv efforts. That didn't take long.
posted by chris24 at 5:05 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

For some reason there's suddenly dust in my eyes. First pantsuit nation now this. I have a terrible cold and a really important presentation at work tomorrow and I'm not even a US citizen but there's no way I can sit out now. You guys!
posted by freya_lamb at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

... and a second male voice on the CBC started talking about Clinton's triangulation and, dear reader, I snapped that switch OFF.
posted by maudlin at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

But do we really recognize Mizz-zoo-rah as a state?

My Tennessee kin pronounce it MISERY.
posted by mochapickle at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

We just started calling Nevada! So excited! Maybe I'll reach my sister in law!
posted by QuestionableQuail at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Exit Poll of ME:
Clinton 51.2
Trump 40.2
posted by pjenks at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Link for PBS livestream (or really any livestream that won't make me want to claw my eyes out) pls?
posted by anastasiav at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm With Gin.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:06 PM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Are we going to discover the secret Trump states that they thought they could win by their accusations / lawsuits claiming fraud in them?
posted by mrzarquon at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

CNN has my state (Mo) as too close to call,even though the polls just closed. The fact that it is even in question makes my heart sing!
posted by jferg at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

CBS talking about the Latino vote:
"The very first people he insulted may have the last word tonight."

hell yes.
posted by phunniemee at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [56 favorites]

anastasiav Here you go. Lack of eye-clawing not a promise.
posted by SansPoint at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Fox News is reporting @KellyannePolls is already criticizing RNC gotv efforts. That didn't take long

It doesn't take my kid long to say she wants a toy when I tell her she can't have it either. Ditto for me as a kid when I lost at a board game and, wrongly of course, called someone a cheater.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Kellyanne: Florida is always tight! Republicans actually don't have an edge! Mitt Romney didn't do so hot in Florida, either!
posted by mochapickle at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Remember folks, Senators/Reps/Referenda election thread is here.
posted by zakur at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Where are y'all getting these live updates saying like 75% reporting in FL or whatever because everywhere I go it still says like 9% reporting and such
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm from Iowa, which has its own problems, but my favorite state-themed joke growing up was that if you ceded the bottom two tiers of county from Iowa to Missouri you'd raise the average IQ of both states by 10 points. I love that because it's both a sick burn on Missouri and southern Iowa
posted by mcstayinskool at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

1:08 AM here across the pond but I ain't goin' to bed for a good while yet. I'm up with y'all.
posted by kyrademon at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

@jwigderson
Fox News is reporting @KellyannePolls is already criticizing RNC gotv efforts. That didn't take long.

With as much jaundiced eyerolling griping as she has been visibly stifling for weeks, I'm surprised she hasn't 'sploded like Old Faithful yet. I mean, I still hate her opportunistic ass, but I get the difficulty of holding that shit back.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016

Rubio winning over Murphy in Florida. Ick.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016

I just want to tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

A mariachi band just started playing outside Trump Tower

--@adamgabbatt (there's video)
posted by zachlipton at 5:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

FivethirtyEight now 78% for Hillary
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:09 PM on November 8, 2016

in honor of the mexican-americans that I hope will be part of a trump-crushing wave, I am drinking my first (but not last) good glass of Mezcal. Tastes sweet and smoky, like victory.
posted by lalochezia at 5:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

‏@IanSams
Another FL nugget --> Half the vote in, Clinton outperforming Obama 2012 margin in Alachua Co. (home of Gainesville) by 10. Big. [chart]
posted by chris24 at 5:09 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

that's a fake acct for the ghouliani
posted by hleehowon at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016

Interesting to already see the backbiting going on in the Republican ranks concerning Trump.

Trump insiders slamming RNC and RNC apparently slamming Trump
posted by vuron at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

We cannot let Blacks and Hispanics alone decide this election for Hillary! Everyone deserves a say. All others, head to polls NOW! #Trump16
--@rudygiulianiGOP (this morning. Christ what a racist.)

