Word from the West: Let Us Vote!

Word from the West: let us vote! Pundits, don't call the election. Candidates, do not concede. Tens of millions of voters from Colorado to California deserve to have our voices heard. Don't end the election before we all have our say.

Nearly every Western voter has grown up with the dread that the early election night call will effectively shut us down. My husband and I were both teenagers walking precincts in California on election night 1980 and we remember hearing the same thing from voters staying home -- "it's over -- why bother?"

Why bother? Because we are a huge battleground. While the West is part of the Democrats' national strategy -- starting with our Congressional victories in 2006, our early Nevada caucuses, and the Colorado convention in 2008 that nominated Barack Obama and Joe Biden -- it is also the home of both Republican nominees John McCain and Sarah Palin. Beyond the presidency we have Senate, Governor, House, and local races as well as compelling ballot initiatives that deserve all of our votes. From Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Oregon Senate races to Montana and Washington Governor contests to California's energy, crime and equality proposition fights to over 12 competitive House races in Western states currently within the margin of error to McCain's surprisingly close battle in his home state of Arizona, the American West is a key battleground in this election. How the West votes may well decide the Congress if not the presidency.

We know it's been a long campaign and our sensationalist media outlets feel a pressure to be "first" in calling the presidential election. And I want Barack Obama to be president as urgently as anyone. But if the early returns signal a victory one way or the other -- resist. Don't perpetuate voter suppression by shutting down the West just when our people are getting off work and taking kids to the polls for this historic election. After this unprecedented 50-state campaign that has electrified the nation, all Americans deserve to participate. Do not call the election -- do not concede the election -- let all our votes count.

UPDATE: Election Day 2:45 pm ET: East coast media elites already broadcasting exit polls. You know, the media types who hype bitter clinging plumber stories to show who's in touch with working people are the first to cut off those very same working people come Election Day with their attempts to influence the vote.

Comments

[Christine Pelosi - Huffpost Blogger]

Note my update - media elites released exit polls already while most Westerners are still working. President John Kerry supporters are not impressed.

[MyVoiceHere]

Just tell the voters about the VA ruling that now holds absentee ballots from overseas received until Nov 14 to be counted if they are postmarked by today. That could hold VA until the 14th. They need to vote!

[XME]

Vote...no matter what they say!

[ladydriver]

Every single vote has to be counted, all across this country. Please, even if it's looking good for Obama, y'all have still got to vote. The only way we can assure that the RNC doesn't steal another election is for the turnout to be so overwhelmingly in Obama's favor that there can be no question or doubt in anyone's mind. We cannot let them have their way with our election again. This is just too important.

To all of our fellow Americans in the west: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE, no matter what you hear or read, no matter what anyone says on TV or radio. YOU MOST DEFINITELY COUNT AND WE NEED YOU!

OBAMA/BIDEN LANDSLIDE '08! It's the only way! YES WE CAN AND WE MUST!
(Sorry for shouting...I got FIRED UP!) :)

[ShellyAnne]

I'm with you on that. I don't think it's too much to ask to let everyone's vote count. I've always thought it was very lame for early bird predictors to sacrifice the Mountain/Pacific voter's patriotic duty for ratings. Just wait your turn. It's the right thing to do.

[KansasWrangler]

This all the more reason for having multiple day polling/early voting. All results should be released at the same time nationally.

[geese1920]

Please, please, please. There are so many reasons to vote even if they call the election for Obama. If we vote, we continue to send a message to the nation, and give a mandate to Obama. And if that's not enough of a reason, then think about Proposition 8. We must defeat this initiative and the intolerance it breeds. Electing Obama to the presidency and defeating this ban on gay marriage will send the biggest message we can to all the haters and bigots. We will not be silenced. Vote. Vote. Vote.

Also, vote NO on Proposition 4. Protect the rights of all people.

[laylahb]

In Canada, the networks are not allowed to air results in a province until the polls have closed. As the polls close from east to west, regular programming moves to election coverage as viewers are welcomed with, for example, "It is now 8pm in Quebec and Ontario, and the polls have closed. Here are the results from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick. " The announcement is made as polls close in each time zone, until British Columbia's polls close.

