Voting seemed to have gotten off to a brisk start this morning, with many polling stations reporting long lines. While this is no reason to start wildly speculating about results in West Philly, it’s at least a good sign.

We will continually update this post throughout the day with bits and pieces of information and observations from around the neighborhoods. Please feel free to write us at editor@westphillylocal.com or tweet us at @westphillylocal with your observations while voting.

Here are some early tweets from this morning:

@WestPhillyLocal @Committeeof70 FYI I was required to show ID because “new voters to a district are required to show ID”

— Abhi (@AbsorbingStates) November 6, 2012

@WestPhillyLocal 36th and Locust opened 37 minutes late because the judge of elections didn't get here on time.

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald) November 6, 2012

https://twitter.com/mabege/status/265808077478035456

@WestPhillyLocal only had to wait about 10 minutes to vote at Kingsessing library. Crowd started to pick up when I left.

— Dan Whang (@called_out) November 6, 2012

@joeldeg @WestPhillyLocal Only polling materials should be inside. Partisan materials must be 10 feet away from polling place door.

— Leah Pillsbury (@maybeleah) November 6, 2012

@WestPhillyLocal voting at the 46/18 meth church around 1130am was smooth and painless

— Ben (suidroot@infosec.exchange) (@suidroot) November 6, 2012

Voting was ezpz! @WestPhillyLocal

— Lauren Foster (@laurenfoste) November 6, 2012

@WestPhillyLocal Waited for exactly 0 minutes at SCHA an hour or so ago.

— Preston Hull (@preston_hull) November 6, 2012

https://twitter.com/estemonte/status/265883665144356865
 

Also – to lighten things up a little – we asked what might be the best way to work “jawn” into an Election Day tweet. @AdamButler got into this. His responses:

https://twitter.com/a_butler/status/265879399075831808

https://twitter.com/a_butler/status/265879508253569024

https://twitter.com/a_butler/status/265879508253569024

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you head to the polls on Tuesday:

• Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• An easy way to find your polling place is to go here and plug in your street address.

• Besides the race for President, voters tomorrow will also decide on a U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Attorney General, Auditor General, State Treasurer, State Senator (odd districts only) and State Representative. You can find some information on the candidates here.

• There are several places to find out info on this year’s ballot questions. Philadelphia Magazine‘s blog, Philly Post, has some background on the ballot questions here. Philadelphia Weekly has its take on the questions here. The Committee of 70’s rendering of the ballot questions into plain English is here.

• If you observe some hijinks at your polling station, call 215-686-9641 to report it.

• The Voter ID law is NOT in place for this election. BUT those voting for the first time and those voting in a new polling place will have to show some form of ID (it doesn’t have to be photo ID). These include: driver’s license or state-issued photo ID, passport, armed forces ID, student ID, employee ID. Non-photo ID: voter registration card, gun permit, current utility bill, current bank statement, current paycheck (note: must have full name and current address.)

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at a rally of Obama-Biden supporters and volunteers at the Palestra Arena at the University of Pennsylvania (215 S. 33rd St.) this afternoon as part of his final campaign swing through Pennsylvania on behalf of the Democratic ticket. The rally begins at 4 p.m. and Penn Public Safety has issued a heavy traffic advisory in this area from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

If you’re interested in attending this rally, tickets are available online here.

If you support President Barack Obama and need a boost ahead of tonight’s debate, I suggest you take a stroll down the 400 block of S. 43rd Street. Look for a porch about a block up from Baltimore Avenue on the west side of the street. Trust me, you can’t miss it. That’s the “Obama Shrine.”

Jacqui Bowman and her daughter Ella Serpell have carried on a tradition they started during the 2008 election. Their porch shelters a growing collection of pro-Obama Barbie dolls, action figures, trinkets and signs (see the photo gallery below). People often stop and look and sometimes they even add things.

“It was kind of fun because you could tell everyone in the community really liked Obama and everyone was adding stuff to it,” said Serpell, who has grown up in the neighborhood.

Most importantly for Bowman and Serpell it’s a way to be involved in the election because they can’t vote. Bowman, who is from England, is not a citizen and Serpell, a high school student, is still a couple of years away from being eligible.

“My feeling is that if I can get one person to vote who wouldn’t have otherwise voted, then I’ve had my vote,” said Bowman, who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years.

Obama Shrine even has its own Twitter feed, @obamashrine. The feed’s tagline is: “A non-citizen ObamaMama’s shameless attempt to influence the 2012 vote. It worked in 2008 and it is going to work in 2012! A doll a day keeps the Romney away!”

Bowman says she worries that people may be taking Obama’s re-election for granted.

“I think the trouble this time around is that there is a slight sense that there’s not as much enthusiasm so I just want to make it clear that there are many people out there who are as enthusiastic,” she said.

And Bowman says people should feel free to add things to the shrine. If it’s a Barbie, even better.

“If anyone has Barbies, please donate,” she said.

[wpsgallery]

Obama on the right, Romney on the left on 45th Street. Don’t forget to register to vote. Also, don’t forget that you will need ID, so get on that. Election day is November 6.

Two events this week in West Philly are designed to help folks navigate the new (and controversial) voter ID law.

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams will host a “Voter ID Education and Action Rally” on Thursday at the Kingsessing Recreation Center (50th and Kingsessing) at 5 p.m. The rally will be held on the day that Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices will hear an appeal on the implementation of the law for the Nov. 6 election.

Williams is among the many lawmakers who argue that the law unfairly restricts access to the polls.

“While we continue to fight this confusing, unnecessary and utterly disgraceful new law, it’s crucial that voters are made aware of their rights so that they are ready for Election Day,” Williams said.

Members of various civic groups will be on hand to talk to voters about the law. The rally is also a good chance to sign up to volunteer for voter outreach efforts.

The Voter ID law will also be a key topic of conversation on Wednesday during the “Civics 101” program at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library (125 S. 52nd St), beginning at 6 p.m. Everett Butcher, Executive Director of the Chester County Minority Caucus, will discuss the law and be available to answer questions.