It's half past noon in California. The early exit polls show Kerry ahead in all the battleground states except Iowa, where he is tied. The early exit polls in semi-battlegrounds of Colorado and Arizona favor Bush.

Ohio is turning out to be as down and dirty as predicted. A late ruling by a GOPer appointed federal judge this morning permits GOPer challengers to be in polling places, and reports of intimidation are already coming in. Also a number of voters who didn't receive their absentee ballots showed up at polling places and were denied ballots or provisional ballots. But just now a federal judge has ruled that they must be given provisional ballots, under federal election law. Provisional ballots will be checked for eligibility and counted but not for 11 days.

I voted a few minutes ago at the Sunset School in Arcata. Its educational to vote in a school, passing kids at desks, waiting for yellow school buses pulling up at the entrance, playing in the playground, their art decorating the hall outside the polling place. We're voting for their future.

There weren't any lines at my polling place but workers say lots of people have voted. Nationally, the traditional heavier Democratic voters will start going to the polls, starting right about now in the East. It's not the reliable rule it used to be, but Democrats often vote after work. So the 3:30 shift is coming to an end. And if this holds up, the early exit polls look especially interesting.