7NEWS reporters and news editors blog throughout Election Day and into the days that follow, updating with information, events and problems during the election process.

Wednesday, 5 a.m. Ballots are still being counted in Boulder, where dust is blamed for confusing the optical scanners used to read the paper ballots. Ballots were being verified by hand, and the final totals were not expected until later Wednesday, or possibly even Thursday.

10:55 p.m.
The Associated Press reports Colorado has elected two new people in Congress. Betsy Markey (D) defeats incumbent Marilyn Musgrave (R) in District 4, Secretary of State Mike Coffman (R) has been elected to replace retiring Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) in District 6.

10:44 p.m.
Araphoe County may have to recount all of its votes. If a race is closer than a half of one percent, a recount is automatic in Colorado. 7NEWS Reporter Dayle Cedars said two races in Arapahoe County may be that close, such as District 3 Commissioner and State Senate District 26.

10:23 p.m.
Results still coming, the Associated Press is reporting Amendment 48 has been rejected. It would have defined life as beginning at conception.

Also, President Bush is planning a Rose Garden statement about the election at 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

10:03 p.m.
Barack Obama speaks to a crowd in Chicago and people around the world. "Change has come," he told a huge throng of cheering supporters. In his first speech as president-elect, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century."

9:53 p.m.
Waiting and waiting for the President-Elect to speak in Chicago. The 10 p.m. news may go on late. We're told when Sen. Obama speaks, he'll likely talk for about 15 minutes.

9:40 p.m.
President Bush has called Barack Obama to congratulate him on winning the presidency. Bush promised Obama a smooth transition to the White House. Bush told Obama, "You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life. Congratulations and go enjoy yourself."

9:32 p.m.
More Colorado races are being called by the Associated Press. Doug Lamborn (R) wins re-election in House District 5. Diane Degette (D) wins re-election in House District 1. Rep. DeGette will become Colorado's senior member of Congress. She has held her seat since 1997.

9:21 p.m.
Senator John McCain says the American people have spoken, and congratulates Obama on his victory in the presidential race.

9:11 p.m.
Vote counting resumes in El Paso County. It's not clear what caused the fire alarm to sound. Election officials and vote counters were evacuated after the alarm sounded at Centennial Hall. See 8:59 p.m. note.

9:10 p.m.
Web sites are beginning to change their headlines. Politico.com says "History Happens: Obama Wins." CNN says "Obama To Be Next President, Obama Makes History." FOX News simply says "President Obama." MSNBC's Web site says "Obama Wins." The Rocky Mountain News says "Obama Rolls To Presidential Win." The Denver Post says "Barack Obama Elected, First Black President."

9:09 p.m.
Associated Press projects Obama will win Colorado.

9:00 p.m.
The Associated Press sent a one sentence urgent: Barack Obama has been elected president of the United States, becoming the first African-American elevated to the White House.

8:59 p.m.
A fire alarm has forced the evacuation of the building where El Paso County officials are counting votes. The Gazette newspaper reported that officials were about 15 minutes away from posting their first results Tuesday night when the alarm sounded in Centennial Hall. It's not clear what caused the alarm to sound. Firefighters are responding.

8:55 p.m.
The Associated Press is calling the U.S. Senate race in Colorado for Mark Udall (D). He will replace retiring Senator Wayne Allard (R).

8:51 p.m.
Boulder County has about 40 workers hand counting ballots because of a “creasing” or a “paper dust” problem with the mail-in ballots. The dust in the creases of some folded mail ballots is keeping computer scanners from reading them properly. Now, teams of two people -- one Republican and one Democrat -- are inspecting nearly every ballot cast after it has been scanned to make sure the machine interpreted the voter's intent correctly.

8:45 p.m.
Fun facts about campaign.
Days since Obama announced his candidacy: 633
Days since McCain announced his candidacy: 559
Total number of candidates who launched White House bids: 25
Democratic presidential debates: 21
Republican presidential debates: 15
Presidential debates between Obama and McCain: 3
Contributions for Obama, as of Oct. 15: $641.5 million
Contributions for McCain (including public financing): $358 million

8:35 p.m.
Senate candidate Mark Udall is speaking at Democratic election headquarters live right now on Comcast digital channel 247.

