(WEDNESDAY MORNING NOTE: The statewide updates stopped around midnight, so as the day begins, this reflects where things stand)

12:17 AM UPDATE: State results continue to be updated; King County results, done for the night. We’ll have breakouts later on a few key races/issues, but for now, we’re continuing to update them here:

Nationally, in case you missed it – President Obama has won re-election. (Photo above, by Kathy Oman for WSB, is from Feedback Lounge party, when the presidential race was called.) In King County, he has 68 percent of the vote (numbers here). (added) “We are an American family,” he says of the nation, in his speech @ 10:39 pm, adding, “I want to thank every American who participated in this election.” Earlier, he acknowledged his victory via Twitter:

In state and local ballot measures:

(At OutWest Bar: Photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
Referendum 74, marriage equality, ahead with 52 percent approval. (See numbers here)
Initiative 502, marijuana regulation, ahead with 56 percent approval. (See numbers here)
Initiative 1240, charter schools, ahead with 51 percent. (See numbers here)
Initiative 1185, Tim Eyman’s tax-and-fee-approval measure, leading with 65 percent. (See numbers here)
King County Sheriff, John Urquhart is leading with 57 percent. (See numbers here)
White Center annexation by Burien, trailing at 36 percent yes, 63 percent no. (See numbers here)

State races: Jay Inslee leading for governor with 51 percent – see all the state executive-level races here.

Federal races: U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott far ahead with 81 percent. Here’s the statewide map through which you can check congressional results … Senator Maria Cantwell with 59 percent (numbers here).

Other ballot measures:
*Seattle seawall bonds winning approval, 77 percent (numbers here)
*King County levy for automatic fingerprint ID, 59 percent approval (numbers here)

We’ll update this till the vote-counting stops for the night.

(Photo by Nick Adams for WSB)
So far, OutWest Bar has the earliest West Seattle Election Night party crowd we’ve found – as this area’s only LGBTQ bar, its partygoers will be keeping close watch on statewide marriage-equality Referendum 74 when those results start coming in after 8 pm. Meantime, WSB’s Katie Meyer is at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) party:

(This photo and next one by Jill Schmieder for WSB)
The Feedback is filling up, she reports, with cheers for some of the national/other-state results that came in a few minutes ago at 7 pm. The decor: Patriotic.

WEDNESDAY MORNING: It all went so fast – we’re working on galleries to publish this morning instead.

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Unless we missed an unannounced visit, the only major candidate to visit the West Seattle-White Center-South Park area on Election Day was U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who stopped by the Machinists Union hall in SP this afternoon to lend her voice to a get-out-the-vote phone bank.

Until the 8 pm deadline, political volunteers are working to get out the vote. Michelle shares the photo of Elizabeth at Uptown Espresso, who she says was busy there, “coordinating volunteer door-to-door canvassers for Obama” around mid-afternoon. And Jena shares the next photo:

Those are students from her Tiny Tribe preschool, helping encourage voters earlier today in The Junction. Jena reports their message was: “Vote for our future!” Have an Election Day/Night photo to share? Send it when you can!

P.S. This just in from King County Elections – including an answer to a question some were asking earlier today, regarding ballot-signature challenges:

The first set of general election results are scheduled to be posted to the King County Elections website at about 8:15 p.m. Results will include tabulation of at least 520,000 ballots.

“This is a record-setting election for King County,” said Sherril Huff, Director of Elections. “Not only have we set a new record for number of voters registered this year, we will also have more ballots counted for tonight’s results report than in any previous election, including the 2008 presidential election when we still had polling places.”

There will be only one results report tonight. The Elections Department will update results again tomorrow by 4:30 p.m. and most subsequent weekdays until election certification on Nov. 27. Note that results may not be updated every day if there are not enough ballots to maintain voter privacy.

Voters have up until Nov. 26 to resolve any signature issues before the election is certified.

At 2 pm, a bit past midway through the last day of business for the King County Elections ballot-dropoff van in West Seattle – the part-time semi-replacement for the fixed ballot-dropoff box we used to have in Delridge – we stopped by for one more progress report. They estimated they had already received about 800 ballots by then – and we saw another half-dozen or so go by in the minute or two it took us to take the photo. One more time: You have to either get your ballot to a dropbox or dropoff van by 8 pm, or get it to the Post Office before they stop postmarking for the day (as in, before they close). That’s the only way to be sure it’ll count.

P.S. As usual, there will be one run of King County results, to be announced shortly after 8 pm. We’ll have local/state results when those come in.

