Jonathan Soros
Wall Street Journal

In his election-night victory speech, Barack Obama said he would be a president for all Americans, not just those who voted for him. But as a candidate he didn't campaign with equal vigor for every vote. Instead, he and John McCain devoted more than 98% of their television ad spending and campaign events to just 15 states which together make up about a third of the U.S. population.

Today, as the Electoral College votes are cast and counted state-by-state, we will be reminded why. It is the peculiar mechanics of that institution, designed for a different age, that leave us divided into red states, blue states and swing states. That needs to change.

The Electoral College was created in 1787 by a constitutional convention whose delegates were unconvinced that the election of the president could be entrusted to an unfiltered vote of the people, and were concerned about the division of power among the 13 states. It was antidemocratic by design.

Under the system, each state receives votes equal to the number of representatives it has in the House plus one for each of its senators. Less populated states are thus overrepresented. While this formula hasn't changed, it no longer makes a difference for the majority of states. Wyoming, with its three electoral votes, has no more influence over the selection of the president or on the positions taken by candidates than it would with one vote.

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Tyson Wheatley
iReport producer, CNN.com

We're hearing some compelling stories as voters head to the polls across the country today - but few can match the intensity of Los Angeles couple Doug and Tracie Van Doren.

Right now, the two are heading to Cedar Sinai hospital to have their first child. Earlier today, Tracie was standing in line to cast her vote when she started feeling contractions - then her water broke. She didn't want to get out of line, but had no other option.

Doug raced Tracie to her doctor, who confirmed the great news. Tracie asked if she could still vote. Her doctor said she had several hours before she needed to get to the hospital. "She wrote us a doctor's note," said Doug. "This is an important election for us, and we just didn't want to lose our chance to vote."

Back at the polling station, Tracie and Doug handed election officials their note. "They brought us right in and to the front of the line and we both voted right away," Doug said. He snapped a picture as Tracie cast her vote. "We're going to get a new baby and a new president all on the same day."

Tracie casting her vote.

See their iReport here.

Editor's Note: You can read more Jami Floyd blogs on “In Session”

Jami Floyd
AC360° Contributor
In Session Anchor

The lines are long this election day and it is a glorious thing. Because there is no right more sacred in a democracy than the right to vote.

And for years we have taken that precious right for granted. Too many black folks have taken it for granted despite the heroes who gave their lives to give us the right to be counted as full citizens, empowered with this right to choose. For too long women have stayed home on Election Day despite our brave foremothers who so bravely stood for the right of their daughters and granddaughters to have the same choice as men. For too long the working poor have not appreciated the power we have to change our circumstances by casting a ballot.

But not today. Not anymore. Because after eight long years, set in motion by an election in 2000 that was stolen, not won, after six years of war with the wrong enemy and 4,189 soldiers lost and $700 billion later on the heels of a failed economic policy that led to the biggest bail out in U.S. history, Americans are waking up to a new day today. Election Day.

So make sure you are a part of it. Make sure your voice is heard. Don’t take anything for granted. And get out and vote.

Editors note: See more of Jami's posts at the In Session Blog

Across the state from Lancaster County, a Pittsburgh, PA voting machine.

Katie Ross
AC360° Associate Producer

My mom is the Judge of Elections for District 57 in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. She’s been working at the polls for the last fifteen years and said that she’s never seen voters come out in such record numbers before. Their polling location opened at 7 A.M., and by 2 P.M., over fifty percent of registered voters had already showed up. So far no major problems or delays.

Dennis and Holly Felmlee
iReporters

We are serving our country in the Peace Corps in Romania. We received our absentee ballots on Monday, October 29, filled them out, and sent them via express shipping the same day. We paid $140 for the express service.

Here we are with our sealed envelopes in downtown Suceava, Romania. We were told our package would arrive on Monday, Nov 3. We hope so! We have always voted and really want our votes to count this year.

See more from these iReporters and others like them at iReport.com.

Gabe Falcon
AC360° Writer

I had an interesting voting experience.

First, the back story: my wife and I moved from one part of the Upper West Side in New York to another part of the Upper West Side. Considering we’ve never left the neighborhood, this was a big bold step.

