Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

US election live

10.48pm. Oregon Senate race still close: Republican incumbent Gordon Smith leads Democrat Jeff Merkley 47.7 per cent to 46.7 per cent with 74 per cent of precincts reporting. Coleman now leads Franken by 676 votes (0.02 per cent) with 99.9 per cent reporting.

9.25pm. An extra 0.3 per cent of precincts in Minnesota have widened Coleman’s lead to 2591.

8.45pm. Norm Coleman back ahead of Franken in Minnesota – by 490 votes, with 98.7 per cent reporting.

7.54pm. Al Franken seizes a late lead for the Minnesota Senate (188,073 to 185,786) with 98 per cent reporting.

7.45pm. All precincts reporting from Missouri, and McCain leads 1,442,577 to 1,436,724. Possum writes in comments that there are not enough contested votes to cover the gap.

6.29pm. MSNBC calls Indiana for Obama. Only Missouri and North Carolina still outstanding.

6.26pm. Missouri has gone right back down to the wire with 0.7 per cent still to report: McCain 1,426,779, Obama 1,426,381.

6.06pm. With all precincts reporting, Obama leads in North Carolina by 12,160 votes out of over 4.2 million (0.2 per cent cent).

5.57pm. Earlier chat suggested Republican Senator Ted Stevens was dead meat in Alaska, but he leads 49.4-45.4 with 37 per cent reporting. Partial counts can be misleading though.

5.50pm. Back to lineball in Minnesota Senate. Analyst on Fox News says outstanding precincts are likely to favour Republican incumbent Norm Coleman over Al Franken.

5.16pm. McCain hanging on to his slender lead in Missouri, which is looming as my only wrong call.

5.11pm. McCain now ahead in Montana.

5.00pm. Al Franken continuing to fade in Minnesota Senate – probably gone now.

4.46pm. Obama’s lead in Montana rapidly evaporating as the count proceeds to 51 per cent.

4.36pm. Ohio still quite tight: Obama leads 50.0-48.4 with 72 per cent reporting.

4.31pm. Oregon Senate race has tightened up considerably: within 1 per cent now.

4.11pm. My reading of the Senate: Democrats to gain seven Senate seats – Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Virginia, Oregon, North Carolina and Alaska (no actual votes yet from the latter) – or eight if Al Franken wins Minnesota, where he trails by 0.8 per cent with 53 per cent counted.

4.09pm. Norm Coleman now leads Al Franken by 0.8 per cent for Minnesota Senate.

4.07pm. Obama now with a relatively handy 0.6 per cent lead in North Carolina.

3.55pm. Obama back in front in North Carolina, but not going to win Missouri. I’ve only just noticed he’s looking a surprise winner in Montana, although with only 24 per cent counted.

3.32pm. Correct me if I’m wrong here somebody, but the Democrats stand to gain seven Senate seats – Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Virginia, Oregon, North Carolina and Alaska – eight if Al Franken wins Minnesota.

3.17pm. McCain concedes defeat.

3.14pm. Close as close can be between Norm Coleman and Al Franken for Minnesota Senate.

3.10pm. Fox reports Roger Wicker holds Mississippi Senate seat for the Republicans, ending the chances of a Democrat supermajority.

2.59pm. CNN calls the election for Obama.

2.58pm. Obama takes the lead in Indiana.

2.54pm. McCain strengthening in North Carolina and Missouri.

2.51pm. Fox reports Virginia went 60-39 to McCain among white voters, but 92-8 among black voters.

2.42pm. McCain’s lead has vanished in Missouri: now 49.4-49.3.

2.41pm. Franken in fact leads Republican incumbent Norm Coleman 43-40.

2.40pm. Fox calls Virginia for Obama. Al Franken reportedly looking good for Minnesota Senate.

2.37pm. Obama leads in New Mexico 50.1-48.7 with less than half of dominant Bernalillo County reporting, where Obama is leading 57.3-41.5.

2.33pm. Crikey blog commenter Stuart: “Wilson and Franklin in North Carolina unreported. Wilson =44000 people total, 47% black. Franklin 2000 in total people 95% white. Looking good for O.”

2.32pm. McCain now narrowly ahead in North Carolina.

2.20pm. McCain leads by 12,839 in Indiana, but extrapolating unreported precincts from Lake County suggests Obama stands to gain over 22,000 votes.

2.18pm. Still tight in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, but Obama has a handy lead in each case with most precincts reporting. North Carolina his weakest of the three.

2.16pm. Missouri bouncing around the place, but McCain’s lead currently at 2.6 per cent.

2.12pm. McCain’s lead in Missouri reflating.

2.04pm. McCain’s lead in Missouri is narrowing.

2.01pm. Obama narrowly ahead in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia (in ascending order of narrowness).

1.59pm. Fox calls Iowa for Obama.

1.58pm. Obama takes the lead in Virginia.

1.50pm. Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight calls the election for Obama.

1.47pm. CNN calls New Mexico for Obama.

