This is awesome

Great chart. Thanks, David.

---

by: Ron @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 09:34:23 AM CDT

Kryzan on WFP line

It looks like Kryzan will actually get the WFP ballot line.

http://www.thealbanyproject.co...

---

by: Progressive America @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 10:18:56 AM CDT

Great news

Puts this race back into the Toss-up column in a year when Democrats are going to win the Toss-up races, in NY State for sure.

---

by: WoodyNYC @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 10:37:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

A saga of crazy NY races.

First NY-13 and now NY-26 is shaping up to be a unpredictable race 'till E-day.

---

by: nrimmer @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 10:39:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

NY-13 is unpredictable only in whether Straniere will finish second or third

NY-26, on the other hand, is shaping up to be nearly as crazy as MN-Sen.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

---

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 11:28:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah, MN-Sen is going to be crazy.

I can't figure out what's going on there. I must say I'm not especially optimistic that Franken will pull it out.

---

by: nrimmer @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 14:29:08 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

in one week

both Bill and Hillary have come and stumped for him.  This is a must flip seat for 60.  An Obama wave should carry this seat.

---

by: Andrew @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 15:25:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I love me some Roy G. Biv, but ...

... could you do the map from light blue to darkest blue, say?  Makes more intuitive sense when looking at the map alone.

---

by: Adam B. @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 10:57:17 AM CDT

I can't believe some states close at 6 pm

That is voter suppression in my opinion. If you can't vote before work (running late or long lines threaten to make you late), you might not get back to your neighborhood in time to vote by 6 pm because of your shift or rush hour traffic.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 11:31:09 AM CDT

As long as they have mail in votes

I don't see a problem with it.  Anyone can mail their vote in here in FL.  Though I know some states don't allow it.

---

by: ChadInFL @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 11:54:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Voter suppression, of course

It's Indiana. And Kentucky. Their legislatures don't want unionized shift workers voting, or the black guys whose bosses can say to them, "LeRoy, we got a big delivery coming in tomorrow,  I need you to stay on another couple of hours to clean up in back," and keep them from the polls.

Help America Vote Act needs serious reform. Like so many pieces of Bush law, its name is the opposite of its actual effect. And when we reform it, the feds need to mandate a couple of weeks of early voting, with weekend and evening hours, on all the states, including New York. But especially on Indiana and Kentucky.

---

by: WoodyNYC @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:38:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I hope the Democrats won't get complacent

assuming Obama wins comfortably tomorrow. We need to fix a lot of problems with the voting system in this country.

I agree with everything you said, and I would also favor a federal ban of touchscreen voting machines.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 03:11:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Hawaii too

The map just looks like, "Oh another 11 pm closing time", but remember that 11 pm EST is 6 pm in Hawaii.

---

by: Marcus @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 06:36:47 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Quite frankly

This can be solved if all states were to create an election "week" or "weeks" (which would include the ability to go down to the polls on Saturday and Sunday from 7-7). This would increase participation, lower the stress on election officials, AND would give people greater access to the polls.

Your go-to source for great sarcasm

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by: DGM @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 11:58:55 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Kentucky poll closing?

CNN said polls close in Kentucky at 7 pm? I'm voting in Virginia (VA-11) on tuesday and then driving back home to Lexington, KY. My girlfriend is registered in KY so I hope we can get back before 6.

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by: gutter2d @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 11:49:20 AM CDT

All times are EASTERN on this map.

But all polls close in Kentucky at 6pm local time. From the KY Sos:

"Voting is an important right and responsibility. I highly encourage voters to research the candidates before they get ready to cast their vote," noted Grayson.  "It is also important that voters determine a time when they can vote and thus prepare appropriately.  The polls close at 6:00 p.m., local time, and any voter in line to vote by that time will be allowed to cast a ballot."

---

by: James L. @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 12:16:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Used to live in Kentucky

Polls close at 6pm local time (Eastern or Central, depending).

It used to be that the networks would call the state at 6pm Eastern because 75% of the population of the state lives in the Eastern Time Zone.  But recently they have started waiting until the Central Time Zone closes as well before calling it.

The same goes for Indiana.

---

by: tilthouse @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 14:07:05 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The first to announce

So Indiana and Kentucky will be the first two states called, as usual. By the time the polls close in the western parts of the state, some precincts will have finished counting in the early-closing eastern parts.

