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Get Info On Voting and Find a Ride to the Polls

• Visit Google’s Election site to get voter information, directions to the polls, or your state’s voter hotline.
  
  
• Zimride and Live Earth have partnered to create the Carpool to the Polls Initiative — a simple Facebook program designed to organize ridesharing on Election Day. It’s incredibly easy to use-you just log on to your Facebook account and either post a ride if you plan on driving, or scan your friends and family to see who might be able to pick you up.

  Don’t have Facebook? There are plenty of other ways to organize a carpool online, too. But if you do, go ahead and log on, and arrange a green way to vote today.

• Vote411 has a poll finder and other related election information, ideal for last minute information.
• Can I Vote? If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote, head over to Can I Vote to confirm your details.
• Overseas Vote Foundation: Information on voting if you’re living or traveling outside of the United States.
• Pew Center on the States: Information on poll opening and closing times.
• Election Protection: Monitors voting problems. Place to report issues or track them as they happen. Track voter rights news and resources at the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition’s 866ourvote.org.
• View state-specific voter checklists here.
• Check out a map-based overview of voting machines used in each state from VerifiedVoting.org and the Verified Voter Foundation, both run by technologists advocating for reliable and publicly verifiable elections.

Record Your Experience

As Election Day nears and early voting begins in a handful of states, many voters will wonder what gadgets they can take with them into the voting booth. The answer? Just about anything. Voters are permitted to consult information from within the voting booth from their smartphones or tablets.

With Video

Most cellphones and smartphones are equipped with video cameras. Bring them with you to the polls to capture your voting experience on YouTube’s Video Your Vote channel. Google is using Google Maps to track these videos across the country – and to see where polling problems might be occurring during the day.

Document the irregularities or other problems you encounter with your cell phone camera or other device, and then upload the video to YouTube and send them to the media. You can find an exhaustive list of contact information for televised and print media here.

Via Twitter

Twitterers can use hashtag “#votereport” in your tweet or you can also include other hashtags like:

• #[zip code] to indicate the zip code where you’re voting; ex., “#12345?
• L:[address or city] to drill down to your exact location; ex. “L:1600 Pennsylvania Avenue DC”
• #machine for machine problems; ex., “#machine broken, using prov. ballot”
• #reg for registration troubles; ex., “#reg I wasn’t on the rolls”
• #wait:[minutes] for long lines; ex., “#wait:120 and I’m coming back later”
• #early if you’re voting before November 6th
• #good or #bad to give a quick sense of your overall experience
• #EP[your state] if you have a serious problem and need help from the Election Protection coalition; ex., #EPOH

From Your Mobile

The Election Protection Hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683), is the only live nationwide voter assistance hotline. Voters can call the Hotline to receive answers to their questions – no matter how simple or complex – and report problems to be addressed by a highly trained volunteer.

Voters can call the Hotline to:

• Verify registration status
• Find out how to register to vote
• Receive information on early and absentee voting
• Find their polling location
• Receive technical assistance on voter ID acquisition
• Report voter intimidation or deceptive election practices

You Still Have Time to Volunteer as a Poll Monitor

Election Day Cake…If You’re Really Ambitious

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups dried fruit, including cranberries, golden raisins, and blueberries
1/2 cup American whisky
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1 package (3/4 ounce) rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, sifted
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 eggs
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Combine 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar with the water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the dried fruit in a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture and whisky; stir and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine warm water and milk.

Combine yeast with 1 cup of whole-wheat flour and combine it with the milk mixture. Sprinkle the remaining whole-wheat flour on top. Set aside to allow the yeast to ferment until the yeast breaks through the surface of the flour, approximately 30 minutes.

Lightly spray and flour an 8-inch tube pan.

Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

Drain the fruit mixture; reserve the syrup for later use as a glaze.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar until light in texture. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the sponge (flour and yeast mixture); mix until fully combined. Add the remaining sifted dry ingredients. The batter will be stiff. Stir in the drained fruit.

Place the batter in the pan, cover, and set in a warm area to allow the cake to rise, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons of the syrup reserved from the drained fruit. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Bake cake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes and transfer cake to a wire rack to cool. When cool, lightly brush with reserved syrup, and top with glaze.

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