Well I did my part and voted this morning. Don't think I'll be staying up til 3 in the morning to find out who wins though lol...

I voted just now, figuring it would be less crowded in the early afternoon, and I was right -I didn't have to wait at all. Then I went to Starbucks, because I heard on NPR this morning that they would give you a free coffee if you told them that you had voted, and it's true -I'm drinking my free cup right now!

Hmmm... I hadn't heard of that one. Here in Northern VA, Chik-fil-a is giving a free regular sandwich if you show them your voting sticker... I went about 10 am and it only took me 5 min to vote... no waiting

I went at 10:00 a.m. and didn't have to wait long at all. I wish I knew about the Starbucks thing. I still have my sticker--maybe they'll let me have some coffee! All this talk about Joe the plumber----phooee! Give me Joe the Condor any day!

Originally posted by Condorfan All this talk about Joe the plumber----phooee! Give me Joe the Condor any day!

I had the same thought Condorfan!

All ready voted, but I guess the bad thing about living in the middle of no where, no one does cool deals like free coffee or sandwich.

I voted by absentee ballot 2 weeks ago. It sure helps when you get all of those people calling you up and you can tell them that you already voted!

Originally posted by Condorfan I went at 10:00 a.m. and didn't have to wait long at all. I wish I knew about the Starbucks thing. I still have my sticker--maybe they'll let me have some coffee! All this talk about Joe the plumber----phooee! Give me Joe the Condor any day!

I agree and I'm sure Joe the Condor would be more interesting Somehow I managed to miss all those phone calls maybe since I'm close to D.C. I hear it everyday anyways...

I voted during my lunch today - around 1pm. The polls were busy, but no long lines - and my district had no line whatsoever. It took me longer to find the room where the voting was taking place then to actually place my vote! I didn't hear about any free food or coffee around here either. But, then again, we weren't given any "I Voted!" stickers to prove we did....

From the amount of media coverage we have had in the past year here Aussie.... I'm sending in my absentee vote from across the pond... What Free food and coffee!!! I can see the Eagle and the Condor racing to the polling booths in birdstyle just so they don't miss out.

GO DEMOCRATS!!!

Originally posted by Hinotori I didn't hear about any free food or coffee around here either. But, then again, we weren't given any "I Voted!" stickers to prove we did....

I didn't have a sticker or anything to prove I'd voted, but the person at the Starbucks counter took my word for it. I could use another coffee soon, really, if I'm going to stay up late enough to hear all the results!

Originally posted by Hinotori I voted during my lunch today - around 1pm. The polls were busy, but no long lines - and my district had no line whatsoever. It took me longer to find the room where the voting was taking place then to actually place my vote! I didn't hear about any free food or coffee around here either. But, then again, we weren't given any "I Voted!" stickers to prove we did....

The only thing I can say is that when my mom worked for the election in the past, she said they usually run out of stickers in the afternoon... I told her about the free food yesterday and she was like "You need to go early so you can get your sticker!"

Originally posted by Gunman GO DEMOCRATS!!!

Ahh!! Go Republicans!!

I'm sending a complaint into the Australian federal Government about how the run the polling booths over here during Federal elections.... I have to PAY for my snag on a piece of bread $2 and $1 for a soda. RIPPED OFF!!!! Who cares if its the schools fund raiser and some poor mum and her kids have stand there all day cooking my sausage in the hot sun- too bad!!! I want my feebies!!! (just jokes) P.S Congratulations Obama, knew you'd win.

You know why they don't give you freebies for voting in Terra Australis, Ebony??? Because you don't have the CHOICE to vote or not vote, so they don't need to offer incentives ... Oh except not being fined, of course. I got hit with that in '98. I was in canada for two months (before I moved here). I was due to head home mid October to make it for the election in November. In September (when I was overseas) the PM decided to call an early election for early October. I didn't hear about it until Election day was done. Thus, I didn't vote. I got fined $50. Even though I had proof I was overseas at the time ... Apparently when you travel you are suppose to inform the electoral office or some shit ... It is considered a Criminal offense not to pay the fine. Yeah .... CRIMINAL! Democracy? Oh Hell no ... Needless to say I removed myself from the electoral roll when I left Aussie ... But off that ... Obama won? Cool. Well done USA! Your first non-white President!! (Please tell me that isn't a racist remark -- it isn't meant to be)... I still think Hilary would have been the better choice - I loved the Clintons!! Slick Willy, I love you! SJ

Originally posted by SJ_SwanJun You know why they don't give you freebies for voting in Terra Australis, Ebony??? Because you don't have the CHOICE to vote or not vote, so they don't need to offer incentives ... Oh except not being fined, of course. I got hit with that in '98. I was in canada for two months (before I moved here). I was due to head home mid October to make it for the election in November. In September (when I was overseas) the PM decided to call an early election for early October. I didn't hear about it until Election day was done. Thus, I didn't vote. I got fined $50. Even though I had proof I was overseas at the time ... Apparently when you travel you are suppose to inform the electoral office or some shit ... It is considered a Criminal offense not to pay the fine. Yeah .... CRIMINAL! Democracy? Oh Hell no ... Needless to say I removed myself from the electoral roll when I left Aussie ... But off that ... Obama won? Cool. Well done USA! Your first non-white President!! (Please tell me that isn't a racist remark -- it isn't meant to be)... I still think Hilary would have been the better choice - I loved the Clintons!! Slick Willy, I love you! SJ

Wow... I didn't know you get fined for not voting in Aussie... P.S. I don't think you're being racist, it is a fact...