Those votes plus the exit polls will allow the networks to come on air and announce, "We can now call Kentucky for John McCain ..." If they have to say, "But Indiana is still too close to call," we'll be on the way to a smashing victory across the country. When they say, "And we can now call Indiana for Barack Obama ..." then it's a landslide, no doubt about it.

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by: WoodyNYC @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:44:05 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

IN-03, KY-02 and IN-Pres

Those are the first bellweathers I'm looking forward to.  If we take any of the three early we should be in for a very big night.

---

by: ChadInFL @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:08:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Im gonna watch both IN-03 and KY-02

We will likely be leading early in KY-02, as we did in 2006 until about 20% was reported.  If we can get either of these seats, we will likely be picking up 45 seats nationally.  

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by: BillNolan @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:21:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

what about KY-Sen?

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

---

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 21:37:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Another big one

I expect Lunsford to have an early lead here with Louisville coming in first.  

---

by: BillNolan @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 21:51:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

presidentials at 6pm

I do think that Indiana, and maybe even Kentucky, will be 'too close to call' at 6 pm - for one thing, there is the part of the states that are open 1 hour longer.

A real idea of how the presidential goes is more likely to be available at 7. If either candidate immediately holds Florida, it's probably a run race. South Carolina and Vermont will go to McCain and Obama respectively, unless there is a landslide. But Georgia and Virginia form an interesting pair - in the polls McCain leads Georgia and Obama Virginia with a few percents. If Georgia is called, but Virginia too close to call, the election is closer than participated. If it's the other way around, an Obama victory seems certain.

---

by: Andre @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 07:04:48 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Looks like Cook is predicting a wave

http://cookpolitical.com/ratin...

Looks like he expects Obama to win somewhere 286-399 to McCain's 139-252.  So many shifts to the toss-up column.  

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 12:31:12 PM CDT

alaska closing time

From what I can tell, the Aleutian time zone contains Aletian 1 and Aleutian 2 (total 1,940 registered voters) and St. Lawrence Island (Savoonga and Gambell with a total of 676 voters).  Both locations contain more Democrats than Republicans, unusual for Alaska.  So the last hour will reel in a small portion of perhaps 2,000 votes.

The two areas contain 5.4% of registered voters in Alaska.  

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by: David Kowalski @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 13:21:07 PM CDT

A second graphic

I wonder if a version of the graphic could me easily made and posted that had the times listed for other time zones?

If you posted or sent me the original photostop (or illustrator or whatever) file, I could do it...

---

by: tilthouse @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 14:08:42 PM CDT

a hypothetical question

Who will it hurt more, democrats or republicans, if Obama is declared President early, very early, in the evening? Will it help say Smith or Merkley? That is his name right? I can't keep them all straight. lol Or Cook, or Rohrabacher? Who would benefit the most?

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by: Venslor @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 16:12:58 PM CDT

Its pretty much impossible

for Obama to be declared President until California polls close.  

---

by: BillNolan @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 16:52:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

True

But it could be obvious long before. The Pres. Elect alert will just be a formaility if things go well out east.

---

by: conspiracy @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 11:01:11 AM CST

[ Parent ]

OR Voting

Thankfully, the mail-in vote system in place in Oregon ensures that only people so drunk off their heads with the news of an early landslide for Obama that don't drop in their ballots will be affected by any such circumstance.

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by: RedefiningForm @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 22:21:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Oregon

According to today's SUSA poll something like 80% of likely voters already mailed-in their ballots.  So basically nothing can affect the OR races this late in the game.

---

by: ChadInFL @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 00:49:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

speaking of Oregon

I didn't realize that part of the state was on Mountain time.  

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 03:13:11 AM CST

[ Parent ]

effect of early declaration

I'd say an early declaration would benefit Republicans, a high turnout would probably mean a better representation of underrepresented groups like blacks and lower-class. Most profit would thus go to Republicans in locations with large non-white populations.

---

by: Andre @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 06:51:48 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Kudos

Excellent work, David. Thank you.

Now we need a list of victory party locations in about 32 states....

---

by: KevinHayden @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 00:51:03 AM CDT

Can we...

Just give that slice of the FL Panhandle that closes the polls at 8 pm to Alabama?  That area has more in common with AL than FL anyway and would lock up FL as a blue state.