8:30 p.m.
Weld County is reporting results for the first time this evening. So far, results show Rep. Marilyn Musgrave with 46% of the vote and challenger Betsy Markey with 53%. So far, about 64,000 votes have been counted. See Weld County results on Weld County's election results Web site.

8:20 p.m.
The Associated Press is reporting Senator Obama with 56% of the vote in Colorado to Senator McCain's 43% with 16% of the precincts reporting in Colorado. See results on the presidential race and other races in Colorado right now on our Politics Page.

8:18 p.m.

In Chicago, thousands of Barack Obama supporters are gathering in Grant Park for a huge election-night rally they hope will be a historic victory celebration. Some arrived at the park at 8 a.m., 10 hours before the gates opened. The downtown Chicago park is the same park where police fought anti-war protesters during the turbulent 1968 Democratic convention.

8:07 p.m.
Election officials had expected one last rush of voters before the polls closed, but in the end it seems the longest waiting time for voters happened in the morning. "Boy, the last hour of voting was very, very quiet. I was stunned," said Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Jack Arrowsmith.

Common Cause and another watchdog group, Election Protection, said they received about 800 calls from Colorado voters, mostly about registration questions, but nothing major was reported.

7:55 p.m.
Workers at Denver's election headquarters are calling today a "success." 7NEWS reporter Jane Slater said workers are picking up the final ballots right now from 185 polling locations across Denver. Workers have already received two waves of ballots from the polling locations throughout the day, they are waiting for the final wave.

7:51 p.m.
This election that has generated a great deal of interest in Denver's African-American community. Several voters told 7NEWS, they were thinking about their parents and grandparents as they headed to the polls. They said many of their forefathers only dreamed that they could cast a ballot for an African-American presidential candidate.

7:31 p.m.
The Associated Press reports hundreds of people are watching election results at the Democratic gathering in downtown Denver. They said the mood is festive.

7:28 p.m.
An email alert from the Rocky Mountain News says "Obama wins Colorado." There were no other details and the networks are not calling Colorado yet.

7:24 p.m.
ABC News is projecting Ohio for Senator Obama.

7:16 p.m.
Election results for Colorado are starting to come in. Denver County's Web site reports a count of 137,557 votes for President so far. Of that, Senator Obama took 75%, McCain took 23%. Watch our live coverage on Comcast Digital Channel 247 to see more results coming in right now. Jefferson County is reporting an initial 230,210 votes for President. Of those, 54% went to Senator Obama, 43% went to Senator McCain. See results right now on our Politics Page.

7:09 p.m.
Governor Bill Ritter just visited the 7NEWS room. He said it's been a long day, he started this morning in Grand Junction at 5:30 a.m.

7:03 P.M.
ABC News said it is "not yet ready to project who will the state of Colorado." ABC is calling Kansas, Wyoming, North Dakota and Georgia for Senator McCain. ABC is projecting Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin for Senator Obama. The count on ABC shows Obama needs 96 electoral votes to win the presidency. ABC projects Tom Udall wins his seat in New Mexico, but there is no call on his first cousin, Colorado's Mark Udall.

6:55 p.m.
There are reports at Democratic Headquarters that the networks may call the U.S. Senate race in Colorado soon after the polls close at 7 p.m.

6:50 p.m.
Colorado Republicans are starting to gather at their headquarters for the evening, the Marriott Hotel in the Tech Center. 7NEWS reporter Lane Lyon said the crowd is optimistic and has been very attentive to the first results.

Party Chair Dick Wadhams told Lane he saw a shift among undecided voters in recent days to Republican candidates and he believes those voters will determine the election.

6:39 p.m.

How's the election going? "The day went incredibly smooth," according to Richard Coolidge, spokesman for the Secretary of State's office. Coolidge told 7NEWS, everything is going great and minor issues were quickly addressed.

6:26 p.m.
Did you hear the sirens during Jaclyn Allen's live shot on 7NEWS? Jaclyn said it was just a fire truck driving by. She said it was ironic because it has been so quiet at her location.

