At one polling place at Clover Elementary School in the Mar Vista area, hundreds of voters were lined up around the block even before the polls opened at 7:00 am this morning. Both No on 8 and yes on 8 reps were there passing out flyers to voters waiting in line. Both observed the 100 foot electioneering rule and no incidents were observed between the rival groups.

The parents and school children set up a bake sale with coffee for those waiting in line. The mood seemed positive as people waiting in line and studied their sample ballots or chatted with fellow voters. Many people were seen busy absorbed in their blackberry or iPhone as they waited.

I voted at around 9:15, and there were already 127 people who had voted. This location wasn't that busy, and the line was maybe 15 to 20 minutes long when I left, but it seemed to be growing.

In comparison, I've worked at elections where the turnout was around 30 people for the entire day, and elections with turnout of around 200 people the entire day (the Kerry vs. Bush election).

If you are in line to vote at 8PM, you are eligible to vote. So, if it's 7:50 and the line is long, you should still get in line. Even if you have to wait until 9PM to vote, you have the right to vote.

If you are at work, and can't get home to vote, go to the LA County Registrar's website and find the closest polling place by your work, and vote there.

URL: http://www.lavote.net/

You can vote "provisionally". What you do is fill out a pink envelope with your contact information, and then vote. Use the fill-in boxes to vote for your local people (who are not on the ballot you get). This ballot will be put into the envelope.

It will be counted if the votes are close enough to where any contest can be decided by the provisional ballots. For example, if there are 10,000 provisional ballots, and one of the races is so close that 10,000 votes would change the result, then, the envelopes will be verified, opened, and counted.

I think there are some close races, like Prop 8 and Measure R.

Wikipedia reports that polling said 8 was running at 47% Yes, 50% no.

Measure R has support from the newspapers and a lot of people, but lacks support from Eastside supe Molina, and is a new tax, so it could have a hard time passing.

If either of these passes or fails by less than the number of provisional ballots, then the ballots are opened and counted.

Also, by law, you have the right to find out the status of your ballot, and, if you wish, to demand that the registrar count the ballot. (Even though it won't make a difference in the result.)

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_provisional.htm

No electioneering sign

No electioneering sign

I got in line to vote in Hollywood at about 8:30 am. The line was a block and a half long and when I finished voting over an hour later the line was still as long! Unbelievable! I have never had to wait in line to vote before!
Everybody was very quiet and thoughtful and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more noise and fanfare. Maybe it was because it was so early. :-)
Afterwards I got on my bike and rode around Hollywood looking for other lines. Every time I came upon a precinct I rode by it yelling a screaming until people laughed a screamed back. The action was at Starbucks where the monster coffee chain was busy working on their public image by giving free coffee to people who had voted. I hate Starbucks....but free coffee is free coffee. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. You'll have to imagine.:-)