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by: ChadInFL @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 00:57:16 AM CDT

Wow, are we getting into federal-level gerrymandering here?

Hahahaha.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

---

by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 11:56:28 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Joe Scarborough

That's the type of politician that part of FL produces.  Dead interns and all.

---

by: ChadInFL @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 14:01:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yep

For as much diverse the rest of Florida is as well, none of it comes anywhere near in relation to the north western section. Can you just imagine how much more progress would have been made in Florida over the last several decades even, if that section was a part of Alabama and not Florida?  

---

by: Progressive America @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 09:56:20 AM CST

[ Parent ]

One of the reasons the networks screwed up in 2000

With the early call. Of course there were other factors...

---

by: conspiracy @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 11:02:19 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the information!

I'll be sure to share it with everyone I know!

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)

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by: californianintexas @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 16:46:55 PM CDT

NC-optional?

What is that? Polls here closeat 7:30, but anyone in line then will still get to vote.  Is that what you mean?

---

by: bear83 @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 13:53:05 PM CST

No

It means that state law allows some polling places to stay open until 8:30pm. At least, that is what Green Papers claims. I don't think this option is widely used.

Generally speaking - though this is not necessarily always the case! - if you are in line at closing time you are still allowed to vote, regardless of which state you're in. (Though I wouldn't be surprised if some states don't follow this practice.)

---

by: DavidNYC @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 14:28:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Alright

I just checked on the NC Board of Elections site, and they say that all polls close at 7:30pm. So apparently this 8:30pm option that Green Papers describes is disused or no longer available. We'll be updating the map accordingly.

---

by: DavidNYC @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 14:47:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks for checking

I appreciate your work on this.

---

by: bear83 @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 09:11:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Do you have a link to the AP Results

website for Michigan yet?  If so could you post it, please.

"[Rush Limbaugh] is a sorry excuse for a human being and a has-been hypocrite loser who was more lucid when he was a drug addict." Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL)

---

by: Menhen @ Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 16:46:08 PM CST

What's the source for this?

The only reason I ask, is there are two contradictions with The Green Papers closing times, which have both North Dakota and North Carolina closing one hour later.

---

by: Marcus @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 06:29:03 AM CST

Reading the notes...

The vast majority of NC polls do close at 7:30, there's a (rarely exercised) local option to keep them open an hour later.

North Dakota I still think is wrong though.  Polls there close anywhere between 7 and 9 pm local time, based on the size of the town.  While I doubt there are any towns large enough in the MST portion to merit an 11 pm EST closing, 11 pm EST is probably the most accurate.

---

by: Marcus @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 06:47:17 AM CST

[ Parent ]

According to the NC SoS site

All polls close at 7:30pm. I could find no evidence that ANY polling location uses the alleged 8:30pm option.

As for ND, the SoS site posted a list of every single poll location along with closing times. A handful in the eastern part of the state close at 8pm local time; none in the western portion do. All other polls close at 7pm local time.

And in Kansas, I called the SoS's office and was informed that all polls close at 7pm local time in all parts of the state.

---

by: DavidNYC @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 09:12:15 AM CST

[ Parent ]

50-state roster of result-watching urls?

Does anyone know where there might be a 50-state roster of good urls to check, in each state, for election results?

Whether the web sites of the Secretaries of State, or of major newspapers, whatever. In tandem with this splendid chart, such a list would make tracking the results even easier.

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 09:43:40 AM CST

Georgia

http://sos.georgia.gov/electio...

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

---

by: TheUnknown285 @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 10:59:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Indiana

Indiana's SOS:

http://www.in.gov/sos/election...

I was hoping we would find a list already compiled, but if not, hey, let's have at it.

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 11:35:36 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Kentucky's SOS

http://sos.ky.gov/elections/  

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 14:05:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Virginia, Minnesota, West Virginia

Minnesota's SOS:

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/hom...

West Virginia's SOS:

http://www.wvsos.com/  

Virginia:

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virg...

and I finally located a page that appears to have links for many of the states' SOS or Elections Board, but I don't know how up to date it is:

http://www.llrx.com/columns/ro...  

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 15:30:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Florida, New Hampshire, South Caolina

Florida's SOS:

http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/

New Hampshire's:

http://www.sos.nh.gov/election...

