Election Day!

Today's the day! This morning I drove around Chapel Hill between 8 and 9 am and there were cheering Obama volunteers standing out in the steady rain, waving signs celebrating and doing a little GOTV dance at at least six major intersections. I thought that showed a lot of enthusiasm volunteer muscle, if they could post 20+ of them cheering around town. (Two at some intersection, as many as eight at others.) They were waving homemade signs made of red and blue paper plates spelling out OBAMA vertically, which made for good dancing props. Since I had already voted early I appreciated this as one more way to mark the occasion.

I drove by three polling places and they appeared busy but not overcrowded. I did not see any lines snaking out into the rain. At the library polling place there was a well-staffed Orange County Democrats table and no evidence of Republican campaigning.

Our neighboring counties of Orange and Durham are the bluest part of our new-true-blue state. (Fingers crossed.)

Here are election widgets from CBS News.com into this post. Check back after 5 pm for updates and live results!