Follow Your Vote

If you are an engaged American, after you cast your vote, chances are you are going to watch not only the results of the races that affect you locally and statewide, but also tune into some form of media election coverage to follow what’s going on around the nation.

Even though midterm elections generally suffer from lower voter turnout than presidential elections, this year feels different. Many have noted that the old adage of all politics being local may not apply this year. Pundits point to the sense that this election will be a referendum on the war in Iraq and what type of stewards the current administration and Congress have been recently.

For those who want to follow the results nationwide in “real-time,” as it happens, the Wall Street Journal has developed a handy guide to the races based on times that the polls close in each region, entitled "Follow the Vote."

For me, huddling around the TV with food, friends, and family, and following the results as they are announced may be the most exciting and enjoyable part of the voting process. I wonder if perhaps this is why such a low percentage of folks don't bother to vote at all today. As busy people, we have abandoned any personal Election Day traditions and generally have become separated from our own communities. Why not start an Election Day custom that has personal meaning to you today?