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Election Day 2008 was historic on many levels.  Not only did the country elect its first Black President, voter turn out was at an all time high.  In Prince George’s County, Maryland for example, voters waited in record setting lines for hours.  Not even a constant down poor of rain could deter voters. 

The lines were at their longest just before polls opened a 7 in the morning.  But voters continued to show up in large numbers to support their candidates.  In Prince Georges County more than 146,000 people had already cast their vote before 11 in the morning.  By three in the afternoon, the number had climbed to 255,000.  By the end of the day, Prince Georges County witnessed a 51 percent voter turnout. 

More than 55 percent of the precinct voting at the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department had cast their ballots by four in the afternoon.  The final numbers were 20 percent higher than last election season.

“It was an early morning, and it'll be a long day,” said poll site election chief, Tara Coyne.

It was not just Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain that brought people out of the woodwork in Maryland; slot machines played a big part as well.  A referendum that would legalize slot machines in the state of Maryland was on the ballot.

Maryland has toyed with the idea of introducing legal slot machines for many years now.  This election year if finally happened.  Slot machines were legalized in Maryland in hopes of creating additional revenues in state coffers designated for improving grade schools.

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