Fake account.
posted by ymgve at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Florida has tightened up with some better-than-expected results for Trump in the suburbs. Come on Miami, you can do it...
posted by Justinian at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The New York Times live forecast is the best place I've found to get a sense of what is going on. They actually take into account what counties have and haven't voted, for one thing.
posted by dfan at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

We cannot let Blacks and Hispanics alone decide this election for Hillary! Everyone deserves a say. All others, head to polls NOW! #Trump16
--@rudygiulianiGOP (this morning. Christ what a racist.)

Parody account.
posted by chris24 at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016

For now NYT's magic gauge still has Trump narrowly taking FL because of that deep-red panhandle. But despite that, Trump's chance of winning keeps decreasing.
posted by xigxag at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016

@rudygiulianiGOP is a parody account.

Sorry!
posted by zachlipton at 5:10 PM on November 8, 2016

Ugh, MSNBC talking head is noting that Kirk (R, IL, just-defeated) ran away from Trump while Rubio (R, FL, apparently re-elected) eventually endorsed Trump, drawing a presumed connection between those facts.

Nope, Kirk won on a fluke and was always going to lose.
posted by tivalasvegas at 5:11 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

In honor of Mexican Americans, if we win this election I'm going to blast this song from my car radio for the next week.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:12 PM on November 8, 2016

BLUE TEXAS MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
posted by hleehowon at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Clinton up by 130K votes; "TOO CLOSE TO CALL." LOL, thx, NBC.

Also, glad to be among the blue denizens tonight. I have depended on MeFi for lo these many, many weeks. Thanks to every one of you. It's a "long night ahead of us," sure (although let's hope not), but for now, my thanks.
posted by foodbedgospel at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Nope, Kirk won on a fluke and was always going to lose.

Little known fact: Nicolle Wallace keeps a rock in her pocket to keep tigers away.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

MSNBC reports Ayotte is losing the NH senate.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

NH showing very strong numbers early for Hassan as well.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

MO Senate Exit Poll:
Kander: 52.3
Blunt: 44.8
posted by pjenks at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Holy shit CNN is saying Hillary leading, for now, in Texas.
posted by vrakatar at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Blink and you'll miss it on Grauniad: Texas pale blue. It won't last, but I took a screen cap anyway.
posted by maudlin at 5:13 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

What time are they likely to call this, and what time will the speeches likely be at? (for speeches, I realize it's traditional for the winner to let the loser do their concession speech first, so this might cause a delay tonight...so what time would they be expected to do speeches if Trump just acts gracious?)
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:14 PM on November 8, 2016

Checking in from work in New Zealand, where we're eating Skittles, Hersheys Kisses and some kind of weird red licorice called Red Vines in your honour, and feverishly refreshing the news sites. My workmate just asked which state Egg was running in (Not by name, but still...).

Echoing good luck, all counting, etc.
posted by Pink Frost at 5:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Right now NYT has TX as baby blue. I know it won't last more than about 40 seconds, but it's still fucking beautiful to see.
posted by dersins at 5:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Blue TX == YAAAAS QUEEEEEN SLAAAAY???? ?_____?
posted by hleehowon at 5:14 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Looks like Clinton might lose Florida.... ugh.
posted by docjohn at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

some kind of weird red licorice called Red Vines

GAZE UPON OUR MIGHTY CONFECTIONERY AND WEEP
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Long lines in Philadelphia. Papers handed out to people who were in line in time to vote tonight. Woman interviewed says she's waited for three hours. Interviewer asks who she's voting for. "...Hillary!" like it's obvious.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

IN Senate Exit Polls:

Bayh 44.1
Young 49.9
posted by pjenks at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016

Steve Schale (Florida man) throwing a bit of cold water on things: "Trump did really well in a bunch of exurban counties. Better than expected. It is going to be pretty close."

At this point, this is basically straight-up race and class warfare.
posted by zachlipton at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Clinton up by 130K votes; "TOO CLOSE TO CALL." LOL, thx, NBC.

