Travellers’ Blog Entry No. 36

Election Day 2008

Today is Election Day and we spend some time in Watts, LA - 30 minutes from our motel on the Sunset Boulevard.

When we arrived there, we asked for the next polling places in the finally we found one place where the citizens from Watts could vote for the next President.

The Elementary School at the 111th Street opened the doors to the Gym where polling booth had been arranged. No waiting time for the voters, even if the number of voters increased this year. "We counted many more voters than during the last elections.", told me one of the many volounteers who worked at this polling place.

Did they had any problems during the day? Unregistered voters? Broken machines?

"No", Serena said. "Everyone who came here was registered. We had some data mistakes with the computer but they could be solved with polling templates, which had been given to us by the organization team."

Outside of the gym the people stood and talked about the election. "For who did you vote today?" was the most posed question and the answer was clear: Watts voted for Obama.

Murals on the walls of the houses, signs with "Yes We Can" and "Obama" on them were hanging in the windows of the shops.

The post office claimed: "Go Vote!" - templates to register to vote could be found there.

"I am so sure, that Obama will be the next President of the United States!", said the man at the post office with a big smile. "You know, finally we can help our coutry getting better!"

Back in Hollywood the man at the supermarket asked me, if I made my vote today and for who I voted. He proudly says, that he voted for Barack Obama. Next to his name tag he wore a little button with Obama's face on it.

When we finally returned to our motel room, we turned on the TV and saw, that CNN broadcasted John McCain's speech where he congratulated Barack Obama to the won presidency. And the people from Watts supported him, when they went out to vote for him today.