Jaclyn is at Mile High Station at 2027 West Colfax Avenue. She said the big story there is the low turnout. One poll watcher said some voters were having trouble finding the right location. Some thought it was Mile High Stadium or the nearby R.T.D. station. Some volunteers created homemade signs and put them up around the area to point people in the right direction. (Mile High Station is under the Coflax Avenue viaduct.)

6:25 p.m.
7NEWS reporter Dayle Cedars is at Heritage Christian Center. She reports no lines there. 5 precincts for Arapahoe County vote at the center. Election officials believe the lack of crowds is because so many people used early voting and mail-in ballots.

6:20pm
The Chairman of the McCain campaign in Colorado told Call 7 Investigator Tony Kovaleski they are doing well right now in Larimer, Weld, Pueblo and Mesa counties. He told Tony McCain needs to meet or exceed Bush's standard from 2004 in Douglas and El Paso counties.

Republicans sources say they are not paying a lot of attention to exit polling because it leans towards the Democrats, they cited the examples of Kerry in 2004 and Gore in 2000.

6:01 p.m.
Lots of states being called at this hour. The Associated Press reports Obama wins Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey. ABC News is projecting Obama wins Pennsylvania. The Associated Press reports McCain wins Oklahoma and Tennessee.

6 p.m.
Arapahoe County is reporting short wait times at its polling sites. The Clerk said it was thanks to the thousands of Arapahoe County voters who choose to vote by mail and participate in early voting. Arapahoe Countys Clerk and Recorder Nancy Doty said, To help keep lines short, the County deployed 1,300 voting machines to more than 200 polling sites compared to 1,100 machines in 2004. Doty said she estimates it will be sometime tomorrow morning or mid-day before all mail-in ballots are counted.

5:55 p.m.
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Poll showed Obama edged out John McCain by only one percentage point. Nearly 5,000 customers at Krispy Kreme locations across the country could choose red sprinkled doughnuts for a Republican vote or blue sprinkled doughnuts for a Democratic vote. The election poll started October 20, it ended Election day.

5:30 p.m.
7NEWS reporter Jane Slater at Manual High School in Denver reports no lines at her location. Voters are telling her they have gotten in and out quickly and it was a pleasurable experience. Some have complained that they had to fill out a provisional ballot at that location because they were in the wrong location and were given a provisional ballot instead of being told the correct location to go to.

5 p.m.
A group in Weld County is complaining that the county did not print voting instructions in Spanish. The county is 27% Spanish speakers. Community members and a community based nonprofit called the Colorado Progressive Coalition demonstrated this afternoon up and down 8th Avenue to highlight the problem and mobilize community members to demand immediate solutions.

4:02 p.m.

In a statement, the Colorado Republican Party's chair says he's concerned about a potential plan orchestrated to intimidate voters at voting locations including at saint Charles Recreation Center in Denver

He alleges Obama's campaign and other democratic causes have organized poll watching efforts so that as many as 12 poll watchers are in one place.

He said such a large presence could intimidate voters.

Poll supervisor Anita Bunch told 7NEWS, "I think the issue was he was the only Republican and he didn’t like it because he said he was having to do the work of nine." Rich Harris, a volunteer attorney for the Colorado Republican Party countered, "I think legally it's a matter of are people who are showing up being pressured to vote a certain way --- how they’re being treated." Poll watchers are charged with observing the election, and keeping an eye out for any problems.

3:52 p.m.

Catherine in Denver reports: I dropped off my ballot at the drive through voting location on Mexico Ave. about 12 days ago. At that time, they gave me a string of 4 "I Voted" stickers. I decided to wear them all today right next to my Obama button. Here at the DU campus, many of the restaurants are giving free goodies if you walk in with your sticker on. Anyway, while walking on the street and when I went to the Post Office today at lunch, I have had at least 6 people stop me with anger in their eyes and voice and ask "You voted four times?" At first, I defended myself and told them simply that, "No, of course not, I was given four stickers" -- but then I changed my tune and said "Of course I did!" and kept walking. I got some very unfavorable looks. If you count my vote for President, Senator, and various other ballot issues I actually did vote several times.

