My digital camera picked a very excellent day to die its last. Just as I snapped a photo of a very long line outside Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary School in Cheverly, Md.—-one of two very long lines, in fact—-my camera’s power button decided to go on the fritz. So, to get an idea of what was happening, looking at any Web site covering the election. It’ll show a long line. What I saw was a lot like that. A poll worker at the school told me that my precinct has more that 1,700 registered voters; about 500 of them had already voted by 10 a.m.

At any rate, the Gazette does a nice job covering the chatter in those lines, particularly the second-most-interesting choice in Maryland, the proposed amendment to allow slot machines in the state. This is a matter best pondered in a folding chair while eating cereal. Just ask Charles Glasgow of Adelphi:

Charles Glasgow of Adelphi said he always votes, but he was especially looking forward to voting for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“I’m very excited,” Glasgow said.

Glasgow waited in line early this morning sitting in a folding chair, eating cereal. He was prepared for the wait due to media reports about high expected turnout. In previous elections, he has voted without a wait.

Glasgow said he planned to vote against the slots proposal.

“Nobody’s going to benefit from it, except the people that own the machines,” Glasgow said.