Election Day 2006 bloggin'.

This is where I should have voted. It is right around the block from my new house in the Marigny. I registered to vote there when I renewed my license in Louisiana at the beginning of March. Due to widespread confusion this election, I contacted the Secretary of State's office to confirm my location and learned I was still registered at my Jefferson highway abode. I was told that if I wanted to participate, I'd have to vote according to my old registration, and I could have participated in the general election last month. I presumed I reregistered after the deadline, and in actuality I had, but since I've always been in the system in Orleans parish, I could have voted all along. I also could have voted against Bush twice, because I was registered to vote and participated in every election while I was living in Omaha.

This is where I actually voted, the mega-polling site set up to replace various damaged precincts across Uptown and Carrollton. You can see I parked in true New Orleans style, in the grass along the canal. My name was flagged for address verification, and I had to fill out a pink form to that effect before I was allowed to lock in my votes. Everything worked out very smoothly and friendly like.

Here are some various election day snapshots. I also shot a video of the neutral ground campaigning along N. Claiborne.

I had some fried baby blue crabs with my pre-poll lunch at Hana. Crispyiness, and I also created the first sushi face of 2006 with the remains.

Now I'm at work and I have been given the prestigious task of entering returns for the mayor's race. In between data-entry, I plan to, -drumroll please- liveblog the election returns! Oh joy.

7:07pm

We're on the air, and streaming online. Please join us in cyberspace. Follow along with the returns yourself here.

8:01pm

The polls are closed, let the returns roll. And as you wait, read dangerblonde's Dear John letter to Ray Ray.

8:07pm

Our special precinct stalkers have returned the first results:

2 precincts:
Landrieu - 194
Nagin - 93

8:12pm

Precinct update:
Landrieu - 954
Nagin - 294

8:15pm

Precinct update, and these are early results from the mega-polls:
76% - Landrieu - 1,107
24% - Nagin - 356

8:18pm

Precinct update:
71% Landrieu - 2,385
29% Nagin - 973

8:24pm

Precinct update, 5% reporting:
72% Landrieu - 3,064
28% Nagin - 1,198

8:28pm

Precinct update, 8% reporting:
70% Landrieu - 3,953
30% Nagin - 1,659

8:29pm

The first cartridges arrive at the Secretary of State's office.

8:31pm

Precinct update, 10% reporting:
69% Landrieu - 4,718
31% Nagin - 2,139

8:34pm

Precinct update, 14% reporting:
67% Landrieu - 5,986
33% Nagin - 2,953

8:38pm

Precinct update, 19% reporting:
62% Landrieu - 6,917
38% Nagin - 4,154

8:43pm

Precinct update, 21% reporting:
58% Landrieu - 8,113
42% Nagin - 5,960

8:45pm

Secretary of State's office releases its first online numbers.

8:51pm

Precinct update, 34% reporting:
52% Landrieu - 10,975
48% Nagin - 10,128

oohh, getting close now.

8:57pm

Precinct update, 38% reporting:
51% Landrieu - 11,821
49% Nagin - 11,571

9:03pm

Precinct update, 40% reporting:
50% Landrieu - 12,575
50% Nagin - 12,484

9:05pm

Precinct update, 44% reporting:
50% Landrieu - 13,721
50% Nagin - 13,093

9:07pm

Precinct update, 45% reporting:
48% Landrieu - 13,272
52% Nagin - 14,271

Ray takes the lead. At this point our precinct gathering has been exhausted, and we turn to Ater's info.

9:17pm

Ray continues to lead by about 1,200 votes according to the SoS website.

9:23pm

Ray loses his lead and is now trailing by 1,126 votes. We've got a real nailbiter on our hands tonight.

FOX8 projects a Nagin win. I'd call it jumping the gun. We'll see.

9:31pm

Landrieu leads by 1,120 votes.

9:38pm

SoS update, 56% reporting:
50% Landrieu - 24,253
50% Nagin - 24,172

That's 81 votes difference folks...

9:49pm

SoS update, 68% reporting:
48% Landrieu - 29,297
52% Nagin - 31,175

9:52pm

SoS update, 69% reporting:
49% Landrieu - 41,766
51% Nagin - 44,066

2,300 votes difference, but let us not forget about those 20,000 absentee votes...

9:57pm

I appear to be wrong. Ater just explained all early and absentee votes are included in the current numbers on the SoS website, so the last update is complete. We're just waiting on 135 precincts.

It appears WWL just made a half-ass projection for the incumbent.. WDSU offers the same. We are the only station that has not yet projected a winner in the mayor's race.

SoS update, 77% reporting:
48% Landrieu - 43,313
52% Nagin - 47,856

10:06pm

SoS update, 84% reporting:
48% Landrieu - 46,625
52% Nagin - 51,885

10:19pm

SoS update, 93% reporting:
47% Landrieu - 49,884
53% Nagin - 56,068

Landrieu appears at his HQ, "the handwriting is on the wall," Glynn Boyd.

10:22pm

Landrieu gives his concession, thanking God, wife, kids, family, all supporters, congratulates Nagin on a hard fought campaign. He says we're going to find a way together to rebuild this great city. "Today was the first step toward tomorrow." The brass band plays on and Mitch heads back to his desk in Baton Rouge as Blanco's #2...

10:31pm

Nagin appears at his HQ, "calm down for a second," then offers praise to Almighty God. "I greet you all this evening in the spirit of peace, of love..."

10:34pm

All precincts are accounted for, Nagin wins by 5,329 votes. Great job by Ater's team in getting the results back. Two hours after the first cartridges arrive, all votes are in.

Nagin continues to rant, now with a message to president Bush, "I want to thank you mister president for moving the promise made in Jackson Square forward.." and then he goes on with the brown-nosing, now moving on to Blanco, as an audible "awww" goes out through the crowd. Nagin says its time for a real partnership to rebuild the city, and the entire state. "Its time for one New Orleans today.. tomorrow.. forever.. Gandhi said it best, first they ignore you, then they hate you, then they fight you, then you win."

That's all she wrote folks, the Fat Lady has left the building.