2:39 p.m.

Jim in Commerce City reports: I had no problem voting at my polling place in Commerce City today, in fact it was a very pleasant experience. I never had a single person in front of me (nor anyone behind me) during the entire process. I was in and out of there within 6 minutes!!! It was very well organized, the volunteers were knowledgeable and the "electronic" voting machines were easy to read and use.

I'm sorry to hear that other people are running into issues but a very glad to hear that they are sticking it out and keeping in mind why they are there and that it's worth the wait.

2:15 p.m.

Corinne in Westminster reports: I arrived at my polling place at 6:43 a.m., thinking that there could be a huge line. I was the seventh person in line. Volunteers offered sample ballots for voters to review while waiting for the polls to open. The polls opened promptly at 7 a.m. I was pleasantly surprised to see how efficient everything was run. The head Election official said that the majority of the staff had already worked together during early voting. Electronic voting machines are used at this location and I was pleased at how well mine worked. There was a election staff member at the entrance giving mini tutorials on how the voting machines worked, while you waited to check in with the election staff and move to the next station. From the time the polls opened at 7 a.m. and I returned to my car after voting, it took all of 15 minutes. I think it took me longer to vote and verify my selections, than it did to stand in line or check in, combined. The ballot is a bit lengthy. Nevertheless, I am glad I voted. I am wearing my "I voted" sticker proudly today.

1:18 p.m.

Jennifer in Windsor reports: Just wanted to pass along that I got done voting about an hour and a half ago in Windsor...there are two places to vote in Windsor - the Rec Center and Tozer Elementary School. Before I went to work this morning, I stopped at the Rec Center and was told there was an hour or so long wait, which I couldn't do...so at lunch I swung by the Rec Center again..still totally packed!!!! I then went over to Tozer Elementary - NO LINES AT ALL!!!! It was a very enjoyable experience and I was in and out in about 10 minutes.

1:06 p.m.

A 7NEWS viewer received a text message on her cell phone that said, "Due to long lines today, all Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday. Thank you. Please forward this for maximum effectiveness." Federal authorities are reviewing the matter. The cell phone text message mimics one on a flyer in Virginia that was distributed last week and that is also under investigation.

1:03 p.m.

From a 7NEWS viewer: My husband and I took our two kids with us to the polls this morning at 7.30. We live in Ft. Lupton and the lines were very long and got longer as we stood in line. We spent about five minutes voting, and about an hour and change in the lines. I was pleased to see a few others with kids in tow, but saddened that more parents did not take their kids to the polls with them. Our children have been very active in watching this election cycle and although we have taken them to the polls with us every election, this is the first time they were both very excited to watch and ask questions of the process (they are 11 and 8). Our overwhelming reaction to voting here in Ft. Lupton is confused frustration. For the past four elections, the county has chosen to change voting locations three times…each time making voters wait in long lines in confusing and cramped queue lines. This morning voters in line blocked the doors to many offices in the county building, and the queue line wrapped around in and out of the building in a nonsensical fashion. This is not the first time voters have been left to stand out in the cold in ridiculous lines. There was substantially less parking available than voters, and many people had to park on a street not adequate for street parking, and the polling location was on the extreme eastern outskirts of town, in the opposite direction from the majority of the population. There was completely inadequate signage directing voters to the end of the line, and many doors at the main entrance of the building were locked. We saw several people trying to enter through the locked doors, searching all over for directions on where to go. The polling assistants were not assisting voters in finding their way, either. Each year we make our opinions known to the voting clerk about the impractical manner in which polling lines and places are laid out, and it seems that instead of trying to remedy the problem they choose yet a more ridiculous place to use as a polling place. There should be at least two polling places in town to support our population. The tri-town area of Frederick/Dacono/Firestone has three polling places. I am repeatedly left to wonder if our low-income status and high Hispanic population is to blame. In 18 years as a voting citizen I have never been subjected to such substandard polling places. I saw many people wandering around in the press of people and confusion seeking where to drop off their mail-in ballots as well.