1.33pm. Gap continues to close in Virginia, Obama now only 0.5 per cent behind.

1.25pm. McCain fairly well ahead in Missouri, but nobody’s calling it yet.

1.21pm. Discussion of Indiana on Fox: “central city plus rich suburbs” emerging as the “Obama alliance”, but rural areas holding relatively well for McCain.

1.17pm. Fox calls Ohio for Obama.

1.09pm. Nate Silver: “MSNBC and Fox call Georgia for McCain.”

1.00pm. Fox calls North Dakota for McCain.

12.46pm. Nate Silver on Virginia: “Obama is outperforming Kerry by a 12-15 point net in the Eastern half of the Virginia. In the Western half, he’s not performing much better than Kerry and is actually underperfoming him in some counties. I think that equation works out favorably for Obama on balance, though Virginia will be fairly close.”

12.28pm. Heavily populated Florida counties Orange and Polk are swinging double digits to Obama, blowing away those weaker rural results I was mentioning earlier.

12.12pm. Possum says: “PA has gone Dem, VA has gone Dem – election over”. Adam Carr says: “It’s true that the FL panhandle hasn’t reported yet, but Obama is leading in Orlando and St Petersburg, which are GOP towns. You’d think he’ll win FL from here. Note also Obama’s 75% in Broward – the Jews stuck with Obama despite Lieberman’s defection.”

12.08pm. Discussing Virginia on CNN, confirming the impression that early reporting precincts are rural and we haven’t seen any black areas in the big cities come in. I’m only seeing slight swings to the Democrats in the rural areas.

11.53am. Swings I’m seeing in Florida are also below par: 4.0 per cent in Lake, 2.4 per cent in Manatee, 4.1 per cent in Pinellas. He needs 5.0 per cent.

11.45am. Another substantially reporting Virginia county, Augusta, swinging inadequately to Obama by 5.7 per cent. However, the cities and DC outskirts might tell a different story.

11.37am. Culpeper and Amherst counties in Viriginia swinging 5.1 and 1.8 per cent, against required swing of 8.3 per cent.

11.33am. Manatee County in Florida swinging 2.4 per cent to Democrat – statewide margin is 5.0 per cent.

11.26am. Double digit swings in more counties in Indiana (Clinton, Fayette), but Obama needs 20 per cent across the state.

11.21am. Chesterfield County in Virginia swings 8.9 per cent to Democrat with 94 per cent reporting – the statewide margin in 2004 was 8.2 per cent.

11.09am. Reasonably consistent swings in rural counties in Indiana of around 10 per cent – good, but well short of what Obama would need to win the state if consistent.

10.58am. Swing in Steuben County, Indiana with 68 per cent of precincts reporting is 8.9 per cent: well short of the 20 per cent needed to win the state.

10.52am. 69 per cent of precincts reporting in Vigo County, Indiana – Obama leads by 16 per cent. Bush carried it by 6.4 per cent in 2004 (I’ll be double-posting here on special occasions).

10am. Further efforts will be concentrated above.

4am AEDT. Rain and gusty winds in North Carolina, with rain extending into Virginia. Storms through the north-west, bringing snow to Nevada and Colorado. Weather otherwise very good: fine and warm in Florida and throughout the south, fine and mild through the north-east to the mid-west. You’ll next hear from me at around 9.30am AEDT.

Obama McCain Sample D-EV R-EV
Washington 56.4 39.6 3322 11
Maine 56.5 40.5 2185 4
Minnesota 56.0 41.9 3270 10
Michigan 56.3 42.3 3232 17
New Mexico 57.0 43.2 3305 5
New Hampshire 54.9 41.9 3900 4
Iowa 54.1 41.6 3052 7
Wisconsin 53.3 42.3 3003 10
Colorado 54.8 44.7 3248 9
Pennsylvania 53.0 43.3 5479 21
Nevada 51.6 45.4 3168 5
Virginia 51.9 45.8 3382 13
Ohio 50.5 46.3 6490 20
Florida 49.9 46.8 5381 27
North Dakota 47.6 45.9 1706 3
Montana 48.6 47.6 3934 3
Missouri 49.8 48.8 3217 11
North Carolina 50.0 49.3 5582 15
Indiana 48.5 48.9 3834 11
Georgia 47.8 50.1 3248 15
West Virginia 43.9 54.3 3328 5
Others - - - 175 137
RCP/Total 51.9 44.4 - 370 168

1,508 Comments

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  1. 151
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    I know this question has been asked a billion times, but what’s an easy to read, simple, online electoral map?

  2. 152
    ltep
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    Make that 68/31 in Kentucky

  3. 153
    injuddstree
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    MSNBC have a good one on their front page. Updating regularly.

  4. 154
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:46 am | Permalink

    Thanks, injuddstree.

  5. 155
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:47 am | Permalink

    Indiana is looking better for McCain atm, but who can tell so early on.

  6. 156
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:48 am | Permalink

    Wait till Indianapolis and Gary come in after 11am.

  7. 157
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:49 am | Permalink

    True that Adam.

