Really? Exaggerate much? I've only been alive for one election in which it was an issue, much less eligible to vote in an election in which it was a problem.

It will retain the EC, but it would require the states that are members of the agreement to have their electors vote for the national popular winner. I think the EC needs to go, but I don't think that the NPVIC is the solution.

Once the NPVIC is in force, the popular vote winner would automatically win the electoral vote. Yes, it would be dumb to still have the electoral college at that point, but it would have the same effect.

so nice to be out of the US today...no political commercials, and very little coverage just now (it's midnight here).

Downside: no concept of how things are going.

I'm going to make a bold prediction:
Obama wins Vermont and Romney wins Alabama.

I love it when they call states with 0% counted. Also, CNN doesn't even list Pennsylvania as a battleground. Hahaha, good strategy, Romney.

I find it funny that they are calling states in the South for Romney even though they only have 1% of the votes in and Obama is way ahead.

They're basing it on exit polls.

Eh, he can have 'em. I want Obama to take FL, and then I can go to bed early.

ETA: The networks have called Illinois, too.

It's on BBC1. Every major European outlet is broadcasting nothing but US elections.

I know it's not as popular a view these days, but I think the EC serves a very valid purpose. It recognizes that we are a federal republic of states and that the president is president of that federal republic, not of a unitary country. Our system of government is set up to reflect both that that the populace as a whole and the states should have a say. In Congress, the House represents the popular vote/will and the Senate represents the states. The EC, as it has developed, represents the states by having the states' electors elect the president, but having the popular vote within each state determine the state's electors. It's a balance of interests, giving both the populace and the states a voice in the choice of the president.

While I don't get excited about the NPVIC, I wouldn't necessarily object to it because it would (theoretically at least) preserve the balance I describe in that the participating states would voluntarily be choosing to designate their electors based on the national popular vote.

I do the same.

Well, I may have been overly optimistic about the timing, since even though the polls have closed in Virginia, there are still lots of people in line. They're saying they may not be through with voting until 11:00, and they've suspended count reports until everyone has voted.

I love vote-by-mail...even more after seeing some of the chaos erupting today. People trying to vote by email, lines so long that people have to take a day off work, polling places without power (and only electronic voting machines), voting machines with "glitches." Washington and Oregon: I love you!

I went to vote at 6:30 tonight and had no line at all. Walked right up to the table, signed my name, and walked into the booth. Everything is electronic, which makes things so easy. Press buttons, your choices are marked with a lit up X, press 'Cast Vote.' The end. I was in and out in 5 mnutes.