The panhandle hasn't reported yet. The Florida Panhandle is BRIGHT RED.
posted by Justinian at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016

Guardian just turned TX red, but I saw blue, and I saw hope.
posted by mochapickle at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I feel like I am somehow getting internet from Earth2 because every website you are mentioning, I go there and I do not see what y'all are seeing!
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I still say it's called for Hillary by 11pm. *eats own cookie*
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:15 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

FL is oscillating, best to look away for a bit...
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:16 PM on November 8, 2016

This FL man says chill, we got this.
posted by photoslob at 5:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Man, I have to say I'm near closing the MeFi tab. So much breaking news without attribution. :(
posted by mcstayinskool at 5:16 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Looks like Clinton might lose Florida.... ugh.

Based on what?
posted by Bookhouse at 5:16 PM on November 8, 2016

Texas just went red again. What's the deal with Virginia being red? (on google) That's unexpected, yes?
posted by ctmf at 5:16 PM on November 8, 2016

The Guardian's poll tracker is pretty awesome. Wow.
posted by Yowser at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016

michigan turned blue on the nyt site
posted by HuronBob at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016

PA Senate Exit Polls:

McGinty 50.0
Toomey 47.1
posted by pjenks at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Wolf Blitzer and John King are watching Florida switch from red to blue to red to blue and acting like each switch is the final result. "Wait, it's changing again!"
posted by mmoncur at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Google has started showing state question results but also says 0% reporting. WTF????
posted by bunderful at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016

The panhandle hasn't reported yet. The Florida Panhandle is BRIGHT RED.

Still a lot of votes in Broward and Miami.

@dandrezner
Yes, but per CNN Election Day votes in Miami-Dade and Broward haven't been reported yet.
posted by chris24 at 5:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Looks like Clinton might lose Florida.... ugh.

Based on what?
posted by Bookhouse at 5:16 PM on November 8 [+] [!]

Wolf Blitzer. So about as accurate as a Magic 8 Ball.
posted by asockpuppet at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

mcstayinskool: New York Times Forecast
posted by aspo at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Some of the more populated parts of Florida seem to be the least reporting atm. Don't sweat it.
posted by vbfg at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016

Kay Burley on Sky is now interviewing people in a pizza place she is visibly regretting. Deranged bloke saying he wrote in his boss as president, as the other choice was between a racist and and a murderer. The next person interviewed thinks that Trump doesn't lie. Kay is saying "allegedly" to the camera, with a worried look.
posted by Wordshore at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you are nervous, don't watch that NY Times Live Presidential Forecast.

It's updating 2 or 3 times a second, and the electoral totals will swing 10 points or more in two seconds. (But there's enough Hillary margin available to keep the panic down.)

Go Ohio!
posted by jjj606 at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

How excited is that stupid Wolf Blitzer that Florida is close: you I don't like.
posted by theredpen at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

What's the deal with Virginia being red? (on google) That's unexpected, yes?

On the other hand, Ohio is currently pretty strongly blue at this point, which I didn't expect.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016

So it's about 25% of precincts outs of Palm Beach and only the early voting out of Broward (plus some more out of Miami-Dade). The question is whether enough Latinos in southern Florida turned out to beat the increased turnout of angry panhandlers.
posted by zachlipton at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016

PA Senate Exit Polls:

McGinty 50.0
Toomey 47.1

oh please oh please oh please
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm at the Somerville For Hillary office with Athenasbanquet. The mood is cautiously optimistic.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

NH Senate Exit Polls:

Hassan 50.3
Ayotte 46.8
posted by pjenks at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

One of my coworkers experienced what was almost certainly an attempt at intimidation from an election judge during early voting. He didn't report it because it's par for the course for him being a hispanic person in Texas.

