LGBT POV

Maine Advisory:

Rachel Maddow has cameras at the campaign headquarters. Campaign manager Jesse Connolly going live at 6:15 Pacific time on MSNBC.

The info below is from online lesbian political guru Julia Rosen, on loan to the No on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign from the LA-based Courage Campaign:

The Best news website: http://www.bangordailynews.com/electionresults.html

Live No on 1 video –  http://protectmaineequality.org/

US Stream - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/no-on-1-protect-maine-equality

The Best overall info probably from the @NoOn1 twitter account which will be displayed on the home page starting at 8:01http://www.protectmaineequality.org

There is nothing on the record about turnout.  Anecdotal info has been good.

Ballots get counted as we go – but some towns count before others.  There aren’t really 8:01’s like we are used to in CA

Could be hours, could be days, if it is close, before the results are known.

Julia’s gut says:  I’m way more optimistic than last year. Our numbers are not strong enough to be comfortable, but our volunteers were amazing – today our GOTV efforts were great.  People were getting pissed off from being contacted multiple times.

ADDITIONALLY:

San Diego-based journalist Rex Wockner is in Maine with the campaign and will be live-blogging at http://wockner.blogspot.com/

Corey Johnson is covering live for Towleroad – http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/towleroad-election-09-live-coverage-and-chat-starts-730-pm-edt.html

And Joe Sudbay will be looking at all election coverage (such as Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races and NY 23rd) as well as Maine  and Washington – http://www.americablog.com/

Phillip over at Unite The Fight will also be tracking referendum results: http://unitethefight.blogspot.com/2009/11/bookmark-and-track-this-post-for-all.html

Rex Wocker shot of bloggers at work in Maine:

FOR WASHINGTON STATE:

Lurleen, blogger for Pam’s House Blend says:

Links to live show here
http://pamshouseblend.com/diary/13908/washington-election-day-todo-list-vote-bug-others-to-vote-then-party

SLOG may do semi-live blogging
http://slog.thestranger.com/

MEANWHILE ON THIS COAST -

It’s official – the new LAPD Chief will be Charlie Beck, if he is confirmed by the LA City Council, as expected.

I had reaction in my previous post – but here’s a good sign I just got from Matt Szabo, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s openly gay deputy chief of staff, regarding today’s unanimous vote by the LA Police Commission to sever the LAPD ties with the Boys Scouts/Learning for Life Explorer Program. Matt said, via email:

“While preparing for this morning’s press conference, I asked Chief Beck whether he supported the commission’s action on Learning for Life.  Without hesitation he said, “Absolutely.  It should have happened a long time ago.  There is no place for groups that practice that kind of discrimination in today’s LAPD.”

This is very good news, especially for LGBTs who are nervous that Beck came up in the LAPD operated by former Chief Daryl Gates.

I attended the Police Commission hearing this afternoon and will have a full report tomorrow – I am waiting for the detailed presentation from Sgt. Kuns.

While there is no hitch to severing the ties with the Boys Scouts, there are some questions about the budget. The package presented to the commission for a total “re-branding” came to almost a half million dollars which is a steep price given the economy. Openly gay Police Commissioner Rob Saltzman told me that what Kuns and Assistant Chief Paysiner presented was a “Lexus and what we need is a Cadillac.”

I’ll have a full report tomorrow, along with some other laws enforcement news.

And, I’ll have my take on the election results.

Fingers crossed.