CNN iReport Blog

CNN iReport Blog

Editor's note: As voters hit the polls across America, we'll be updating the iReport blog with yourphotos, videos and reactions throughout Election Day. You can join in by downloading CNNs MobileElection Center app or checking out our political assignments.

[Updated, 11:58 p.m.] The iReport live blogging team is signing off for the evening, but we'll be backbright and early tomorrow. In the meantime, continue sending in your "I voted" stickers and videoreaction to the election results. Seeing everyone's stories and images from the polls has beenwonderful; thank you for being part of CNN's election coverage!

[Updated, 11:48 p.m.]

We just published a gallery with some of the best "I voted" sticker photos we've received today.There are folks who stuck stickers on their faces and hands, those who went the more traditionalroute by displaying stickers on their shirts, and iReporters who sent in some unique local stickers.Check it out on CNN.com.

And! We're still looking for voting stickers from a few states including Montana, Nebraska andVermont. Did you vote in one of these states? Prove it by sharing your sticker with CNN iReport.

[Updated, 10:52 p.m.] Many students across the country had Election Day off from school, but thatdoesn't mean the learning stopped. Nathan Laabs, a public school teacher in Cantwell, Alaska, tookhis students along with him to the polls today and they brought back sample ballots to fill out in theclassroom. "It was pretty cool to see these kids in all different grades take an interest and tell mewhat they knew about the candidates," he said.

In Watertown, New York, Daniel Olney also got a first-hand look at the election process today. The13-year-old joined his father at their polling center and documented the voting process for CNNiReport. Thanks, Daniel!

[Updated, 10:33 p.m.] We've heard a lot of inspiring stories from voters today, but this quote fromChristopher Bullard of Kannapolis, North Carolina, takes the cake. "I've been voting since '98 andevery time I do it's like I'm taking the entire human race with me to the polls," he said. "Rich, old,black, white, physically able or disabled, I have a thought of everyone who can't or wants to votewhen I vote. It's like scoring the game-winning shot -- a moment in time!"


Dozens of first-time voters are sharing their experiences at the polls with CNN iReport. AlexaTommasi, 19, was four months too young to vote in the 2008 presidential election, but said she wasthrilled to visit the polls in Wallingford, Connecticut, today. "I'm so happy I can finally vote!" sheexclaimed.

"To be honest, I think each vote does make a difference," said Penn State student Justin Sova. "Iwent out and I voted because I have some opinions I want to be acted upon." Sova, 18, cast astraight Democratic ticket and says he'll probably keep that sticker as a memento. And 18-year-oldJonathan Yacoub of Chino Hills, California, who took the great self portrait above, said his firstvoting experience was exactly how I pictured it. Quiet.

[Updated, 9:38 p.m.] Republicans will win at least 50 states to take control of the House, CNNprojects. In the Senate, the GOP has picked up two of the 10 states needed for control. Are youwatching the races closely? What do you think about a Republican-controlled House? We want tohear your reaction to the election results. Upload a short video sharing your view, and you could beon CNN.


iReporters' "I voted" stickers continue to fly in across the United States! While our colleagues arekeeping track of key political races, Team iReport is keeping a tally of states that weve receivedstickers from. (We're currently down to 21.) In the past few hours, we've gotten stickers fromAlaska, North Dakota, Virginia and an especially rad sticker from San Francisco, California. Hip hopartist Common even joined the cause. He's enlisted his Twitter army to help us search for stickersfrom Kansas, Oklahoma and Rhode Island.

If your state isn't represented yet, upload your photo. And if your polling location didnt hand outstickers, let us know by leaving a comment below.

[Updated, 8:19 p.m.] Voters in several states cast ballots on controversial measures today. Amongthe most-talked about proposals is Prop 19, California's measure to legalize marijuana. Jimmy Turneruploaded a photo of his I voted sticker on a bong to symbolize his stance on making weed legal.Turner, who said he used to smoke pot in his younger days, said he would like to see California takea stance and test the waters.

That's one good thing about laws, they can always be changed, he added. If the entire U.S.workforce becomes a mass of stoned zombies, we can count on the religious teetotalers to re-criminalize it, and wake us all from our haze.

Whats your take on legalizing marijuana or any of the other controversial measures on ballots whereyou live? Share your story with CNN iReport or jump in the comments below and share your views.


Yes, the voting stickers in SouthCarolina are actually smaller than adime. "The sticker is so small, I have towear it on my nose for it to be seen,"said iReporter Amelia Hall.

Brad Willis of Greenville, SouthCarolina, said the tiny sticker"somehow symbolized my role in theelection process." A polling worker told

him the state had downsized the stickers this year. When we pointed out the tiny stickers on Twitter,user Phil Mok suggested that South Carolina is "trying to be more environmentally friendly."

Whether they're tiny or not, were still looking for "I voted" stickers from a handful of states! If youvoted in Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming or Washington, D.C. (to name a few), show off yourstickers!

[Updated, 7:10 p.m.] The first Senate race results are in. CNN projects that Republicans Rand Paulin Kentucky, Dan Coats in Indiana, and Jim DeMint in South Carolina will win their respective races.Democrat Patrick Leahy is projected to win in Vermont.