Please encourage him to report it. Doesn't have to be today. But documenting attempts like these is crucial to court cases such as Shelby. The revised Supreme Court under Hillary is going to need tangible evidence of racially-based voter suppression to overturn that awful case.
posted by msalt at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

> So much breaking news without attribution. :(

I'm hearing that 90% of Donald Trump voters can't ride a bicycle. Some haven't learned. Some just can't do it. That's just something I heard somewhere.
posted by Quagkapi at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Can I just say. I should appreciate the irony of Florida being so infuriatingly annoyingly important while being so crazy - but actually, not so much?

Grah.
posted by Devonian at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2016

Looks like Clinton might lose Florida.... ugh.

They haven't posted day-of votes at all in Broward, and only 20% in Miami-Dade. Chill.
posted by zombieflanders at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Also, CNN should take down their asshole "Good start for Trump" dickheadery banner, in my opinion.
posted by theredpen at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2016

>Exit Poll of MO:

Clinton 42.8
Trump 51.2

538 has MO at 51.4/41.4. Recent polls were like 50/37 and 54/38.

So **if** the exit poll numbers hold up in MO, it may indicate Clinton overperforming by maybe 1-2% or maybe even a bit more.

Keep in mind MO was never close, so Clinton never really campaigned here & we are not getting much of the GOTV differential we may see in a lot of swing states. So overperforming, if it happens, won't be due to GOTV but just because Trump sucks and Hillary rules . . .

I will add that Missouri used to be a real swing state in Presidential elections and it pains me deeply to see it swing so hard against Obama and now Clinton. We could at least keep it close! Sometimes R & sometimes D I can deal with, but just always R? No thanks . . .
posted by flug at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

What's the deal with Virginia being red?

Northern Virginia isn't in. That's Clinton country.
posted by waitingtoderail at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Florida reporting status by county. (State of Florida elections website)
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The panhandle in Florida is bright red, but I think#NeverTrump has got that, y'all. I'm expecting to see Johnson and Clinton votes there.
posted by corb at 5:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Florida is projected to be a goner for Clinton but it doesn't matter -- it's not enough to save Trump. Besides, damn you all to hell, Floridians, for re-electing that craven little worm of a man, Rubio, and putting him back in contention for 2020.
posted by xigxag at 5:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

All 9 votes for McMuffin in Virginia Beach so far!!
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 5:21 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Clinton winning Wake county by 22 in NC. Obama won it by 11.
posted by chris24 at 5:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Florida is projected to be a goner for Clinton

By whom?
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:22 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Trump up by 8k votes in FL at the moment, according to CNN. Ugh.
posted by docjohn at 5:22 PM on November 8, 2016

CNN has Florida with Trump ahead by 8700 votes. Maximum panic.
posted by humanfont at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016

This is a really dumb question but in FLA are they counting early votes with these reports?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016

MSNBC saying the counties look similar to Obama 2012 results. (he won it)
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Florida is projected to be a goner for Clinton but it doesn't matter

No it isn't. Too close to call. Lots of city votes from day of, plus panhandle.
posted by chris24 at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Hopin' for Florida...
posted by foodbedgospel at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016

Texas is... blue?
posted by Artw at 5:23 PM on November 8, 2016

Why is it always Florida?
posted by octothorpe at 5:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

John Kucko at WROC in Rochester has been streaming video from Susan B. Anthony's gravesite via his cellphone for about 13 hours now. He hadn't actually planned on doing so, and hasn't had a bathroom break. I don't know how he's been managing, but it's been a shot of sunshine all day.
posted by Shmuel510 at 5:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Nate Cohn says this is going to be a long night because Trump is doing exactly what he needs to do to make it a long night, run up the score in rural white America.
posted by Justinian at 5:24 PM on November 8, 2016

oh, that NY Times gauge jittering is a great way to show margin of error, well done.
posted by thetruthisjustalie at 5:24 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

MSNBC says the in-progress vote hasn't been reflective of what's early voting, what's mail-in, and what's day-of.

