Posted: Tuesday, Nov. 4 -- 6:32 a.m.
E-DAY

It all comes down to this -- ELECTION DAY 2008! Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. across North Carolina.

Find your polling place here.

Before you head to the polls, make sure you have the facts you need to cast a confident ballot. See the 2008 N.C. Voter Guide produced in a partnership between UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

You can also hear Election 2008 programming on-demand at VoterRadio.com.

GO VOTE!

Posted: Monday, Nov. 3 -- 2:42 p.m.
American Election: The ultimate reality show

Election Day is tomorrow and it looks like North Carolina could be on track for record-high turnout at the polls. (About 41 percent of voters cast a ballot during early voting -- shattering the old record.)

But after folks make their pick for the president, will they recognize the names at the bottom of the ballot?

Research from the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education has shown that more voters can name the "American Idol" winner than can name members of the Council of State.

Have no fear, the 2008 N.C. Voter Guide is here to empower you with the facts you need to cast a confident ballot in these lesser-known contests.

Created in a partnership between UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education, the guide offers candidate profiles and in-depth multimedia interviews, along with voting information and election coverage.

Get the facts on all the candidates, then go vote -- the whole ballot!

Posted: Monday, Nov. 3 -- 9:32 a.m.
Super President!

This year's presidential contenders offer some compelling life stories. One is the first African-American to top a major-party ticket, the other a war hero who survived five years as a POW.

But neither can match the bio of James Norcross, who after traveling through a cosmic storm developed super powers allowing him to change his molecular structure. That ability doesn't much help when it comes to balancing the budget or creating jobs but it is indispensable when taking on extraterrestrial invaders.

One of the more bizarre aspects of this short-lived 1960's superhero 'toon is that Norcross called himself "Super President," yet no one made the connection that he was also the president of the Unites States. Learn more about Super President.

This is an unscientific online poll.

Posted: Sunday, Nov. 2 -- 5:42 p.m.
Arnie for President?

He may appear on our twenty-dollar bill, but Alexander Hamilton was constitutionally ineligible to run for president.  Hamilton was not born in one of the 13 original colonies-turned-states, but rather on an isle in the West Indies.  As such, he was disqualified from being the commander in chief of a young nation very much suspicious of foreign powers meddling in its affairs.

The Founding Fathers were so haunted by the specter of a rich and powerful European aristocrat coming to America and usurping the reigns of governance that they explicitly stated in the Constitution that only those born on U.S. soil could ever be president.

(As an aside, that "U.S. soil" stipulation is a point of contention for some who argue that Sen. John McCain, born in the Panama Canal Zone while his father was stationed there for service in the U.S. Navy, is ineligible for the presidency. Learn more from the Washington Post.)

Now, over two hundred years and countless immigration waves later, many Americans no longer feel the need to bar foreign-born citizens from seeking the Oval Office. 

In 2004, Republican Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah introduced a constitutional amendment that would rescind the two-century-old clause and pave the way for foreign-born, naturalized U.S. citizens to have a shot at the White House.

Hatch's "Equal Right to Govern Amendment" would be the 28th added to the Constitution.  In his plan, foreign-born citizens would have to wait 20 years after being naturalized in order to become president.  (Arnold Schwarzenegger became a citizen in 1983.)  A plan originating in the House would require a 35-year wait.

Supporters of an amendment say that the original threat prompting the constitutional clause is no longer realistic and that in a land where most citizens trace their lineage to immigrants, the restriction is unfair and perhaps un-American.

Amendments addressing the foreign-born citizen restriction have popped up and fizzled out in Congress some 26 times since 1870. 

Amending the Constitution for any reason is a substantial challenge. It would require passage by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.  Even after surviving this test, it would still have to win approval from three-fourths of the states -- that’s 38 of the 50. For example, the Equal Rights Amendment withstood the congressional test, but fell three states short of adoption in 1982.

So, who would you like to see elected as our first foreign-born president? Former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright (Czechoslovakia) or Henry Kissinger (Germany)? 'Jeopardy' quizmaster Alex Trebek (Canada) or U2 frontman Bono (who we realize is Irish, but seems like at least an honorary Yankee)? Or perhaps the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Austria)?