I knew the voting was "mandatory" in Australia, but I didn't realize they were so strict about it! My mother moved from the US to Canada in 1962, when she was 20 and, at that time, too young to vote in the US, but she didn't become a Canadian citizen until 1975, and then there wasn't an election for a couple years... She was actually something like 36 years old the first time she voted!

Originally posted by SJ_SwanJun You know why they don't give you freebies for voting in Terra Australis, Ebony??? Because you don't have the CHOICE to vote or not vote, so they don't need to offer incentives ... Oh except not being fined, of course. I got hit with that in '98. I was in canada for two months (before I moved here). I was due to head home mid October to make it for the election in November. In September (when I was overseas) the PM decided to call an early election for early October. I didn't hear about it until Election day was done. Thus, I didn't vote. I got fined $50. Even though I had proof I was overseas at the time ... Apparently when you travel you are suppose to inform the electoral office or some shit ... It is considered a Criminal offense not to pay the fine. Yeah .... CRIMINAL! Democracy? Oh Hell no ... Needless to say I removed myself from the electoral roll when I left Aussie ... But off that ... Obama won? Cool. Well done USA! Your first non-white President!! (Please tell me that isn't a racist remark -- it isn't meant to be)... I still think Hilary would have been the better choice - I loved the Clintons!! Slick Willy, I love you! SJ

Wow, getting fined for not voting. If they had that here before this election they would have made a lot of money. I agree with you SJ I would have preferred Hilary and Bill. Slick Willy was a lot of fun!

$50...another way for government to raise revenue for the pollies retirement packages.... when watching the news all the reporters were saying he's Quote "America's first black president." How's that for Aussie reporting... I bet they're all hanging out now for the first Aust. Aboriginal Prime minister....

Originally posted by Condorfan Wow, getting fined for not voting. If they had that here before this election they would have made a lot of money. I agree with you SJ I would have preferred Hilary and Bill. Slick Willy was a lot of fun!

No kidding... especially since less than half the country actually votes...

How does a person need to be in the US to register to vote? When you turn 18 yrs old here you can register to vote. (I don't mind voting, at least have a say... Even if it wasn't mandatory voting here I'd still do it. Federation didn't happen for nothing....)

I hadn't realized that voting was mandatory in Australia - or that it was a criminal offense if you didn't! Though I do think that it's criminal if you don't vote here in the US. Democracy won't work if you don't give your say... Like Australia, you have to be 18 to register/be able to vote in the US.

Th problem with mandatory voting are the amount of "donkey" votes. One election my buds and I had idea who to vote for (I was 19 I think) so three of them voted for Jimmy Hendrix Me, I just closed my eyes and ticked boxes ... Honestly, at 19 I didn't know, didn't have the energy and couldn't be bothered ... So I had a say, but I really didn't ... If that makes anysense. Giving people the choice to vote makes the ultimate outcome that much more ... um ... well, the people who vote do so legitimately, right? My brother has never registered, so I don't believe, at 38, he's ever voted. Okay, so there is a choice, I suppose. Don't enroll ... Anyhoo, off that. This is about the US vote. Honestly, I was terrified that Palin was going to be VP and ultimately Prez ... That scared me because she scares me. I loved Slick Bill ... and he is far more intelligent than peole give him credit for. Forget the womanizing (which most guys in power are guilty of, anyway) and look at the man. He is still brilliant...

I agree, Clinton is extremely intelligent and articulate, even if he did make some messes in his personal life. My political crush was always Pierre Trudeau! I actually met him once, in Montreal, in 1992. I was in awe... Now that I think about it, I also still have a T-shirt with Mikhail Gorbachev on the front, that I got in 1990.

You can do a write in too in the US... I've personally never written a name in, but have heard of people doing it... The thing that got me was when I went, the officials were like "Oh this is your first time?" and I was like no this is my FOURTH time.

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne From the amount of media coverage we have had in the past year here Aussie.... I'm sending in my absentee vote from across the pond... What Free food and coffee!!! I can see the Eagle and the Condor racing to the polling booths in birdstyle just so they don't miss out.

We had the same amount of media coverage as well and our Elections are boring shit.....and that's only when people can be bothered to vote.

Fuck u republicans and ur fat wallets....die

Originally posted by Gunman Fuck u republicans and ur fat wallets....die

Not all republicans have fat wallets...