The Electoral season is finally winding to a close.

I did my patriotic duty as a citizen of Maine (Maine generally leads the nation in our percentage of voters).

Was late for work yesterday because of a politician on my doorstep. (Sadly, I actually ended up voting for him.)

Was annoyed with telephone pollsters - 'If the election were today would you vote for Cynthia Dill or Charles Summer?' 'Ummm, isn't the front runner Angus King?' 'We are only concerned with the two main party candidates.' ... 'Umm, the front runner is Angus King - leaving him off of this poll renders it pointless, whether I vote for him or not. Who paid for this poll?' 'The committee to elect Charles Summer.' 'Well, in that case you don't have to worry about it - either way I vote it will not be for Mr. Summer.' *Click.*

I hate leading questions on polls.

Right now King is comfortably in the lead, whichever way I voted.

Whoever wins, I will miss Olympia Snowe - who decided not to run because of the partisan nature of the Senate - and given that she was about as centrist as a Republican can get, meant it. (Last presidential election I saw hand made posters that were touting both Olympia Snowe for Senate and Barack Obama for PotUS - they made me smile.)

King is a centrist Independent, Dill is a middle left Democrat, and Summer is a pretty danged far to the right Republican. (Though not in the same league as out current governor.)

How entertaining are the elections in the other 49?

The Auld Grump, my father once brought Congressman Joe Moakley home with him from a pub....

Noooo! Let this be a reprieve from the horror that is this election cycle!

Sorry, but being in Colorado I've had to endure a metric shit-load of calls, ads, pollsters, door-to-door campaigners, etc.

@ Grump: that is why polls, IMO, are generally useless unless the questions and answers are disclosed in full, which they are usually not.

I am still trying to figure out the formulas used to "call" a state with 0% reporting.

QFT

I personally find myself to be educated on political issues moreso than most around me. I personally feel that people should become educated on their vote and not just parrot those around them. I also feel the vote should be a private ballot as to not bully others in conversation.

I will say ahead of time that if this thread turns to the political tirade or argument direction, it will be closed down.

There was a reason that I did not say whom I voted for... though one that I was open about not voting for. Or, more accurately, who annoyed me with a slanted poll.

I am staying away from the election results until morning.

The Auld Grump, would you believe that I'm a Whig?

I did not mean to imply things would go south in this thread. Just wanted to make sure and give the warning before it had the chance.

Living in AZ, we always are a state with controversy on the ballot. This year it is land based.

And AZ has a border with folks that they are not necessarily all that fond of.

But enough about California.

The Auld Grump

HAHAHA

I am glad this is staying lighthearted.

Though I am quite passionate about my politics, I prefer to leave you to be whatever you want to be about yours.

I will say that as a teacher in Arizona. The vote results related to Prop 204 will likely be the thing to effect me most from this election.

I've lived in California and Texas nearly all my life. I've been spared the heavy political ads all my life due to the fact of being in solid red/blue states. Can't say I miss it.

I feel kinda ripped off, actually. I was expected way more drama tonight. Kind of anti-climatic.

Ack! I went and looked!

Mostly because I got an e-mail saying that the Presidential race is over. That was... faster than I expected. And more decisive. The swing states did it.

Not complaining.

King wins the Senate seat - not at all a surprise. And he did a decent enough job as Governor. (Better than either the most recent Democrat or the most recent Republican.) Odds are good that he won't screw things up too much.

Gay Marriage passed, again. (It will likely be challenged... again.... )

No word yet on the Bonds - which I felt were the second most important thing for the state.

The Auld Grump, Blaine! Blaine, James G. Blaine! Continental liar from the State of Maine!

Gotta say it disappoints me when people say they aren't voting. Whether or not you think the presidential race is worth voting on, the local bonds and taxes ARE. Those DIRECTLY EFFECT YOU! You'd best make a decision or someone else will!

As an interested bystander (funnily enough, we in the 51st State don't actually get to vote in the US elections!), I'm impressed with the turnouts and the passion displayed with the election. (as opposed to the apathy in the UK, where people were proud not to have voted in our last election )

As Young Mr Grace would say - "Well done to you all!"

What dissapointed me the most was the fact that many people did not know which precinct they live in. My polling place had two tables set up to sign in for two different precincts. There was a very long, single line outside of the building with no distinction between precincts and no way to tell where the line split inside the building. Voting was going slow so one of the poll workers came out and let us know that the line for one of the precincts was very short. It turned out that was my precinct so instead of standing in line for an hour I was able to get out in 10 minutes. The vast majority of the people had no idea which precinct they lived in so could not make the call as to whether to jump to the correct line. I tried to help some folks out in determining which pricinct they lived in by asking which table they usually sign in at since the layout has stayed the same over the years. Of course they did not know since the only time the choose to vote is during national elections. There was no precinct map available so people could try to determine which precinct they live in by their street address.

I vote in all of the local, state, and national elections. Have done so since 1972 when I was first eligible to vote. I have always known which precinct I lived in no matter where in the USA I have lived. I also actually inform myself about the various amendments and propositions on the ballot before the election and make a note of my preferences instead of standing in the voting booth trying to read the ballot and making the decision there. The descrepency between the votes for candidates and the votes for issues is sad indeed. Those things are important since they deal with basic rights and fiscal issues. Too many people just can not be bothered with such stuff, it seems. They would rather bitch and whine about it aftewards.

