Here's a look at some of the inspiring people I've profiled this year as Maine's representative forthe MTV Choose or Lose Street Team. Thanks! It's been a blast - jjm  

Gay rights activists in Maine made history today, collecting mre than 30,000 signatures from voters who said they support the right of gays and lesbians to have equal access to marriage. 

Back in June, Equality Maine, the organization behind the postcard drive, set a goal of 10,000 signatures. No other marriage equality petition drive has ever gotten more than that. That Equality Maine was able to not only beak that record, but blow it out of the water, more than tripling their goal, is incredible, especially for a small state like Maine.

Could Maine be the next state to legalize gay marriage?

I closed out my night at Empire Dine & Dance, a popular bar in Portland, Maine, where hundreds of Barack Obama supporters were packed in like sardies, watching the CNN returns on a large-screen TV.

When the TV anchor announced that Obama had surpassed the number of electoral votes needed to become our next president, pandemonium broke out inside the bar. The clamour was deafening! People were screaming, cheering, crying, hugging, kissing, dancing, and chanting Obama's name. Outside, cars drove past blowing their horns.

Two young Portland women got choked up as I spoke to them about what this election meant to them. Each told me that they'd never felt so proud to be an American.

Time to go to bed; I'm exhausted!

I'm blogging from Portland City Hall, where dozens of Maine voters and local candidates have gathered to collect returns from Portland precincts. It's been a crazy night!

After I left Brunswick, i went one town over to Freeport, where the local Ben & Jerry's scoop shop was giving away free ice cream cones to voters. I got there just before a huge group of people converged, and lines began to snake out the door. In Just 2 1/2 hours, scoopers had distributed more than 300 cones to voters for fulfilling their patriotic duty. Outside, more than a dozen young voters enjoyed scoops of Cherry Garcia and Half Baked while sharing well wishes for Barack Obama.

On to Portland, where I stopped in at a call center that had been rented by the League of Young Voters, so that more than 40 volunteers throughout the day could make more than 5,600 calls to local voters.

...

I left my hometown of Lewiston, Maine, a few hours ago after checking on polling locations near Bates College, and checking on campaign volunteers at the McCain and Obama field offices there.

My next stop was the Starbucks in Auburn, Lewiston's sister city, where I got a free coffee for voting. My barista said they'd been giving away a lot of coffee that morning. I spoke with three young voters there, all of whom said they voted for Obama. One called today a "beautiful day" and said "life can only get better from here." Out in the parking lot, I passed lots more people, young, old, and in-between - proudly wearing "I voted" stickers.

...

Just stopped in at the local field offices for both Obama and McCain. Both offices are humming with activity, and the sound of wall to wall phone bankers. Volunteers are dropping in and out , too, for canvassing and lit drops.

Unfortunately, none of the campaign volunteers I spoke with were authorized to speak on the record, and picture-taking was absolutely off limits. *sigh*

Before that, I spent my morning at my local polling location, where all of the students from Bates College, here in Lewiston, also vote. Things were slow at first, but by abou...

My friend Deacon Lasagna (a very cool and smart 18-year-old activist, urban gardener and cultural worker who you can see up close and personal in my Lots to Gardens video) would like to remind you all that, once you cast your ballot today, your work isn't finished:

"Whoever wins or loses
voting does not get you of the hook.
'Vote for change' every day
with your choices and actions."

Too true, Deacon! So, make sure you vote today, but remember that that's just the beginning of your work, and the easiest part. There's a lot more you can do to make your community, and this country, a better place.

Polls here in Lewiston, Maine, opened at 7 a.m. I was there at 7:15. So far, there are no lines here, but I'm guessing that's just because most of my fellow Mainers don't wake up at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m., like I do. 

It's a cold, but sunny, day here in the Pine Tree State. If the record turnout during the Democratic Caucus during a blizzard last March was any indication, I don't think the temperature will keep anyone away.

If you don't want to wait in line, now is the time to get out there and cast your ballot. Hop back on and give me a shout out once you do. And if you have any trouble at the polls, check out my last blog post, which gives you all the information you need on how to make sure your voice is heard today. And if you encounter any problems here in Maine, send me a message here on the Think site so I can come and document it.