Morning News Digest: Tuesday, November 4, 2008

With the PolitickerWA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Washington's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Good morning, Washington. Today is Election Day.

On Monday, Politicker.com National Managing Editor James Pindell released his final Election Day predictions. Check out the political forecast for Washington:

http://www.politickerwa.com/editorwa/2533/pindell-report-releases-final-election-day-predictions

If you’re trying to figure out the political calculus for the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate, U.S. House, gubernatorial and presidential swing state races, be sure to check out The Pindell Report. Explore races across the country. Print out updated rundowns and keep track of races as the polls close and ballots are counted:

http://www.politicker.com/pindell-report

http://www.politicker.com/pindell-report/printable

Here is this morning’s Wake-Up Call …

1.7M in state have already voted, 83 percent statewide turnout expected

OLYMPIA — More than half of the state's expected voters had returned their ballots to elections officials by Monday, a day before Election Day. (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/otherlocalelectionstories/2008347396_earlyvoting04.html

A historic day

This is it. History on a national scale will be made in the election that ends tonight, when the country chooses either its first black president or its first female vice president. (Adam Wilson, The Olympian)

http://www.theolympian.com/672/story/648915.html

Gregoire and Rossi's final ad pitches

Gov. Chris Gregoire and challenger Dino Rossi (and their allies) have spent the last several months beating each other up with millions in attack ads about sex offenders, tribal casinos, the minimum wage, stem cell research and taxes. (Jim Brunner, Seattle Times)

http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/politicsnorthwest/2008/11/03/gregoire_and_rossis_final_ad_p.html

What they are saying: Darcy Burner's campaign

PolitickerWA.com caught up with the Darcy Burner (D-Carnation) campaign to find out how they would describe their campaign in their own words. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2540/what-they-are-saying-darcy-burners-campaign

Poll: Gregoire 50, Rossi 48

Strategic Vision has released a poll showing Gov. Chris Gregoire at 50 percent, her Republican opponent at 48 percent with 2 percent undecided. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/153291.asp

Vote results to pour through Spokane

While the world awaits the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election, several hundred Spokane-area workers will be busy compiling those results from 31 states. (Mike Prager, Spokesman Review)

http://spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=17544

Esser blanketing the state to help GOP with final push

Chris Gregoire and Dino Rossi aren’t the only ones criss-crossing the state in search of votes in the final days of the election. Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser is embarking on his own “Fight to the Finish” tour these days, hoping to drum up support and bolster GOTV efforts for local and statewide Republican candidates. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2532/esser-blanketing-state-help-gop-final-push

Local vote already in record territory

Judging from the rate of ballot returns, Clark County voters are eager to cast their votes in today’s high-stakes election — and who can blame them? (Kathie Durbin, The Columbian)

http://www.columbian.com/article/20081104/NEWS02/711049972

Commissioners freeze own salaries for '09

Saying they’ll be asking all county employees to make sacrifices, county commissioners voted Monday to forgo their raises next year. (Michael Andersen, The Columbian)

http://www.columbian.com/article/20081104/NEWS02/711049966

Muri predicts Pierce Exec RCV scenario

Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri weighed in with the scenario he anticipates for the first ever Pierce County executive to be decided by ranked choice voting, one that would put his Republican councilmate, Bonney Lake's Shawn Bunney, in the Peirce County driver's seat. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2535/muri-predicts-pierce-exec-rcv-scenario

Support for initiatives fading in latest Washington poll

The final Washington Poll from Saturday, November 1 showed a mixed bag of support for the state's major initiatives, even as all four of those surveyed displayed a negative trend from the group's October 27 undertaking. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2531/support-initiatives-fading-latest-washington-poll

Judge hopefuls tout experience in Mid-Columbia

The race to replace longtime Superior Court Judge Dennis Yule pits a criminal defense attorney against a civil lawyer. The key question through the campaign has been whose day-to-day job better prepares them for the demands of today's judicial system. (Kristin M. Kraemer, Tri-City Herald)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/948/story/371099.html

With the PolitickerWA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Washington's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.