6:38 PM: Our Election Night headquarters this year is Admiral Bird, which took reservations for its cozy space and is filling up.

Results have been on the big screen here for almost an hour and a half. “If anything is certain about tonight, it’s uncertainty,” said one of the CBS anchors just now. A moment later, CBS called Connecticut for Democrat Hillary Clinton, and a cheer erupted – first one of the night. We’ll have updates from here and from the West Seattle ballot dropbox, where WSB photojournalist Leda Costa is stationed as the 8 pm voting deadline approaches. (added) Jon sent this photo of daughter Sydney “helping me vote!”

6:50 PM: If you’re looking for somewhere to watch – we just checked a couple nearby spots; nobody at the West Seattle Library (2306 42nd SW), which has results on until 7:45, and not many at Parliament Tavern (4210 SW Admiral Way).

7:02 PM: “White-knuckles kind of night,” declares another CBS anchor, suggesting people are drinking. Yes, here at Admiral Bird, where wine and beer are offered as well as coffee, and it’s a pro-Clinton crowd, they are. Meantime, LOTS of voting. Leda sends this photo of an overflow bag, brought in after the dropbox has already had to be emptied twice today:

7:50 PM: A few minutes ago, the 15-minute warning was sounded at the dropbox:

As for the race, Trump has retained the electoral edge. The pro-Clinton crowd here has cheered when there was a reason to, such as the recent call of Colorado in her corner:

Minutes left to get your ballot in. And we’ll get local results – which we’ll publish separately – within half an hour or so.

8:02 PM: More cheers as projections came in with the West Coast poll closings.

8:22 PM: King County’s results release has been delayed. Meantime, here’s the countdown from the West Seattle dropbox at the top of the hour:

Here at Admiral Bird, the big screen remains on CBS and the current estimated electoral-vote count is 197 Clinton, 193 Trump, with some major states as-yet-uncalled.

8:29 PM: Local TV has put up some early numbers in the statewide races but with conversation continuing to buzz, few realize that those numbers include no King County results yet. Meantime, CBS has called Florida for Trump, who is back in the electoral lead, 222-197. “This night has gone much differently than anyone has predicted,” says an anchor. Meanwhile, a TV photographer has showed up here.

8:40 PM: “I don’t understand how it’s this close,” says one of the 25-plus people here. Meantime, the one person in the room who seems oblivious to what’s unfolding on screen is many years away from voting:

On screen now, Trump 227 electoral votes, Clinton 197.

9:02 PM: The King County votes are finally tallied in a readable way – so we’re tracking the local and statewide races/measures here.

9:16 PM: The presidential race hasn’t yet been called; Trump 244, Clinton 209, is the current count. The CBS anchors also have shown a number suggesting the financial markets are not happy about it. “Holy s–t!” is the exclamation here, in reaction to that. Some have gone home.

9:30 PM: Two rounds of cheering, but not related to the presidential race – they cheered reports that Pramila Jayapal has won the 7th Congressional District seat, and that Sound Transit 3, set to bring light rail to West Seattle in 2030, is winning. Meantime, the electoral tally is 244 Trump, 215 Clinton.

10:02 PM: The electoral #’s haven’t changed (if you’ve lost track, 270 is required to win). A local TV cut-in brought a brief glimpse of Governor Inslee, who’s winning re-election tonight, and that sparked a cheer among the remaining partygoers here at Admiral Bird.

10:21 PM: Another couple comes up to the bar at the Bird, where we’ve been sitting. Going home, they say. “Going to sleep?” they’re asked. “Probably not” is the reply.

10:40 PM: Someone just walked in, saying she didn’t want to be sad by herself. The CBS people on the TV keep pointing out how late it is, Eastern time, and wondering what’s holding things up – “absentee ballots?” asks one.

10:46 PM: Next to us at the Bird bar, a woman talks of a friend or relative whose 6-year-old half-Latino child is worried, saying that “Trump hates Mexicans, and I’m half Mexican.” The sadness is palpably mixed with fear.

11:40 PM: After six hours, the laptop died and we headed back to HQ, right after a Clinton campaign official told her supporters to go home, that she wouldn’t have anything to say tonight. Donald Trump, meantime, is expected to speak sometime soon. We’re watching NBC, which says Clinton has called Trump to concede.

4:04 PM: Starting our pm rounds … including the inbox:

Thanks to Barry J. White for the photos: “Here’s some shots of fifth graders from Gatewood Elementary who were encouraging turnout this afternoon. Pramila Jayapal walked over from her office nearby to meet the kids, a really wonderful scene.”

Jayapal, the state senator running for Congress, has had a field office for some months in the former West Seattle Kids Salon storefront about half a block from the school. More to come. Again, the voting reminders:

King County Elections dropboxes, until 8 pm. Local ones are here:
-High Point Library (SW Raymond just east of 35th)
-White Center Library (1409 SW 107th)
-South Park Library (8604 8th Ave. S.)