  8. 158
    meejay
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:52 am | Permalink

    @151 or you can try the NYT map, which has a little more details on the hover…

    http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html

  9. 159
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:52 am | Permalink

    Indiana is irrelevant to who actually wins. The election is not going to be decided there. VA, PA, OH, FL and CO are the important ones.

  10. 160
    wayaway
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    Est. 75% turnout in Virginia (according to AP)

  11. 161
    ltep
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    Kentucky in to 51/48

  12. 162
    juliem
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    KY Senate 9% counted – Dem 51% Rep 49% ….

    trends are moving the wrong way at the moment for you Glen ….

  13. 163
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    At the MSNBC site, you can click on the map, and see a county map of each state, showing which counties are in and who they voted for.

  14. 164
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    It’s early days.

  15. 165
    ltep
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    Just read this amusing comment on another blog:

    “If McCain wins he’ll know it was Sarah and Joe the Plumber who got him over the line”

  16. 166
    juliem
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    160, I saw #’s on another website earlier today that said 90% or better in CT .. heavy turnout everywhere :-D ….. heavy turnout never favors the incumbent or his party

  17. 167
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    The Repugs have told MSNBC that Dole has lost NC. You beauty!! The Repugs have called NC an Obama tsunami.

  18. 168
    Boerwar
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:56 am | Permalink

    Msnbc …. first use of the words ‘Obama tsunami’ in relation to North Carolina

  19. 169
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:56 am | Permalink

    New Hampshire 66/33. Guess which way.

  20. 170
    ltep
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    Oz that’s based on about 60 votes isn’t it?

  21. 171
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    If you look at the map of Indiana, you can see that none of the urban counties are reporting yet. McCain should be a long way ahead on the rural vote. If he’s not he will lose when the urban vote comes in. Indianapolis is a heavily Dem city, with a black congresswoman.

  22. 172
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    More like 40 ltep, hah.

  23. 173
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    the nbc map seems to be ahead of the NY Times one

  24. 174
    juliem
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    ha ha …. republican strategists are on CNN blaming the empty checkbook that they were working with for the poor results they are seeing … “if only we had more money …..” … yeah, right :-D …. all that would have resulted in would have been more robo-calls ;-)

  25. 175
    Socrates
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    ltep
    If Obama wins I think Sarah will have helped get him over the line too! Strange girl.

  26. 176
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    Boerwar

    The phrase “Obama tsunami” was SMSed to them by a Repug staffer.

  27. 177
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    ROFL Peter van Onselen on Channel 9.

    Go write a book.

  28. 178
    Dario
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    CNN calls

    Vermont for Obama
    Kentucky for McCain

  29. 179
    wayaway
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    KY called for McCain!

  30. 180
    meejay
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permalink

    And we’re under way…
    MSNBC just called Kentucky for Mccain.

  31. 181
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permalink

    KY called for McCain and Vermont for Obama by MSNBC

  32. 182
    wayaway
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permalink

    Oh, and Vermont for Obama, as Dario says…

  33. 183
    meejay
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:02 am | Permalink

    Oh, and 38 votes the difference in Indianna with 4% reporting!

  34. 184
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:02 am | Permalink

    ABC (USA) did the same.

  35. 185
    wayaway
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:02 am | Permalink

    OK, I think we’re on top of states being called :)

  36. 186
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:02 am | Permalink

    Lunsford is leading the KY Senate race with 9% reporting.

  37. 187
    Dario
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:04 am | Permalink

    Indiana very tight after 4%

  38. 188
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:04 am | Permalink

    The Dems are also leading in KY-2, an open Repub district in rural KY.

  39. 189
    Dario
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:05 am | Permalink

    CNN calls Mark Warner as winner

  40. 190
    injuddstree
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:05 am | Permalink

    Indiana very very close with mainly rural precincts counted so far.

  41. 191
    Dario
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:05 am | Permalink

    …of Virginia Senate race that is

  42. 192
    juliem
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:05 am | Permalink

    Warner is winner in VA; bodes WELL for Obama although the Presidential race not called yet ….

  43. 193
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:06 am | Permalink

    But as KY is proving, voters can split their ballots. It seems quite possible that KY will vote for McCain but give the Dems the Senate seat.

  44. 194
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:07 am | Permalink

    McCain goes into the lead in Indiana.

  45. 195
    injuddstree
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:09 am | Permalink

    There’s 1000 votes in it in Indiana

  46. 196
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:10 am | Permalink

    But as KY is proving, voters can split their ballots. It seems quite possible that KY will vote for McCain but give the Dems the Senate seat.

    Did anyone expect Obama to win Kentucky?

  47. 197
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Who’s watching Fox News for the laughs?

  48. 198
    Oz
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    Wow ABC calling SC for Obama.

  49. 199
    ltep
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    McCain pulling further ahead in Indiana

  50. 200
    injuddstree
    Posted Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:13 am | Permalink

    Obama back ahead in Indiana 50-49 by 3,500 votes, 7% of precincts

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