They're trying to keep us calm.
posted by mudpuppie at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

JFC, MSNBC's Florida numbers are oscillating like crazy. They were showing Trump 49% Clinton 48%, then just jumped to Clinton 64%.
posted by zakur at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016

Only 61% reporting in Florida.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016

This is a really dumb question but in FLA are they counting early votes with these reports?

Yes. Most of these votes are early vote. Broward county for example hasn't reported any election day votes yet.
posted by dis_integration at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016

John King explaining population centers to Wolf Blitzer as you would to a particularly slow child.
posted by entropicamericana at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Please for the love of all if you're saying that something is projected or someone says or they are say or anything like that please cite sources.
Thanks in advance
posted by Jalliah at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

Artw currently the only Texas results are my city (San Antonio) and a few rural areas. So yeah, blue for now. But don't count on it lasting.
posted by sotonohito at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Someone explain Virginia. It's supposed to be one of her blue wall states. Are more votes coming?
posted by Rashomon at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Quick reminder: please track state and local races over here. Thanks!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 5:25 PM on November 8, 2016

Really expected a bit better posting in here than every little change in the CNN graph, we're all watching it live.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

@samsteinhp Jill Stein has over 50k votes in florida
posted by triggerfinger at 5:26 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I got 88% reporting in Florida.
posted by docjohn at 5:26 PM on November 8, 2016

@benchmarkpol
Most red counties in Florida are 90-100% reporting. Broward has not reported anything beyond initial yet. http://benchmark.shareblue.com/florida/
posted by chris24 at 5:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

> They're trying to keep us calm.

I bet if we really tried, we could keep ourselves calm, by not freaking out every time one of the news sites flips a color.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 5:27 PM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

What's the deal with Virginia being red? (on google) That's unexpected, yes?

It happens every election, the very blue Northern Virginia counties report latest. They have the most polling stations and take more time to tally votes. So once those votes are in, it'll be blue. At this point Clinton is already outperforming Obama in 2012 by 10% in Fairfax, 4% in Loudoun, 3% in Alexandria.
posted by peeedro at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I see this is your first election thread.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Re: Virginia, here's what 538 was saying just before 8: If you’re puzzling at the results in Virginia — more than a fifth of precincts are reporting and Trump leads by more than 10 points — don’t expect an upset there just yet. There’s still a ton of the vote left to report in Northern Virginia, specifically the heavily Democratic Washington D.C. suburbs.
posted by cider at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Someone explain Virginia.

Only about 50% reporting, and less-populated areas tend to come in before more-populated areas. Clinton is strong in Northern Virginia and the cities on the seaboard, and they're likely to come in later than Trump country.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Florida is going to come down to the margin Broward's election-day voting can give Clinton.
posted by Justinian at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Someone explain Virginia. It's supposed to be one of her blue wall states. Are more votes coming?

There's a ton of deep blue precincts in northern VA that always show up late.
posted by zombieflanders at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Honestly y'all, I'd check back in at 9:15 or so. The minute by minute thing is like watching NYT's weird ass gauges that swing wildly second to second.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

VA,FL,NC,PA,OH and IA will go for the good gals. Relax.
posted by localhuman at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

91% in in Florida, Trump ahead by 63K according to CNN.
posted by docjohn at 5:28 PM on November 8, 2016

Things seem encouraging for Clinton so far to me. I'm on the paths to the White House thing here (scroll down) in one tab, and the live forecast here in another, and giving each candidate their currently projected states yields a Clinton win. Even if you spot Trump the closest two Dem-leaning states, OH and NC, it's still in favor of Clinton.

Not freaking out yet.
posted by danb at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016

Trump operative Roger Stone tweets racist image on Election Night because why not

--@xeni (I think this is real.)

