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From inside Senator Barack Obama’s campaign plane to the polls in key battleground states, ESSENCE.com is on the front lines of this most historic and pivotal election.
Late tomorrow night, or early Wednesday morning, Americans could find out who the next president will be. It’s been a long haul for us all and we are ready to move on. Whether we choose Obama, the inspirational African-American senator from Illinois or Senator John McCain, the heroic ex-marine from Arizona, both men proffer that they can successfully address the daunting laundry list of issues the country faces.
ESSENCE does not endorse candidates, but we have sat down with both senators. Our 8.5 million readers have received extensive coverage of this election, from basic stories about voting to exclusive profiles and interviews. And we are far from finished. Starting today, ESSENCE.com will be reporting from key battleground states all the while blogging continuously and offering snap polls, extensive photo galleries and comprehensive video. Through our ESSENCE.com community we offer our users the opportunity to upload their personal stories about their voting experiences and what this election means to them and their families.
Tatsha Robertson, our deputy editor for news and a veteran journalist, will be in North Carolina, Florida and Virginia, with the traveling press following Sen. Obama. Cynthia Gordy, our intrepid news editor, will be in Indiana, where, even before Election Day, voting has already been a contentious issue. Republican members on Indiana’s Lake County Election Board ruled against the opening of early voting sites in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago-all cities with large African-American populations-leaving local activists and attorneys to fight for more centers to be opened. Stationed in Gary, Gordy will report on the final day of early voting, talking to everyday citizens and politicians about their battle against what some see as blatant voter suppression. On Election Day, we will have a reporter stationed at McCain’s headquarters, and we will have correspondents dispatched across the country. Meanwhile, Robertson, Gordy and our crew from ESSENCE TV will cover Election Day in Chicago-attending important political parties and recording Obama’s rally in Grant Park.
So stay with ESSENCE.com as we provide up-to-the-minute coverage and expert analysis.