Just when the light appeared above the mountains, the scenery became something to behold. With all due respect to Sacramento and its outlying split ends, the mountains totally put everything that precede them on the 80 to shame. It was a good dawn.
I rolled into Reno around 8:20. The temperature outside was under 40.
The campaign office has more Obama signs than I've seen, even as a San Francisco resident. I was surprised to note, however, that there were no signs posted in the bathroom. I think it deserves a sign too. They're nice signs, after all.
I'm assigned to the Registrar's office as a poll monitor. I'm not inside the poll; instead, I'm standing beyond the 100 foot line that marks the point at which electioneering can begin. In this county administration building, though, the only indications of party affiliation or candidate support that I'm seeing is the occasional nod, wink or thumbs up from a successful voter. And they aren't all for Obama. Not by a longshot.
But, I'm in Reno. I'm seeing an older population, a couple of whom have stopped to school me on the perils of choosing anyone but McCain. I smile because the first rule I was taught in the training for this post is to be exceedingly kind. I'm always pretty kind. And I smile because I'm genuinely pleased to observe that people are voting. Our rights are being exercised. That's great.
I also smile, because for every bunch of the older folks who have made their Republican commitment clear, I've also talked to a few new voters who told me how excited they were to cast a vote for Obama. I overheard this from a young woman voting for the first time: "I feel so grown up voting. And I got to vote for Obama-- someone great." Another man described how he voted for Obama today, and it was his first vote in many, many elections. So, this is Nevada. As an observer, I see a shift. Granted, it's only been one day for me, and it's a Thursday at the Registrar of Voters' Office, but it's what I can see.
You may be wondering whether I've actually done anything worthwhile in the last 6 hours. Sure, I've helped two people resolve real voting problems, I've talked to loads of people about the voting machine and obtaining sample ballots, and I've directed as many people as will look my way toward the early voting location. I'm helpful like that. I even found out where the Department of Health was holding a meeting on environmental issues. That was in Conference Room A, in Building B. Don't forget to vote!
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