(Photos and video by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
A presidential vote this morning at Roxhill Elementary! Above, students listen to Roxhill teacher Christopher Robert, who explained the plan in advance, via e-mail:

The 5th grade teaching team has collaborated for the past three weeks on a project in which students and some staff will finally cast their Presidential votes for either Lilly (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Julius, the Baby of the World) or Sam (the Library Mouse books). The idea originated when librarian Pat (Bliquez) read Grace for President during Library time. Both classes were learning about the upcoming election during Social Studies time, and we began to think of a way to help make the idea of the Electoral College more concrete for the students. We decided to have an election at school on Election Day.

Instead of choosing between the real presidential candidates, they chose the book characters.

Made sense for a variety of reasons, Robert continued:

Of course, this tied in perfectly with our October unit on character during Readers’ Workshop. Books were read to students either during Library time, as read alouds, or as part of a minilesson during Workshop. Students brainstormed character traits that a President should have, and then they thought and wrote about which of these Presidential character traits were possessed by Lilly and Sam. At the same time, they were each randomly assigned one of the 50 states, and during Computer time, they did some research on their state (nickname, number of Electoral College votes, interesting fact).

We were there for the start of the election proceedings, which Robert explained in advance as follows:

We will gather in the cafeteria. Patriotic music will play as students enter. After a welcome, two students will share their essays, one in support of Lilly, one in support of Sam.

(Our video of the speeches)
We will then begin the alphabetical roll call of states in which students/staff will stand at the microphone with a placard of their state and cast their electoral votes for either Sam or Lilly. We will keep track of the votes as we go along (so a little mental addition will happen). Even if one of the candidates reaches the coveted 270 votes, we will continue the roll call till we get to Wyoming. Finally, a winner will be announced. From there, the 5th graders will retire to the library for a small celebration (patriotic cupcakes). Upon their return to the classroom, students/staff will color a map of their state either yellow (Lilly) or purple (Sam) based on how they voted, and we will place these states as a map on the wall between the intermediate restrooms.

Since we weren’t there for the entire “election,” we have a message out to see which character won.

5:10 PM UPDATE: Teacher Christopher Robert replied – saying Sam the “library mouse” was Roxhill’s choice for president.

A few notes:

LAST-MINUTE VOTING? If you are mailing your ballot – get it to a post office before the last pickup. There is no late-night postmarking. And of course, the ballot-dropoff van is at West Seattle Stadium (off 35th SW just south of Avalon) till 8 pm. If you’re outside West Seattle and wondering about other dropboxes/dropoff vans – where the deadline ALSO is 8 pm, just as it was in the in-person voting era – here’s the list.

ELECTION DAY PRAYER VIGIL: St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church invites you to its vigil noon-1 pm today, 3050 California SW: “A prayer vigil for our nation, for all candidates, and for wisdom as we vote for referenda will be held at Saint John the Baptist Episcopal Church. All are welcome to come for prayer, reflection, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

SENATOR IN SOUTH PARK: No candidates are making West Seattle visits today (it’s been a pretty low-key season overall aside from the Jay Inslee sighting on Saturday) but we did just get word that Senator Maria Cantwell, who’s running for re-election (challenged by Republican Mike Baumgartner), will be in South Park for a Get Out the Vote rally at 4 pm (IAM Local 751 Hall, 9125 15th Place S.).

ELECTION NIGHT PARTIES: Our list remains as follows:
Feedback Lounge (photo above; WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW; starts 5 pm)
Skylark Café and Club (3803 Delridge Way SW)
OutWest Bar (California and Brandon; starts 4 pm)
Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW)

Still not too late for us to add to the list – editor@westseattleblog.com or, of course, comment here.

Before the results start coming in tonight, we’ll be roaming to cover Election Day scenes in West Seattle. First, we went to the Fauntleroy overpass, to check on sign-waving. Don’t know if others were there earlier, but at 8:30 am, we found one sign-waver: Chris Porter, with an Approve Referendum 74 sign.

P.S. Still haven’t sent in your ballot yet? The King County ballot-dropoff van is at West Seattle Stadium till 8 pm – no stamps necessary. Turn off 35th SW just south of Avalon.

So far, we know of Election Night parties tomorrow at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), Skylark Café and Club, and OutWest Bar. Anybody else? Or – how about Election Night specials? Pegasus Pizza on Alki is offering pizzas buy one/get one (of equal or lesser value) free on Election Night, either takeout or dine-in. Anybody else – party and/or specials? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – ASAP so we can add it to our list. (And if you haven’t already, GO VOTE!)