Election coverage on the internet is blacked out until all polls are closed throughout the country.

[knowwhatimsayin]

Everyone out west should try to vote early in the day to avoid the scenario of the election being called before the polls close. I'm in Arizona and plan on voting in the morning at least 6 hours before the polls close back east.

[Joel Horn]

Thank you for this post. We have a very tight Governor's election in Washington State. If the national election is called before our polls close it could determine who wins this race.

Joel Horn

[Aipex8]

I really like the mail in voting here in WA and OR. No lines, no polling places and no excuse for not voting! You get your ballot in the mail along with a voter's pamphlet just in case there are any down ballot candidates or initiatives that you aren't familiar with. Cast my vote weeks ago. Why don't more states do it this way?

[MsLilyBe]

The thing about the mail in voting that concerns me is a friend of mine used to live in a VERY small town in OR and they have no home delivery oftheir mail. Every resident who lives in town, and wants their mail, has to have a p.o. box, that they then have to pay for. If they don't pay for a p.o. box they don't get the mail. So in essence the residents of this town not only pay for their bills but they have to PAY TO VOTE. To me this is outrageous, but then again I'm fortunate enough to live in a place that is big enough to have home delivery. It seems like more people should know about this and be angry, but they just go along with it there. Another example of people just accepting what government tells them to do.

[blust8r]

That's incorrect. Every post office has the ability and should have the forms to fill out for "General Delivery" mail. Yes, you still have to SHOW UP to collect your mail, but it will be there. Many so-called "snowbirds" from out of state addresses, stay in mobile homes or in their RV's for long lengths of time. They sign up as "General Delivery" recipients and have all their mail forwarded.
It works, and they do not need to invest in a box.

[fiorastar]

US law guarantees that every household can receive it's US Postal Service mail for free. In very, very small towns--the kind where people really live in a mobile home under the stars on 200 acres of high desert--they can still use General Delivery at the post office. People in these situations are literally few and far between, but are not disenfranchised. In fact, since ballots went out in the mail October 14th, they have had a much better chance of having received them and returned them than if they all had to get in to one polling place on one day.

It is an excellent system. It works. And our voting rate has gotten as high as in the 70-80% range of registered voters.

Still....many do wait for various reasons for the final time. Our polls close at 8pm. In 2000, it was what we as the Greens for Gore Coalition used to swing Oregon to Gore at the last minute when early returns were going for Bush. We had all our Green Party friends wait until the last minute to vote, and if early returns across the country were going for Bush or even close, asked them to "hold their nose" if they had to and vote for Gore. It was the last minute votes--counted late at night on Election Night--that finally swung Oregon's vote into the Gore column decidedly. Unfortunately, we weren't as strong a presence in Florida.

[SaltyWench]

Having voted in Arizona for the last 26 years, I've always been frustrated by the East Coast pundit's need to call the election as early as possible. I've known so many people over the years who didn't vote because "what was the point - so-and-so already won".

My daughter, a University of Hawai'i student, told me it is that much worse in Hawaii. There is a 5 hour time difference between Hawai'i and the East Coast - their polls are just ramping up when the polls in the east are in their final hours. The citizens of Hawai'i feel their votes aren't needed - the rest of the country doesn't care.

LET EVERYONE VOTE! LET ALL VOICES BE HEARD!

[kellygrrrl]

I don't mind if they call it. I just hope ALL Californians know how important their vote is on our Ballot Initiatives.
Californians need to send a very Loud and Clear message to the NeoChristoFascoFringe

VOTE NO on 8!!!!!

[druiD]

8 = Hate! Please, all California Progressives, make your vote heard on Tuesday. Marriage Equality For Al

[kellygrrrl]

word

[AMERIKA]

I live in Seattle, and I am voting at 7:00 a.m. to avoid that possibility!

[rjmiller]

Sorry, I called it about 5 years ago when I first saw Obama give an interview.

[kellygrrrl]

:)