President Obama has a special #ElectionNight message for you: "No matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning"

--@BuzzFeedNews (video)
posted by zachlipton at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016

Okay 538 has Clinton down to only a 71% chance to win

It's up to 75% now. Watching that graphic ever-so-slowly update itself as results come in is the only way to capture the thrilling excitement of this election night.
posted by sfenders at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@marcambinder
Attention: 100 percent of same-day vote in Broward, 37% in Hillsborough, 20 percent in Miami-Dade NOT COUNTED Yet
posted by chris24 at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Yeah, Broward is where she ices it.
posted by Windopaene at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016

Oh Maryland, my Maryland. I'm glad my home state's reliably blue. The rest of you: get it together.
posted by missmobtown at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I know we're all reflexively looking at polls (I had to stop looking at the NYT because ugh). But I just want to remind everyone that Trump is a failure of leadership in the Republican party. If they don't actually want to stand for bigotry -- and Ryan and so on regularly claim they don't -- then they should have rejected him strongly. No Republican elected official (esp at the national level) who refused to condemn Trump and his message before today should ever be allowed to forget it. They should be asked routinely by voters and the media how they can be trusted to stop a slightly more competent fascist candidate.

(This is all on the assumption that PEC and so on are right about how likely a Clinton win is.)
posted by R343L at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Arkansas called for Trump. Traitors.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Wait, where did Anderson Cooper go? I think I just figured out how something which such high stakes could be so mind-numbingly boring. He's on his dinner break and will get back by the time things get exciting, right? (Which is cause and which is effect would obviously be tough to call if it gets exciting when Anderson Cooper comes back).
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:30 PM on November 8, 2016

30 minutes until New York comes in, and comes in blue. I did my part.
posted by SansPoint at 5:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Trump operative Roger Stone tweets racist image on Election Night because why not --@xeni (I think this is real.)

Yup, it's real
posted by filthy light thief at 5:31 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Pretty surprised at Ohio, tbh. Well done, if this lead holds.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2016

@samsteinhp Jill Stein has over 50k votes in florida

Jesus. It's like the lessons of 2000 just went right out the window.
posted by cashman at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [35 favorites]

NBC saying Republicans will retain the house.
posted by waitingtoderail at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2016

MSNBC has also called a Republican House for 2017-2018.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Cooper's doing maths on Florida on the background...
posted by corvine at 5:33 PM on November 8, 2016

Maryland, dressed in blue. D.C. as well.
posted by datawrangler at 5:33 PM on November 8, 2016

No surprise there.
posted by ghharr at 5:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@samsteinhp Jill Stein has over 50k votes in florida

I'm going to be unfriending some muthfuckahs.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 5:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

This is surreal. My county (I'm in NC) is literally on fire, due to drought. There's apocalyptic smoke hanging in the air. My kids just went to bed, so I'm drinking Maker's Mark and watching the numbers roll in. Thanks for making it less scary, MEFI.
posted by Bob Regular at 5:33 PM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

@benchmarkpol
Populated counties at less than 50% in Florida: Alachua (H +20), Palm Beach (H +20), Broward (H +33), Leon (H +23) http://benchmark.shareblue.com/florida/
posted by chris24 at 5:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Peeps, I can't take suspense tonight. My day's already been cray cray.
I NEED HILLARY'S STAMINA.
(And actually I wish my local races WERE suspenseful.)
posted by NorthernLite at 5:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Omfg. I just got home from poll watching and haven't seen the news since 11:30. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
posted by HotToddy at 5:34 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Kornacki says pump the brakes on Virgina, plenty of hope left in NoVA precincts.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:35 PM on November 8, 2016

Why are there such discrepancies between CNN and NYT in the % votes counted, when the absolute vote totals are the same? So confusing!
posted by just_ducky at 5:35 PM on November 8, 2016

In defense of watching the updates on the nyt map, I just got to see a blue Texas...