12:36 p.m.

E-mail from vote: Hello! I declined to register for mail in ballot because I enjoy the actual process of voting at the poll booth. This being said, I may not make this same choice in the future because I feel the privacy is gone from the balloting process. I voted at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds ... line moved quickly ... workers were friendly and efficient ... took my ballot and voted. Then the surprise, I had to take the ballot to a woman who tore off the top portion of the ballot and then I had to hand feed the 2 pages of ballot into the machine a page at a time. During the process of putting the ballot in the machine, both the worker and the 2 people standing close behind me could quickly see who I voted for ... the Presidential was easiest to see since it is the first thing on the ballot. I also observed others in line peeking at the ballot in front of them. Probably not a big issue, but, on principle, a person's vote is supposed to be private and this sure was not. Interesting! Lara

12:30 p.m.

Sen. John McCain is speaking at an airport rally in Grand Junction, Colo. His speech ended at 12:52 p.m.

12:04 p.m.

A voter at Highlands Ranch Eastridge location reports, "From the time I parked my car until I was back in my car was 15 minutes, at 8 a.m. this morning."

12:00 p.m.

About 15 protesters showed up in downtown Greeley. Weld County Clerk and Recorder Steve Moreno said he's received no voter complaints. He said the county is not required to print instructions in Spanish, but translators are posted at some polling places and others are available, if needed.

11:20 a.m.

Douglas County Clerk and Recorder's office reports 6,000 voted between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Lunchtime and 5 - 7 p.m. will be the busiest times.

11:12 a.m.

"So far, so good," Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said during a live interview on 7NEWS At 11 A.M. "This is going to be a historic election that people will talk to their children and their children's children about," he said. He encouraged everyone to get out and vote.

11 a.m.

In Weld County, voting instructions were not printed in Spanish and a group called Colorado Progressive Coalition plans to demonstrate their displeasure in downtown Greeley this afternoon, starting at noon. They say 27 percent of the voters in Weld County are Latino and speak Spanish. "Thousands of Spanish speaking voters could go without translation, experiencing delays in receiving translation assistance, and ultimately, may not be able to vote today," they said in a news release.

9:45 a.m.

Voters at several polling locations in Fort Collins say they've had no trouble casting their ballots, according to the Coloradoan.

9:30 a.m.

In Boulder, 10 voting booths were empty at Fairview High School, the Daily Camera reported. Poll watchers said many people voted early.

8:45 a.m. CDOT is pulling "thousands" of political signs from public roads, including near Kipling Street and Wadsworth Boulevard and along Federal Boulevard and Pecos Street, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

8:35 a.m.

Things were smooth in the early going Tuesday, said Rich Coolidge, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office.

"There were some lines. We were expecting those as people hit the early rush times, but it sounds like those have dissipated," he said.

8:27 a.m.

Reminder: Starbucks is giving out free coffee to anyone with an "I Voted" sticker. That's making some people who voted by mail mad, because they didn't get an "I Voted" sticker. Jefferson County including the stickers in their mail-in ballots, however. One of our producers said a Starbucks close to Channel 7 was giving out the free coffee to anyone who said they voted, regardless of whether they had a sticker.

8:30 a.m.

A report from a voter at Christ Community Church, near Hampden and Tamarac. Election judges are missing all registered voter names F through U. The voter has been been trying to vote since 7:15 a.m. Election workers were on the phone, trying to figure it out. The book arrived around 8:30 a.m.

8:10 a.m.

Voters reporting problems at Church of the Risen Christ at Monaco Boulevard and Yale Avenue. Privacy sleeves haven't been delivered. They are used when voters request them. The sleeves were later driven to the polling place by an election worker.

7:10 a.m.

Voters in Colorado Springs are reporting it took them from 10 to 30 minutes to vote, according to the Gazette newspaper.

7 a.m.

The polls are officially open in Colorado. Nearly 1.6 million out of 3.2 million Colorado voters have already cast early ballots. More than 100 voters were in line at 7 a.m. at a polling place on Chambers Rd., near Interstate 70.