South Carolina:

http://www.scvotes.org/  

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 14:29:40 PM CST

[ Parent ]

need a newspaper for Vermont, maybe

Vermont's SOS says on her website

http://vermont-elections.org/s...

don't pester her for election returns until Nov. 11,
so maybe a newspaper or tv station's web site may provide more timely results. Can anyone recommend one?  

---

by: Christopher Walker @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 15:21:52 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Oregon polls

I think all of the Oregon polls close at the same time...

---

by: AJBrad @ Mon Nov 03, 2008 at 14:19:53 PM CST

Election night reporting web sites

As requested.

Alabama (Secretary of State)

http://www.alabamavotes.gov/

Alaska (Lieutenant Governor - Division of Elections)

http://www.elections.alaska.go...

Arizona (Secretary of State)

http://www.azsos.gov/election/...

Arkansas (Secretary of State)

http://www.arelections.org/ind...

California (Secretary of State)
http://november2008.sos.ca.gov/
Colorado (Department of State)

http://www.elections.colorado....

http://rs.ezvotetally.com/ (maybe)

Connecticut (Secretary of State)

http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/vie...

Delaware (Office of the Commissioner of Elections)

http://elections.delaware.gov/...

District of Columbia (Board of Elections and Ethics)

http://www.dcboee.org/election...

Florida (Department of State Division of Elections)

http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/

Georgia (Secretary of State)

http://sos.georgia.gov/electio...

Hawaii (Office of Elections)

http://hawaii.gov/elections/re...

Idaho (Secretary of State Election Division)

http://www.sos.idaho.gov/ELECT...

Illinois (Board of Elections, decentralized)

http://www.elections.state.il....

Indiana (Secretary of State - Election Division)

http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/ele...

Iowa (Secretary of State)

http://www.sos.state.ia.us/ind...

Kansas (Secretary of State)

http://www.voteks.org/

Kentucky (State Board of Elections)

http://electionresults.ky.gov/...

Louisiana (Secretary of State)

http://staticresults.sos.louis...

Maine (Department of the Secretary of State)

http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/e...

Maryland (State Board of Elections)

http://elections.state.md.us/e...

Massachusetts (Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division)

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele...

Michigan (Secretary of State)

http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/el...

Minnesota (Secretary of State)
http://electionresults.sos.sta...

Mississippi (Secretary of State)

http://www.sos.state.ms.us/ele...

Missouri (Office of Secretary of State)

http://www.sos.mo.gov/enrweb/

Montana (Secretary of State)

http://sos.mt.gov/ELB/results.asp

Nebraska (Secretary of State)

http://www.sos.state.ne.us/ele...

Nevada (Secretary of State - Elections Division)

http://www.silverstate08.com/

New Hampshire (Department of State)

http://www.sos.nh.gov/general2...

New Jersey (Department of Law and Public Safety - Division of Elections)

http://www.nj.gov/state/electi...

New Mexico (Secretary of State)

http://web.state.nm.us/

New York (State Board of Elections)

http://www.elections.state.ny.us/

North Carolina (State Board of Elections)

http://results.enr.clarityelec...

North Dakota (Secretary of State)

http://web.apps.state.nd.us/se...

Ohio (Secretary of State - Elections Services)

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS...

Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Election Board)

http://www.state.ok.us/~electi...

Oregon (Secretary of State - Elections Division)

http://www.sos.state.or.us/ele...

Pennsylvania (Department of State - Bureau of Commissions, Elections, and Legislation)

http://www.electionreturns.sta...

Rhode Island (Board of Elections)

http://www.ri.gov/election/res...

South Carolina (State Elections Commission)

http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/...

South Dakota (Secretary of State)

http://electionresults.sd.gov/...

Tennessee (Secretary of State)

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/ele...

Texas (Office of the Secretary of State)

http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr...

Utah (Lieutenant GovernorState Elections Office)

http://electionresults.state.u...

Vermont (Secretary of State - Elections & Campaign Finance Division) (decentralized, information from AP/VNS)

http://vermont-elections.org/s...

Virginia (State Board of Elections)

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virg...

Washington (Secretary of State)

http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/WEI/

West Virginia (Secretary of State)

http://www.wvvotes.com/electio...

Wisconsin (State Elections Board, decentralized reporting)

http://elections.state.wi.us/d...

Wyoming (Secretary of State)

http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elect...

---

by: calwatch @ Tue Nov 04, 2008 at 02:00:14 AM CST