But yeah, the vote reporting is chunky and strangely distributed, which makes watching the live updates both exasperating and misleading, especially early in the night....
posted by kaibutsu at 5:35 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

MSNBC numbers are oscillating wildly. The graphics could have changed literally as Williams is speaking.
posted by zakur at 5:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@yanpal7: It's 91% of PRECINCTS, only 69% of votes counted.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:36 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

NYT down to 78%. Shit.
posted by Golden Eternity at 5:37 PM on November 8, 2016

76%. Double shit.
posted by maudlin at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2016

Can anyone confirm that Google's live results are legit because they are wildly different than what I'm seeing on TV right now in terms of electoral votes
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2016

Obama's Florida guy saying that both sides nave larger than expected votes. Tweet
posted by shothotbot at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2016

relax. She's got this.
posted by localhuman at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

stop milkdrinking foo
posted by hleehowon at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2016

Stop watching the percentage guesses and just watch the incoming numbers.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Everybody knows cats and raccoons are republicans, dogs and mice are democrats.

That is pretty much nonsense. Cats split pretty evenly between Libertarian and Panther Party, while Raccoons are solidly Anarcho-Syndicalist.

A small minority of Raccoons go Falangist, but that's only because they have fingers.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

I bet if we really tried, we could keep ourselves calm, by not freaking out every time one of the news sites flips a color.

For real. All these stupid news channels are utterly irresponsibly, as usual, letting results and percentages and projections self-update live onscreen as 5 and 10 and 100 votes trickle in from here or there. I want to slap them all. This is exactly why I never post a self-updating grade status column in my online class gradebooks until we have a significant amount of work completed. Miss one 5-point quiz early in the semester, and your percentage drops like a rock, which means absolutely nothing in the longterm grand scheme.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Yeah this is why you have open bars: gonna be a long night. The ghost of Tip O'Neal be with me.
posted by vrakatar at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Essential election coverage for Facebook users.
posted by entropicamericana at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Virginia is blowing my mind. FL looks fine I think
posted by Windopaene at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2016

MSNBC: Trump up 80k votes but metro areas lagging in the count.

Commentator talking about how the female vote is not monolithic. White college-educated women have voted more Republican so Hillary tying among white college-educated women is noteworthy. Women of color create the voting gender gap.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Also people are still voting in the west half of the country. A wildly oscillating figure for who is going to win is the most useless and irresponsible thing.
posted by R343L at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

ABC is calling the House for the GOP right now.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016

She wins North Carolina, it's over. Right? Do I misunderstand?
posted by argybarg at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Can anyone confirm that Google's live results are legit because they are wildly different than what I'm seeing on TV right now in terms of electoral votes

I switched away from Google to the NBC map because of that. Google doesn't seem to be updating well.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016

Virginia ALWAYS looks like this. People have short memories.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Just caught former gov Granholm saying she's worried about Michigan.

HALP!
posted by NorthernLite at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

538 is trolling PEC on twitter.

Fuck those dudes.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:40 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Let's go, New York.
posted by theredpen at 5:41 PM on November 8, 2016

Florida still at 91%, but Trump now up by 100k.... Ugh.
Still waiting on Broward County. As usual.
posted by docjohn at 5:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

What is up with MSNBC / Brian Williams? He's made several comments directly contradicted by the graphics -- saying "Advantage Trump" when the number of votes on the screens is higher for Clinton, and vice versa. Who's right? Brian or the graphics team?

He seems to be unable to speak tonight. I'm pretty sure the graphics are right and he's reading things wrong, or doesn't have the right information in front of him in an easy-to-read format.

I think the graphics department is getting behind whomever is writing his copy. At least twice, he's tripped over himself saying "The state of X goes to Y" because the graphic is different from whatever he was reading. In one case, he was calling a state for Trump, the graphic said "Projected Winner" or whatever, but it still had portraits of both candidates.
posted by sideshow at 5:42 PM on November 8, 2016

She wins North Carolina, it's over. Right? Do I misunderstand?

Nobody knows at this point. Things are.... unsettled.
posted by Justinian at

Of the people, by the people, and for the people: US election day November 8, 2016 8:39 AM Subscribe

Of the people, by the people, and for the people: US election day
November 8, 2016 8:39 AM Subscribe