You can watch all the election results on CNN TV and on CNN.com's Election Center. We'll belooking for your reactions all evening. What races do you care about most? You can upload yourvideo responses here.


Olivia Stanforth, 17, is too young to vote, but not to work at her local polling place. iReporterDeanne Goodman spoke to the high school student while voting at the Leucadia Wastewater Districtin Carlsbad, California, earlier today.

Stanforth said she learned about the opportunity to be a poll worker from her social justice teacher.I realized it would give me a chance to miss school to do something for the community, so I took theopportunity, she explained, adding that she earned some extra money too. Stanforth says shell votein the next election and said working at the polls taught her a lot about the election process.

[Updated, 6:30 p.m.] CNN's Jack Cafferty has posed the question whether our country is moredivided now than under Bush and, based on the comments, users are pretty split in their answers.

"Jack, I think you take the media way too seriously," said CNN reader Ben. "If you talk with realpeople, we are far more united than ever before. Turn off the TV and walk the streets. We are doingperfectly fine." But commenter Marc-Monterey disagrees. "Jack, we are clearly more divided now,because the left AND the right are more divided. Back in the Bush years, it was simple, much likethe Cold War: You had the right and the left. For the most part, we all stayed in those two lanes.Now we have far left, far right, centrist left, centrist right." And Miguel said it's not a matter ofbeing divided, "but more confused."

What do you think? Join the conversation in the comments below.


I'll admit, we might be biased since Team iReport is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, but it seemslike the Peach State has one of the best voting stickers in the U.S.

We've received photos of voting stickers from all over, but the orange "I'm a Georgia voter" onesespecially seem to stand out. Georgia voters Leandra Slayton, Richard Highnote, Becky Gaar, andfirst-time Georgia voter and iReport producer Christina Zdanowicz proudly showed off their stickers.And it looks like Claudia Anthony of Marietta, Georgia, even wore an outfit to match her peachsticker.

Does your city or state have a cool "I voted" sticker? Share it with us!

[Updated, 5:20 p.m.] Voters in Wausau, Wisconsin, were alerted "at the last minute" that theirpolling place was moved from its usual location, according to iReporter Mike Stouffer.

Stouffer, who has voted at the Rose Garden for 8 years, received a flyer on his front porch thismorning announcing the move to Wausau's River Drive Complex. He first heard about the move lastnight on TV. "[You] would have thought people would have been notified at least a weekbeforehand," he wrote on CNN iReport.

The polling place was moved after Republican congressional hopeful Sean Duffy rented out the RoseGarden for his election night party. According to the Wausau Daily Herald, Duffy rented the locationback in July. You can read more on CNN affiliate WSAW.

[Updated, 4:41 p.m.] Whether it's the economy, health care, or immigration, voters have a variety ofreasons to hit the polls today. Patrick Brough of Easthampton, Massachusetts, suggested anotherone. He stuck his "I voted" sticker on a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and said, "Too bad every votedidn't include a cup of Joe. I bet we would have twice the turn out."

What issues matter most to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below. You can also checkout which issues ranked highest with Democrats, Republicans and Independents who participated inthe iReport Election Project.


We're getting loads more "I voted" stickers from across the country. In the image above (left to right,top to bottom), we have Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts,Ohio, and Florida. Keep 'em coming! You can submit your photos here.


Oiga, mira esto! In California, you can get "I voted" stickers in Spanish! As Manny Doradodemonstrates, they read "Yo vot," which means "I voted" in Spanish. Dorado got these at his Oxnard,California, polling place today. He noticed his grandfather, who voted with him, had a Spanishsticker and asked if he could have one, too. "I'm proud to be a Latino and to vote in the United

States," he said.

[Updated, 1:57 p.m.] Eighteen-year-old Tyler Tucky was so excited to vote today that he was first inline at his Las Vegas, Nevada polling place. He and his mom were the only people there at 7 a.m.Tucky voted Democrat and also volunteered for Harry Reid's campaign. "I think it's pretty nuts thatit's this close," Tucky said about the election. "I think that people are upset with the country and thedirection that it's in right now. They were expecting a lot of results two years ago and aren't willingto wait for the results to fully develop."


If you vote, you get to throw a pie in your teacher's face - at least at one Georgia high school. Highschool senior Casey Stringer of Cumming, Georgia, says his science teacher told students they couldhit him in the face with pies if they pledged to vote. And the teacher kept his word! For about 10minutes, about 15 students threw pies at him after they promised to vote at a pep rally about threeweeks ago. "I saw two kids at the polls this morning that had actually pied him in the face. TypicallyI wouldn't think of these kids as politically active, so I think the whole pie concept helped," saidStringer.

[Updated, 1:25 p.m.] We have a pretty passionate debate going on in the CNN.com comments today,as you might expect. Republicans, Democrats, and people of other affiliations are having a heateddiscussion about what the election results will mean for the country. "The GOP's priority is powerover people," argues tomanjeri. "They have no interest in working to make things better." zagool6agrees: "Obama's one-term presidency is not going to bring food on the table for millions ofAmericans. If that is what the GOP will be vigorously working on, then they are not listening thecries of the American public. Why [do] they think they deserve my vote?" But Jellymon feels like theDemocrats haven't done anything meaningful. "The Democrats have had a MAJORITY in BOTHhouses of Congress for the last two years. Don't blame Republicans for the fact that Democrats can'tget anything constructive done. Case closed, end of story."