At the time of our relocation, my wife, Jenny, filled out a new voter registration form that noted the address change. I did not. She mocked me and said I would have to walk 10 blocks to vote while she just had to saunter over to the Public School 8 across our street and cast her ballot.

This morning, Jenny grabbed a coat and a cup of coffee and headed over to the school. My daughter and I strolled quietly behind her. Inside the polling center, a volunteer informed Jenny that her name was not on their manifest. Jenny asked the worker to check again. He did. The same result. Maybe you’re still registered at the old address?
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Albert Lewitinn
CNN Senior Broadcast Producer

“I voted!”

Those were the first words that came out of an Asian-American woman in her 50’s who stood three steps in line just ahead of me. 

“For the first time in my life I voted!” she exclaimed in broken English.

You could see the look of pride in her face as she walked out from behind the curtain. She had come to the polling station, accompanied by a friend, and was full of nervous energy. She paced in and out of the line, basically jumping. 

When it was her turn to sign in, she proudly stated her name, got the slip from the polling clerk and headed to the booth.

Inside the booth, she screamed, “What do I do now?!” The clerk explained, “You push the red lever to the right and vote.” 

“But how?!”

After several minutes of frustration, and asking for more help, you could hear her say all she wanted to do was vote for President.

She did, and walked out. 

The polling station applauded—not because she finally moved in a line that had grown, but because it is for this woman, who left her home country for a new life in this country, that we have such a democracy… something that gets lost in the din of the two-year-long campaign.  This woman is a testament to democracy.

83rd BETWEEN 1st AND 2nd, NEW YORK CITY

Editor's Note: We knew voters would turn out in full force, but even we were surprised at what we saw. AC360°  staff share their voting stories.

Penny Manis
AC360° Senior Producer

Precinct 111 on 53rd and 9th told me I was in wrong place after looking at my paperwork, and sent me to another site a block away. When I got to second location, they also told me I was in wrong place and sent me back to where I started to begin with! I guess the guy at the original location misread the number of my district. Thankfully the line was very short and I was in and out in 10 minutes when I was finally at the right place. Had it not been for the original confusion and circling of my block trying to vote, it would've been a totally pleasant and quick experience. After some initial irritation, in the end I guess it was all good. I was happy to vote as it was an inspiring experience, and what the heck some brisk morning exercise isn’t terrible, right?
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Kay Jones
AC360° Senior editorial producer

In Southaven, Mississippi, lines were 30-45 minutes long. In 15 years of voting in that area, my dad had never had to wait in line. This was the first time he remembers ever having to wait.

Also, students had the day off, but public school teachers had to report to work anyway. And they were only allowed short times to go vote. With lines even just 30 minutes long, my dad said, many teachers haven't had time to vote and make it back to work on time.

Miami voters line up at the polls on election day.

John Zarrella
CNN Miami Correspondent

Why did you vote? Many of those I asked answered simply, saying it's a right we have and it shouldn't be wasted.

For others it is far more personal. I ran into a young man named Rick Garcia coming out of Fire Station 33 after he voted. Rick had tears in his eyes. He had voted before but it never meant as much as this time, he said. Or for that matter, to his friends.

"I got a lot of friends who would never normally register to vote and they were just calling me, 'Where do I go? What do I do?'" Here you go, I'll bring you the paperwork, he told them.

The reason for the enthusiasm, Rick's brother Jair DeJesus Garcia. A private in the U.S. Army, Garcia was killed in Afghanistan. Rick's eyes welled up as he told me the story.

"August 1st of this year he passed away, roadside bomb. It's the main reason why I came to vote."

"In his honor?"

"In his honor, yes. He would want everybody as American citizens to do it."

Rick wears a button with his brother's picture on it and a dogtag around his next. His brother was with Easy Company out of Fort Hood, Texas. He volunteered at age 29 and had only been in Afganistan two months when he died.

Rick says many in his family had never voted before. They too are voting today.

Rick says he will never be able to erase the pain of loss. But voting made him feel at ease, at least for awhile.