I played the closing set at Chillits this past weekend, starting around 11:15 on Sunday morning. Since this was the end of the event, I decided to expand a bit beyond the usual chillitude expected of Chillits DJs: I played political music, with guitars and even some yelling in places. But of course I tried to make it fun, or at least enjoyable.

I'm not sure if it was successfully recorded -- I'll update this article if it was -- but a couple people have asked for a track listing, and for once I'm able to supply one.

'Dismayed by the system they helped to create, some veteran political strategists are out to subvert it -- and create a better choice for 2008.'

'One of the many things that differentiate Unity08 from earlier third-party movements is that its founders aren't putting forward their own candidate. What they have in mind might instead best be thought of as the "Field of Dreams" model: build a mechanism whereby qualified individuals of insufficient partisanship to win the Republican or Democratic nomination gain a legitimate shot at the White House, and trust that the best candidates will come.'

I've only started hearing about this project in the past 12 hours, so I don't have a firm opinion yet...but at first glance, it sure does sound interesting. (Both quotes are from this Atlantic article.)

I was a poll worker for the first time this election, in San Mateo County, and while I don't know the final numbers, the more experienced poll workers all said this was the highest turnout they'd seen since 2004.

There was a lot of fear of the single electronic voting machine, even though the county uses something called E-Slate instead of the Diebolds everyone's been hearing about...and many complaints about the length of the ballot, and the lack of information about incumbent judges...and I was surprised at the number of requests for partisan literature (can you imagine?)

I'd strongly encourage everyone to become a poll worker. Part of being an informed voter is understanding how everyone's vote will be counted. You won't get that from the Secretary of State's press releases or even gootubed Schoolhouse Rock videos, and you sure as hell won't get it by harassing people over the phone in the name of your favorite candidate (however important that may seem at the time.)

The real elections process, the part that actually matters on Wednesday, is that real people cast real ballots for the candidates or issues they'd intended. The process, however cumbersome and broken, can run smoothly -- and in my precinct, it did. Take a vacation day -- you can spare one -- and help your neighbors vote.