Today we Americans are privileged to participate in what has been called the “civic sacrament” of voting.
Elections for public office are not new, of course. They were staples of the Greek democracy and the Roman republic. The papacy has always been an elected position. In medieval Europe, the Emperor was elected, the main difference from our elections being that only seven people got to vote (including the Duke of Saxony, which is why one holder of that office, Frederick the Wise, had the clout to prevent Martin Luther from being burned at the stake).
Pundits expect a big day for Republicans, who may well gain a majority on the Senate. Any predictions?
From What clues to watch as polls close Election Day, USA Today:
Steady your nerves, because there is still uncertainty about the outcome of the 2014 midterm elections.
As candidates make their final arguments, 10 races for the Senate are still close enough to hold the key to which party holds power. The possibility of runoffs in Louisiana and Georgia mean it could take weeks before knowing whether the GOP nets the six seats necessary to win the majority.
A dozen races for governor could go either way. Although Republicans are likely to keep control of the House of Representatives, about two dozen seats in play will determine whether the GOP will reach 245 seats — their biggest majority since Harry Truman was president.
Brendan Nyhan, an assistant professor of government at Dartmouth College, warns election watchers to tune out the “noise” Tuesday from exit polls, TV pundits and Internet bloggers. “You just have to wait for the results to come in,” he said.
The first polls close at 7 p.m. in a handful of states. Six hours later, the last precinct in the remote Aleutian Islands of Alaska will close.
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