Fresh Loaf

After countless candidate forums, weird commercials with ACTUAL CRIMES and even some debate about race and closeted Republicans, Election Day has finally arrived. And if you haven’t already cast your ballot for the city’s next mayor and other elected posts, be sure to get out and do so.

Polls are already open and will close at 8 p.m. You can find your polling place here. Here’s a PDF that lists all polling precincts and locations. Here are sample City of Atlanta ballots. (If you encounter any monkey business at the polls, let us know.)

Should you still be on the fence about who deserves your vote, check out CL’s endorsements for mayor, city council president and the open at-large council posts. Still undecided about your district rep? Take a look at candidates’ responses to CL’s questionnaire. And here’s the League of Women Voters election guide.

CL Staff Event Planner Scott Henry has a list of the campaign parties where you can eat free food, hobnob with politicos, and tell the next mayor to shut down the crack house on your street. Or you can just go to Manuel’s.

We’ll be providing election results coverage tonight. Look for fireworks, flame wars and sock puppets posting links to anonymous websites. Just kidding, we’ll moderate those fools out of existence.

Low turnout is expected, which means your decision could help make or break many of these contests. So get out there and help determine who’ll lead Atlanta out of its mess. We’ll have more throughout the day.

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Depending on how these races turnout, they could either be celebrations or a wake. Roll the dice and decide which you’d like to attend.

• U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and most of the state’s Republican usual suspects will hold court at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead, the same place the incumbent Republican partied at on Nov. 4. Cash bar and what looked like good food were at that shindig. Believe it or not, there was hummus. The public’s invited and doors open at 7 p.m.

• The Democrats, including Chambliss’ Democratic opponent Jim Martin and Georgia Public Service Commission candidate Jim Powell, will be at Park Tavern. Doors open at 7 p.m. and it’s also open to the public.

• Manuel’s will undoubtedly be serving beer and wings. If this turns out to be the night Republicans Strike Back, you’ll want to be among friends.

If you know of any others, leave ‘em in the comments.

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Behold, Buckhead! On Election Night, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss hosted his campaign party at the Intercontinental Hotel in the posh enclave in North Atlanta. When not shaking hands or buying more drink tickets for the cash bar, party guests monitored election results on screens placed around the ballroom. Notables included U.S. Reps. Lynn “Uppity” Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey, state lawmakers, and even DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones.

To view more photos of the night — and see how the state’s most well-connected Republicans looked when John McCain conceded to Barack Obama — check out the Sideshow.

(Photo by Thomas Wheatley)

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James from ArcOfTime popped my Obama bubble in a previous post’s comments and reminded me that there are indeed parties planned in the metro Atlanta area to watch John McCain speak at the Republican National Convention.

Click here to see all the McCain events within a 100-mile radius of CL’s Communist stronghold. (I tried 25 miles first, but that zone was blue as blue as can be. Y’all deserve options!)

And as a sidenote to James’ comment that there are only five Republican Fresh Loaf readers — please, my right-leaning friends, do not be afraid to speak up. Criticize us, malign our views, insult our intelligence(s). But remember: At the end of the day, we can do more together than we can apart. Vaya con Dios, pachyderms!

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If you’re supporting Barack Obama for the highest office in the land, you’re not lacking options for where you can imbibe and black out during perhaps the most significant political event in our time.

According to the candidate’s website, there are 164 registered “convention watch” parties within 30 miles of Atlanta. To peruse the listings, click here.

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Who here likes to party? I can’t hear you, Myrtle Beach! I said, Who here likes to PARTY?!?

Eh. Scott’s right. It may be difficult to get amped about these runoffs, but it’s really important you vote. And after you do that, it’s important you celebrate.

And tonight’s campaign parties for the U.S. Senate Democratic runoff are sure to have all the hallmarks of a classic political fete — awkward toasts, inappropriate drunks, and a guaranteed mediocre cover version of “Don’t Stop.” Or at least some finger food upon which ye can munch. Both campaign’s parties are open to the public and sure to be interesting.

Details are as follows:

• Vernon Jones: 7 p.m. The Vernon Jones for U.S. Senate Campaign Headquarters, 3230 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30305.

• Jim Martin: 7 p.m. Park Tavern, Piedmont Room, 10th Street and Monroe Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Don’t tell ‘em we sent ya, because then they’ll probably charge us for the damages. If you’re not itching to attend one of the above shindigs, good times are sure to be had by all at Manuel’s Tavern beginning around 7 p.m. If you know of any other gatherings, add ‘em in the comments.

Enjoy!

(Photo courtesy of repmanblog.com)

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