By now all the polls are open in the country, except for in Hawaii and Alaska (where Sarah Palin is, getting ready to vote with her family). But remember, nearly 30 million people have already voted. Some important swing states might even already be decided: 1.7 million people have voted early in Colorado, 4.2 million in Florida, 2.6 million in North Carolina, and 1.4 million in Ohio.
We’re already hearing that our polling places here in New York are more swamped than they’ve been in recent memory, but that’s pretty tepid news compared to some of the junk that’s going down elsewhere today. Let’s take a look!
• Police in Toledo, Ohio, are preparing riot gear in case of “civil unrest,” though they haven’t cited specific causes for alarm. [WNWO]
• Traditional first-voting-town Dixville Notch picked Barack Obama by a 16–5 landslide last night. It was the first time the tiny hamlet hadn’t picked a Republican since 1968. [AP]
• On-site election judges are kicking GOP Election Board members out of polling stations in Philadelphia, contrary to a recent court order. [Town Hall]
• Joe Biden voted for himself twice! Sort of. And Barack Obama and Michelle Obama took fifteen minutes each to vote! Maybe. [Politico and Drudge]
• As always, voting machines are breaking down all over the country. But especially in Virginia today. Hmmmm. [CNN]
• Jonah Goldberg has an interpretation of John McCain’s situation that we think some RPG geeks might just disagree with. [Corner/National Review]
• Bill Clinton maybe hinted that he thinks Obama won’t make it through an entire four years in office. “For me it’s a tremendous opportunity and honor to be part of what I hope will be a great next couple of years for America,” he said, after voting with Hillary in Chappaqua. [Emphasis ours.] [Time]
• New York State Republicans have set off robo-calls urging voters to pick Obama at the top of the ballot, and Republicans at a local level. [NYDN]
• None other than Bush brain Karl Rove has called the race — for Obama. He sees a 338–200 final electoral map. [Rove.com]
