Detritus

Thoughts from abroad on the ups and downs of Election Day

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Detritus
By Lauren Girardin   
Sun, November 16, 2008
Obama wins!
We hear that Obama wins! | Photo by Lauren Girardin

Early in the morning of November 4th, our friend Jennie went into labor at her home in Philadelphia. Instead of immediately rushing out the door, she and her husband Amos waited until 7 a.m., when they could stop by their polling place to vote for Obama on their way to the birth center. The poll workers, who Jennie described as "alarmed" by her condition, were sensible enough to let them cut to the front of the line. Their first child, Beckett, was born later on Election Day 2008.

On the other side of the world, Todd and I went to sleep in Jaipur, India just as the polls opened in our home state of California and, because of the time difference, we had to wake up early the next morning for the results. As we were talking on Skype with Todd's parents in New York, his dad shouted "They've called it! Obama's won!!" as the sound of thousands of madly cheering people reached us from the TV news show playing in the background in their home in New York.

(Faithful email and RSS readers, please visit www.ephemerratic.com to read the rest of the dispatch. Full feeds appear impossible.)

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Our votes have been counted - that's two votes against California's Prop 8

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Detritus
By Lauren Girardin   
Tue, November 4, 2008
Love sign at first day of gay marriage in San Francisco
How you love | Photo by Lauren Girardin

Todd and I are psyched – we just got the official news that our votes by fax have been counted.

But, our stomachs are still in knots. Thankfully, the cause isn't Delhi Belly - we're nervous for the U.S. and California election results.

As you might have noticed, although our homepage map shows us in India, we're only just wrapping up stories of our travels in France. We're a bit behind. For this post, we'd like to skip ahead to the present: to India, to November 4th, to Election Day in the U.S. We'll give you a bite of Turkey tomorrow.

From our previous posts, you know we've already sent in our absentee ballot by fax and have voted for Obama. But, even if Obama is a sure bet in your state, you must get out to the polls and vote. There are many other critical issues on the ballot, so every vote matters.

Californians, this means you! Vote "No" on Proposition 8. If passed, Prop 8 would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, effectively prohibiting gay marriages.

(Faithful email and RSS readers, please visit www.ephemerratic.com to read the rest of the dispatch. Full feeds appear impossible.)

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