I've asked y'all to participate in my blogging today on twitter and with your photos. Thanks to those who have messaged me already! Here's the first election day photo I received, from J.J. Emerson. His notes about his photo are below the shot. And a note to you out there -- email me your photo to elisehu@gmail.com, and please write a caption and any extra info that you'd like.

From JJ:

I sent out my absentee ballot request from Taiwan on October the 4th. I was told that it would take 10 days to get there and I guessed it would also take 10 days to get back. I'm especially determined to send in my ballot after living in Taiwan, where democracy is both relatively recent and less convenient.

Most people here are simply amazed that you need only put a ballot in the mail to cast your vote. In Taiwan, you can only vote in person. Many Taiwanese living abroad make the multi-day, $1,000+ pilgrimage back home to cast their ballots, and I simply wouldn't miss this chance to vote. After getting anxious, I faxed in write-in absentee ballot, and continued to wait for the real thing.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I called my election office in Texas and got the happy news that they shipped the ballot in the middle of October, as it turn out, on my birthday. It was the very next day that the ballot actually arrived, 20 days after my request. I was then able to go to the Taipei FedEx station and used their free service "Express Your Vote" to send my ballot 2nd day express air. Sure enough, my ballot arrived 1 day after I shipped it. When voting is made this easy, we simply must vote. It isn't that easy for everyone, even when they have the opportunity.

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