Take our online poll below!

Posted: Saturday, Nov. 1 -- 7:17 p.m.
A date with democracy

Early voting has officially ended across North Carolina. Next up: Election Day on Tuesday.

So, why is it that Election Day falls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November?

Here's why, according to the Federal Election Commission:

... For much of our history, America was a predominantly agrarian society. Lawmakers therefore took into account that November was perhaps the most convenient month for farmers and rural workers to be able to travel to the polls. The fall harvest was over, (remember that spring was planting time and summer was taken up with working the fields and tending the crops) but in the majority of the nation the weather was still mild enough to permit travel over unimproved roads.

Why Tuesday? Since most residents of rural America had to travel a significant distance to the county seat in order to vote, Monday was not considered reasonable since many people would need to begin travel on Sunday. This would, of course, have conflicted with Church services and Sunday worship.

Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Lawmakers wanted to prevent election day from falling on the first of November for two reasons. First, November 1st is All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Second, most merchants were in the habit of doing their books from the preceding month on the 1st. Apparently, Congress was worried that the economic success or failure of the previous month might prove an undue influence on the vote!

It's good to know that after 200-plus years, the economy no longer affects our elections ...

Posted: Saturday, Nov. 1 -- 9:01 a.m.
Today is LAST DAY of early voting -- some sites to extend hours

Today (Sat., Nov. 1) is your LAST DAY to vote early in North Carolina. This is especially vital if you missed the Oct. 10 voter registration deadline.

If you missed the Oct. 10 deadline, you MUST register and vote TODAY!

Same-day registration is NOT available on Election Day.

Here is a list of early voting sites in each county. You can go to ANY early voting site in your county.

Some counties have extended the hours of operation for their early voting sites to meet turnout demands, as reported in the Raleigh News & Observer.

If you are registered to vote and you miss today's final day of early voting, you can still vote on Election Day -- Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Posted: Friday, Oct. 31 -- 4:11 p.m.
Halloween Predicts the President?

Polls, schmolls! Want to know how to really predict this year's White House winner?

Look no further than the trick-o-treaters at your door tonight. According to this story, sales in Halloween masks have accurately presaged the presidential victor in the past several elections.

Other strange tea leaves to read:

If the American League wins the World Series, the Republican tends to win the White House. The Philadelphia Phillies won it this year -- for the National League. Advantage Obama.

In 10 of the last 13 elections, the taller candidate has won. Advantage Obama.

Hail to the Redskins. In every election going back to 1936 (and with the exception of 2004), if the Washington Redskins win their last game before the election, the incumbent party scores on Election Day. The 'Skins host the Steelers on Monday Night Football. McCain will no doubt be donning burgundy and gold.

These indicators recall an old joke:

A passerby sees a man standing on a busy city street corner, snapping his fingers and jumping on one foot. Bewildered, the observer asks the man what he's doing.

"I'm keeping the tigers away," the man responds.

"There aren't any tigers anywhere on this continent!" The observer exclaims.

The man smiles as he continues to hop and snap, "Doin' a good job, aren't I?"

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 30 -- 4:17 p.m.
The Attack-Ad-O-Matic!

This election, you've no doubt seen your share of nasty, negative ads. Here's your chance to see how these spots are made with our new Attack-Ad-O-Matic!

Start the mud slinging!

Posted: Wednesday, Oct. 29 -- 1:03 p.m.
Hear it LIVE: N.C. Court of Appeals Candidate Forum

So-called "down-ballot" races get little attention in a year with contests for the White House, governor's mansion and U.S. Senate.

Tonight is your chance to hear the contenders for one of these down-ballot contests, the N.C. Court of Appeals, make their case for your vote.

The Durham County Bar Association is hosting the candidate forum at the Great Hall at N.C. Central University in Durham. If you can't be at the forum, you can hear it live on VoterRadio.com, from 6-8 p.m.

You can also learn about the state Court of Appeals candidates at the online 2008 N.C. Voter Guide.

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 23 -- 6:12 p.m.
Coming Sunday: Candidate Forums on UNC-TV

While there's a big buzz around the races for the White House, governor's mansion and U.S. Senate, it is sometimes difficult to learn about the so-called "down-ballot" races, including the contests for N.C. Supreme Court, N.C. Court of Appeals and the Council of State.