They had the initial table to help direct people to one of five other tables at my place but for the enterprising person they also had the street range at each table overhead on a pole so you could find your own way.

One of the things I enjoy about being a US Citizen living abroad is I miss out on all the political adds on TV, stuffed in my mail box, and stuck on my door. The process to vote can sometimes be complicated, but I enjoy having my say.

Of interest to me was what was happening in Puerto Rico. This is from the Huffington Post.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A slim majority of Puerto Ricans sought to change their ties with the United States and become the 51st U.S. state in a non-binding referendum that would require final approval from Congress.

The two-part referendum asked whether the island wanted to change its 114-year relationship with the United States. Nearly 54 percent, or 922,374 people, sought to change it, while 46 percent, or 786,749 people, favored the status quo. Ninety-six percent of 1,643 precincts were reporting as of early Wednesday.

The second question asked voters to choose from three options, with statehood by far the favorite, garnering 61 percent. Sovereign free association, which would have allowed for more autonomy, received 33 percent, while independence got 5 percent.

It looks like we may get to add a new star to the flag.

They combined two precincts this year at my polling place, but were only letting 10 people in at a time no matter which precinct you were in. So, it took me an hour and a half to get in to vote!

But I'm glad we're past the election, I was getting really tired of the mass of advertisements I saw between the two main party candidates!

I believe, when I was a child, there was an attempt to make Puerto Rico a state, but met with opposition both in the main body of the States and in Puerto Rico. I hope that it goes back on the table - being a territory deprives Puerto Rico of their vote and the main body of the States Puerto Rico's voice in Congress.

If I recall correctly Hawaii was the State that was most accepting of a new State, while Alaska stood against it - so the two youngest States in the Union were as divided as possible.

But that was in the '70s, time has passed since then, more than a generation.

The Auld Grump, for the record, I vote 5th Precinct.

Well, going by the profile under your avatar, you are in one of the all important swing states - and the one that changed the balance of an election not all that long ago. Come election time... better hide under a rock, and even then some advertising will find you, taped on the shell of a snail.

The Auld Grump, adding a new meaning to the term 'Snail Mail'. (What I remember best about Florida was finding a glass door entirely covered in snails... that and a gecko screaming Tokay! at two o'clock in the morning....)

Well, as a professed conservative, I admit to some dissapointment, but far more really as to how the election was run rather than what it's really going to mean. Judging from the seats and numbers, we're going to get four more years of the last two years... minus the ads and blatant demonization. An improvement, I guess... at least the ads and harassment is over.

And so ends what is likely the last of the 'Baby Boomer Elections'. Next race will actually trend towards a very jaded Gen X... but at least everything's fresh for 2016, and the country sorely needs that.

You would find some interesting stuff washing up around the lake in the Mississippi hamlet I'm in. The beavers are such artistic little guys. Years ago I found a beaver stick six feet long with a perfect top knot ... great wizard staff. Also found a turtle shell with razor back protrusions. It looked quite prehistoric ... shell was oblong and about two feet long. Anyway, enough ...

I'm glad the election is over!

Fiscally speaking, I am very concerned. I do not have confidence those in power have the desire, drive, or capacity to turn things around.

Not to worry, toupees have come a long wa...oh, Whig sorry.

You may return to figuring out who will win the nation sized game of chicken over reforms.

A) I guess I now get to consider myself a true Minority since I think everyone I voted for lost. Maybe next time I'll vote the guys I *don't* want. LOL.

B) The 3 previous polling posts over the past years had all within a dozen or so blocks from me - a couple different Churches and a Union Hall. Starting with this year's Primaries, my city of c.33K population moved my polling place to the far west end of town. I live on the far south side. Only 20 minutes by bicycle, but what the hey? Illinois has always been full of Jerrymandering for the representative districts, but I have to question the possible Jerrymandering of precinct poll locations. Nothing I can point at for certain since I haven't consulted a map of the other spots in relation to the other precincts and wards. The one golden lining I do see is that it was located in a nursing home - so at least the residents did not have to get out in the misty weather to do their patriotic duty. A minor score for the old folks, bless 'em.

I really wish that the US would switch to an Irish Ballot. (Folks rank their votes - so if their first candidate does not get 50% their vote slides down to the next, and the next in turn in need.)

It means that a person that votes Green could have their vote move on to Democrat or a Libertarian could have their vote move on to Republican.

It eases up the reliance on the two party system. (Anthropologically speaking our party system can be described as classic trouping primate behavior....)

The Auld Grump, up to and including the poo flinging....

Grump - don't start suggesting proportional representation!

The UK keeps dabbling with it. Causes more aggro than the actual political arguments!

One thing I find interesting is that in the States, there is such a difference in perception between the 2 political parties. In the UK, unless you are very political, they all seem to have merged into 1 amorphous bunch of crooks...

Yeah Grump, while I like living in Florida for the weather, I hate that we have so much say in the national election! Makes for lots of campaign trail hype that I'd rather not see!

It is interesting that even though Florida is a "swing state," it actually does not matter this year either way.

Actually, this is the way I see our two party system now. The last time a third party was taken seriously was Ross Perot, and both sides said he funneled votes from them. Then there were no more thirds in debates. Seems like they decided to keep them out. I wish we had more options. Would make politicians have to actually stand out to be considered, not just have an R or D after their name.