TheCruiser said would be happy to see the Republicans take Congress in order to have more

political balance: "Thank the good Lord for gridlock. It couldn't come soon enough." What do youthink? Which party is getting your vote, and why?

[Updated, 1:06 p.m.] Are all politicians corrupt? Some people think so. Take Nino Larocca, forexample. He wants to impose stricter term limits to prevent the same people from becoming moreand more powerful. "No politicians should be [in office] for more than 10 years: They get greedy andcorrupt," he says. "Look at all we don't know about our candidates. How many kickbacks do thesepoliticians get that we don't know about?" And CNN.com commenter Jigsaw3Dxxx has a different,but equally cynical, perspective: "Voters have nothing to do with deciding who runs what. It's allfixed, just like any other sport," he says. What do you think? Does your vote matter? Why are youvoting - or not voting - today?

[Updated, 12:34 p.m.] Nadya Alvarez had another person in the voting booth with her today. But it'sokay, it was her 2-year-old son. Alvarez showed him the ballot "to teach him from now that it isimportant to go to vote." He even tried to help her fill in the circles! "There may be other peoplesaying to you not to vote, that it is a waste of time, but for me it is not," said Alvarez passionately inher video. "Our ancestors fought for this right and for our freedom, so now we have to keep it thatway. If we don't vote, then we don't care for our future.

[Updated, 11:54 a.m.]

What a stunning Election Day outfit Chuck Farnham has! In case you can't tell, that's a whoopiecushion. And what made him think it would be the perfect voting attire? "I think that it clearly showsthe state of the nation, full of hot air," said Farnham. And yes, he actually did wear it to the polls inBillings, Montana. Farnham says he saw "a lot of heads shaking" when people noticed his outfit.


Be proud, voters! We just received "I voted" stickers from - clockwise from top left - Florida, Illinois,New Hampshire, and Texas. Keep sending 'em in! We're hoping to get a sticker from every state.

[Updated, 11:11 a.m.] How long are you waiting in line to vote? William Bernstein of Virginia Beach,Virginia, was surprised that he had to wait 20 minutes. For him, it was an unexpectedly long time.Here in Atlanta, CNN iReport producer Nicole Saidi said she waited about half an hour. What arethe wait times like in your city? Tell us how long you're standing in line and what your votingexperience is like.

[Updated, 10:37 a.m.] If he's going to vote, Peter Gregory wants to make sure his vote counts.Gregory, who lives in Graham, Washington, always votes absentee because he travels frequently. Hesays it has crossed his mind that his ballot could be lost in the mail or somehow intercepted, andthat's why he always drops it in a locking mailbox or post office box. But Gregory says there'sdefinitely an advantage to voting via absentee ballot: "Before I used to vote absentee, I often put offfiguring out the issues and went into the voting booth without having any idea what I was voting for.My votes were sometimes not well thought out," he explained. "Voting by mail forces me to decidemy votes ahead of time, at home. This gives me the leisure to research the issues, read the voters'guides, and make better voting decisions."


Chris Morrow shared her coveted "I voted" sticker with us! She got it after she voted early a coupleweeks ago in San Diego, California. Don't forget - we're looking for "I voted" stickers from all overthe country! So once you get home from the polls, upload a photo of yourself proudly wearing yoursticker.

[Updated, 10:03 a.m.] Despite the harsh politicking that's gone on during this campaign, someCNN.com commenters don't care who you vote for as long as you get out there and exercise yourright to do it. "Democrat or Republican, please go out and vote; its your right," wrote Firearms.TomInRochNY quipped about the mudslinging ads that have taken over television in many states:"I'm sure all the political ads will remind you [to vote]. Thank GOD for Nov. 3!" And Gnnetwork'sfeeling a little cynical, but he still voted. "I voted and can already feel the economy turn around.NOT!!" Well, if he's right, at least he can say he tried.

[Updated, 9:44 a.m.] What do students care about in this election? Noah Gray, the founder of VirginVoting, went on a quest to find out. He interviewed young people at American University to see whatissues were most important to them. Check out his short, fun video to see their diverse answers,from clean energy to health care, education to foreign policy. And, of course, the one young manwho "just [wants] to get the incumbents out!"

Check out Gray speaking with CNN's Kyra Phillips.

[Original post, 8:30 a.m.] As voters hit the polls across America, we'll be updating the iReport blogwith your photos, videos and reactions throughout Election Day.

We'll monitor voter irregularities, report on polling center lines, collect photos of your "I voted"stickers, and share it all with our colleagues across CNN. Of course, we can't do it without theiReport community! You can join in by downloading CNN's Mobile Election Center app or checkingout our political assignments.

We look forward to seeing your view of the election! In the meantime, you can check out the iReportElection Project to see the political pulse of users of CNN's Election app.

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CNN iReport Blog