You can get facts on these low-profile candidates, straight from the contenders themselves, as UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education team up to bring you a series of forums airing statewide this Sunday, Oct. 26, beginning at 1 p.m.

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 23 -- 4:17 p.m.
The Magic Number: 270

With just days to go before Election Day, many a pundit is pouring over U.S. maps made up of a mosaic of red and blue states, trying to determine which presidential candidate will be the first to 270 -- electoral votes that is. For as the nation learned anew in 2000, it's not the popular ballot tally that counts, but the sometimes misunderstood Electoral College that crowns the next commander in chief.

Here is an interactive electoral college map that puts you into the strategist's seat in trying to chart a course to the White House.

Posted: Tuesday, Oct. 21 -- 7:37 p.m.
Go Vote 08 PSA Contest Results

Looking for some inspiration to get to the polls?

The results are in for the Go Vote 08 PSA Contest, with winners announced in high school, college and non-student divisions.

See the winning entries.

Posted: Tuesday, Oct. 21 -- 6:01 a.m.
Only Polka-Dot Shoes

We open the Go Vote Vault once again to bring you this harrowing fable of what apathy wrought, courtesy of Go Vote 06. Just think of it -- "no bow ties allowed and only polka-dot shoes!" Yep, that about sums up the importance of voting this year or any other.

So, have the Wuddles convinced you to go to the polls this year, but perhaps you missed the Oct. 10 deadline to register to vote on Election Day?

No worries. North Carolina has same-day registration during the early voting period from Oct. 16 - Nov. 1. Simply visit an early voting site in your county, register and vote. It's convenient and no excuses are needed. Learn more about same-day registration.

Posted: Friday, Oct. 17 -- 5:25 p.m.
Noel says 'Rrro Rrrote!'

With early voting underway across North Carolina and Election Day fast approaching, Noel, the official mascot of "Go Vote '08," wants to make sure that you "don't forget 2 vote!"

Noel also encourages you to study up on the candidates by visiting NCVoterGuide.org, an online voter guide produced in a partnership between UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

If you happen to meet any candidates in this final dash to Election Day, Noel hopes you will ask them about their plans for investing in bacon and bacon-flavor technology.

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 16 -- 2:47 p.m.
Early voting starts in N.C.

You don't have to wait until Nov. 4 to cast a ballot in North Carolina. Early voting kicks off today across the Tar Heel State, running through Nov. 1.

If you missed the Oct. 10 deadline to register to vote, you can still register and vote on the same day during the early voting period. Learn more about same-day registration.

Here is a list of early voting sites in each county.

Posted: Wednesday, Oct. 15 -- 7:32 p.m.
527s: Has it come to this?

By the looks of the ad above, it seems the oft times nasty attack ads from so-called "527 groups," named after the section of the IRS tax code that defines them, are no longer contained just to the races for the White House, governor's mansion and U.S. Senate.

"Leprechauns for Truth" isn't listed among the various 527s tracked by OpenSecrets.org, but the site can give you some insight into the impact of 527s in this year's election.

Posted: Wednesday, Oct. 15 -- 4:07 p.m.
No Excuses

The PSA below is a bit dated (it's from "Go Vote '04," which explains the admittedly lame "joke" at the end), but the message is true for this year's election: North Carolina has no-excuse absentee voting, which means no excuse is needed to vote absentee by mail or in person at early voting sites.

If this guy can make the effort to vote, so can you.

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 9 -- 7:32 p.m.
2008 N.C. Voter Guide

Get facts on this year's candidates with the 2008 N.C. Voter Guide, produced in a partnership between UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education.

Visit the 2008 N.C. Voter Guide.

Posted: Thursday, Oct. 9 -- 3:27 p.m.
"Judge for Yourself: Election 2008"

The buzz around the races for the White House, governor's mansion and U.S. Senate often drown out the other contests on this year's ballot, including those for the Council of State and North Carolina's appellate courts.

Get the facts you need to cast a confident ballot in these so-called "down-ballot" races with "Judge for Yourself: Election 2008," a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with statewide candidates.

Listen to "Judge for Yourself: Election 2008" here.