Virginia — there are problems with wet hands affecting the machines, particularly in Chesapeake and other southern parts of the state. This is leading to long lines. CNN is reporting up to a six hour wait to vote in parts of Virginia.
Philadelphia — 8 of 1600 voting stations in the area have machines that aren’t working, but ballots are being handed out to voters to write in.В
From one of today’s recommended diaries at Daily Kos:
If you are in Philadelphia, PA and you click the box for Obama, and then click straight Democratic ticket, it will cancel out your vote for Obama. No one is quite sure why, but it’s happening. I just talked to the Obama campaign, and they are urging folks either to just vote straight Democratic ticket, or to choose each candidate individually- but not both.
Please Digg and spread this piece of information to anyone widely. My understanding is there are Obama folks in Philly trying to work through this problem, but please let anyone who might be voting know as well. Sorry for the shortness of this diary, but I just wanted to get the word out there.
It looks like, from the diary in its original form that was typed either in a hurry or as a text message, which I can probably trust more than what the news is reporting as “voter intimidation.” Stay awake and let us know what you see out there.
Wasilla, AK — a crazy lady with big hair seems to have blocked the polling booths with a giant moose carcass. Voters have heard her saying, “Am I going to stop you from voting, you betcha!”
In all seriousness, Sarah Palin voted in Wasilla this morning. A Japanese reporter asked her about her relationship with Japan if she’s elected, to which she replied,В “strengthening our relationship and enhancing our relationship so we have stronger trade relations between the two.”
Colorado — 90 percent of registered voters are expected to participate in the Colorado vote. Barack Obama in both polls and early voting results is in the lead for Colorado as of 1:39 pm EST
Kansas CityВ — problems with voter registration cards not matching.
Southern California — due to rain there have been power outages in four locations. Generators have been taken to one location, the Tom Brady center, which is fairly large. Voting has been moved outside in the other locations, and they’re hoping the rain will hold off.
Madison, WI –В Middleton HS Bomb Threat. Polling Place Moved.
The Middleton Police have confirmed that a bomb threat has been announced for Middleton High School.
They say that the report came in at 3:03 Tuesday afternoon.
As a response, the students still at the school wereВ evacuated to the school gymnasium.
Officials are on the scene and evaluating the threat.
Middleton High School is also a polling location today, and election officials have moved the polling location for Aldermanic Districts 5, 6, 7, and 8 to the Middleton Fire Department at 7600 University Avenue.
Voting will remain at the new location until 8p.m. tonight.
Indiana –В Two Republican elections workers have been removed from an Indianapolis area polling site for improperly challenging voters on the basis of their party affiliation.
Voters in the battleground state can be challenged on the validity of their address, age or lack of ID, but not based on their party affiliation. The two poll workers — a Republican vote challenger and a clerk — forced at least three voters to file provisional ballots, said Angie Nussmeyer, spokeswoman for the Marion County Election Board.
The county’s bipartisan election board voted unanimously to remove the two. The Marion County Republican Party reacted with a statement this afternoon saying it was unaware of the improper challenges and had not instructed party workers to do so. “We wish to see all qualified voters vote and find it reprehensible to ever deter a proper voter from voting,” read the statement.
Marion County went for Sen. John F. Kerry in 2004 by a margin of 50.6 percent to 48.7 percent for President Bush. Kerry got 6,177 more votes than Bush.
Tucson, Arizona — It appears quite a few long-time voters have been removed from the lists at their regular polling places and are asked to fill out provisional ballots at tables with no privacy and red ink. Those reporting party afffiliation have been Republicans, so far. They are being told they will have to check a website in 10 days to see if their vote counted. Tim Robbins has had a similar experience in New York.
Tim Robbins:
http://gothamist.com/2008/11/04/actor_tim_robbins_stymied_at_polls.php
AZ Newspapers Pima County experiences:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/265553.php