Post Office – get there early – your ballot needs to be postmarked by tonight

If you can’t find your ballot, you can print a replacement (the KCE helpers at the High Point dropbox told us they have extra envelopes)

5:23 PM: We’re at Admiral Bird, a cozy space that took reservations for tables and will be standing-room-only. Here in the early going, they’ve been decorating:

We’ll have coverage from here as the presidential results come in over the next few hours -the bigscreen is already on a national results broadcast. And at 8:15-ish pm, when King County’s one and only results release of the night comes out, we’ll have the local/regional/state numbers for key races – since this is a statewide/presidential year, not many mega-local races, but Sound Transit 3 is the marquee measure.

By the time we got to 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy around 8:30 am to look for morning sign-wavers, this was the last person left, standing at the SB RapidRide stop:

But we have photos from earlier, thanks to readers who were up on the pedestrian overpass over the Fauntleroy entrance to the bridge. Chris Porter sent these two (that’s him at left in the first one, with fellow West Seattleite Liliana Eagan):

From left in this photo, West Seattleites Lisa Wolters, Sawyer Wolters. Pat Bowen:

(Thanks to Lisa Cipollone for also sending a photo of those three, and the IDs!)

And Cause Haun sent this photo:

(Anyone else out this morning? editor@westseattleblog.com – also, if you’re planning to be out sign-waving this afternoon, tell us where and when.) Quick voting reminders:

King County Elections dropboxes, until 8 pm. Local ones are here:
-High Point Library (SW Raymond just east of 35th)
-White Center Library (1409 SW 107th)
-South Park Library (8604 8th Ave. S.)

Post Office – get there early – your ballot needs to be postmarked by tonight

If you can’t find your ballot, you can print a replacement (the KCE helpers at the High Point dropbox told us they have extra envelopes)

And here’s our list of local viewing parties (can still add others if you’ve heard of any).

We promised a list by night’s end. Here’s what we have:

WEST SEATTLE (ADMIRAL) LIBRARY: Planning to watch early returns, from 5:30 pm-7:45 pm – library closes at 8. (2306 42nd SW)

SOUND & FOG: 5-9 pm. “An election party with sparkling wine to celebrate the end of this election cycle,” says proprietor Justin Krebs. (4735 40th SW)

ADMIRAL BIRD: 6-10 pm, asking for RSVPs via this Facebook event page. (California/Admiral)

PARLIAMENT TAVERN: Watching returns with Happy Hour starting at 4 pm “and extends until winners are declared.” 21+. $4 micropints, $4 well drinks, and a specialty cocktail menu including “The Bad Hombre, La Presidente No. 1, Peppermint Patty, The Light Rail, and the Peaceful Transfer of Power.” (4210 SW Admiral Way)

CIRCA: 5-10 pm party. “Special food & drink menu (regular menu too) and free celebration goodies when the results are announced.” (2605 California SW)

Any place else? editor@westseattleblog.com or 206-293-6302, text or voice – thank you!

Election Eve sights:

AT THE BALLOT DROPBOX: We went by West Seattle’s semi-new permanent ballot dropbox outside High Point Library and found a team of four helpers from King County Elections. They told us they’re there until 5 pm today and again 9:30 am-8 pm tomorrow to manage traffic among other things – to keep it from backing up onto 35th, in particular. You can even give them your ballot without getting out of your car, and they’ll pop it in the dropbox while you watch. If you need a pen, or an envelope, they have those supplies too. A steady stream of voters were coming by, in cars and on foot, while we were there around 1:30 pm. SW Raymond, just east of 35th SW. (No van at WS Stadium – the permanent box at HP Library replaces it.) Nearby boxes are also at the White Center Library (1409 SW 107th) and South Park Library (8604 8th Ave. S.) – full countywide list here. (Or, use a stamp and postal-mail your ballot – be sure it’ll be postmarked no later than tomorrow.) If it’s been a few days since you dropped off or mailed your ballot, use the online Ballot Tracker to be sure it’s been received and verified.

GET OUT THE VOTE: Victoria at VAIN (WSB sponsor) in The Junction sent us the photo:

She says VAIN has posters they would like to offer to anyone interested in displaying/holding them up to encourage people to vote. (They’re at 4513 California SW, open until 8 tonight.)

P.S. If you’re out campaigning/getting out the vote, we’d love a photo – editor@westseattleblog.com

P.P.S. Last call to let us know about any election-night results-viewing parties in the area … later tonight we’ll publish the list, though it’s still not very long – same address, editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!

Maybe everyone’s planning to watch election results at home Tuesday night … we’ve been asked for a list of West Seattle viewing parties/events/gatherings, and so far, it’s a very short list. If your establishment/organization is having an event that’s open to the public, in West Seattle or White Center, please let us know – comment, or e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com, or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!