D-Day

National fatigue for November 4 set in a while ago, but the campaigns still kept plugging along. Doesn’t it seem like so long ago that Barack Obama and John McCain were seen as long shots for their party candidacies? Wasn’t this supposed to be Hillary Clinton versus Mitt Romney? A funny thing happened on the way to Election Day, and somewhere we wound up at the juncture of history. Will America elect its first African-American president, or will the maverick war hero himself be named POTUS? Maybe you’re ready to laugh heartily as the name Sarah Palin becomes a mere punch line. Or perhaps you’ll be happily humming “Hail to the Chief” as an attractive new veep sashays across the White House lawn come January. Either way — today is the day. Let’s make it one to remember!

The first thing you need to know is the location of your polling station. The Florida Division of Elections website has all the info you need at its website, so visit www.election.dos.state.fl.us. In case you’re unsure of your voting rights, the ACLU has handy palm-size 2008 Voter Empowerment Cards available in English, Spanish, and Kreyol, and those cards include phone numbers to call in case you (or anyone you know) have problems while voting. Dial the toll-free help line at 877-523-2792 if you experience or witness equipment malfunctions, difficulty regarding access to the polls, or any discriminatory election practices. And after it’s all said and done, vote with your gullet at SushiSamba Dromo (600 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach). The chic SoBe eatery is one of few venues hosting an election party with results you can determine. Yes, that’s right — victory will be decided by how many red or blue cocktails are ingested. Will you swig the Maverick, made with muddled raspberries, raspberry rum, triple sec, grenadine, and unsweetened white tea; or the Obamarama, a frosty blend of muddled lemon, blueberries, and sugar with Pearl blueberry vodka, blue curaçao, and club soda? Cast your vote at the bar and watch the polls broadcast live on a large projection screen beginning at 7 p.m. Call 305-673-5337, or visit www.sushisamba.com.
Tue., Nov. 4, 2008