Finally, it's our turn. We watched patiently for weeks as other states had their say, wondering if Wisconsin would still be relevant. And we are -- in a big way. Check back here for the latest news, scenes and interviews on Election Day. See something you think ought to be included? Let us know by calling 252-6120 or e-mail us at wsjcity@madison.com.

6:00 p.m. (Middleton Wards 1-4, 9, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, 7450 University Ave.) John Doll, 57, of Middleton, voted for Hillary Clinton -- but not because he supports her. "I voted for Hillary because she doesn't have a prayer against my guy," said the mortgage company owner who backs John McCain. Because Wisconsin has an open primary, voters do not need to register for a party before casting their ballot. Mark Jefferson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said such crossover votes aren't common -- and weren't all necessarily going to Clinton. "They're on both sides of the (race) so I don't think Republicans are going to play a big factor in the Democratic race," Jefferson said.

Complaints prompt quick intervention

5:20 p.m. State officials stepped in after poll workers at two Dane County polling locations incorrectly asked voters to show their driver's licenses before allowing them to register. Nat Robinson, administrator of the Elections Division of the state Government Accountability Board, said voters at a Verona polling place and at least one other polling place in the county complained. Robinson said he was not aware of any voters who were actually prevented from casting their ballots. In Wisconsin, voters registering at the polls must give their driver's license number if they have one but do not have to produce the actual license. If they don't have a license, they can use a state-issued identification card or the last four digits of their Social Security Number. -- Jason Stein

Madison's most undecided corner

5:00 p.m. Perhaps the intersection at West Johnson Street and North Park Street is still undecided. Because this morning, at around 9 a.m., supporters of Barack Obama stood at the spot with signs saying "Badgers for Barack." But by around 5 p.m., they were replaced by supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton, holding signs touting their candidate. -- Deborah Ziff

Shhh... don't tell my partner, but I voted for Barack

4:30 p.m., (Middleton Wards 1-4, 9, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, 7450 University Ave.) Before Mike Ferguson and Victoria Yracheta would share who they voted for, they insisted on being out of earshot of one another. And although the longtime partners came to the polls together, they won't divulge to each other the name they actually marked on their ballots. "We don't want to sway each other's votes," Ferguson said, adding sheepishly that their votes probably cancel each other out half the time. But they were happy to tell a reporter their preference. Don't tell, but they both voted for Barack Obama. -- Deborah Ziff

Icy conditions threaten access

3:17 p.m. Today's icy conditions are making it difficult for some people with disabilities to vote. "I'm not able to get there," said Annie White Croford, who has severe arthritis and emphysema. "I sure would like my vote to count." Croford, who lives on the West Side, said she has trouble getting up and down stairs. She drives, but not in this weather. "I'm scared if I get out there I'll fall," she said. "There's so much snow and ice." The sidewalks outside of Gordon Commons, a polling place for UW-Madison students, were particularly slick, said Adam Young, chief inspector. "I can't imagine a student in a wheelchair getting here on this snow and ice," he said. UW-Madison has a snow removal service on campus, in which physical plant employees clear sidewalks on request. Madison officials said they would be visiting all polling places today in the city to monitor the level of accessibility for people with disabilities. -- Deborah Ziff

Sweetening the pot

1:30 p.m., District 18 (Madison ward 24, Lindbergh Elementary, 4500 Kennedy Road): Before voters reach the polls here, they have sweet decisions to make. The school's PTA is having a bake sale. Besides Democrat or Republican, voters may choose chocolate or peanut butter, muffin or bar, cocoa or apple cider. By 1:30, the seven-layer bars were gone. "That's what I had for breakfast," said PTA volunteer and election official Dena Peterson. Peterson said the PTA uses the Election Day bake sale money for the fifth-grade graduation picnic. She hadn't counted the money yet, but she's expecting to do well because of the large number of voters today. -- Amy Knapp

Yeah, but we're tough

Wisconsin is one of three states holding primary elections today and our weather conditions are by far the most challenging. The temperature was 2-below zero with sunny skies and snow-covered streets when the polls opened at 7 a.m. In Honolulu, Hawaii, polls open today with a chance of rain and temperatures in the upper 60s with a predicted high of 79 degrees. In Olympia, Wash., it was 32 degrees when the polls opened with a predicted high of 51 degrees. -- Barry Adams

Weather cited for low early turnout

Lots of new voters

10:45 a.m., District 13 (Madison ward 52, Romnes Apartments, 540 W. Olin Ave.): Poll workers said they were surprised by the large morning turnout. Close to 350 people had voted before 11 a.m., including many who registered on the spot at the polling place. "We've had a lot of new voters," said a poll worker, pointing to two clipboards listing the names of new registrants. -- Gayle Worland

10 a.m., District 8 (Madison ward 45, Gordon Commons, 717 W. Johnson St.): Gordon Commons will see a lot of first-time voters pass through its doors today. That's because the polling place serves only Witte and Sellery halls, home mostly to UW-Madison freshman. Conor McDonough, 18, from New Canaan, Conn., marked his first vote ever at around 10 a.m. for Sen. Barack Obama. (He said it was "simpler" than expected.) He said he comes from a Republican family and, had he been able to vote, would have for President Bush in 2004. But he was inspired by Obama's stance on the war and his pragmatism. He even convinced his mother to campaign and vote for Obama in New Hampshire, transforming her into what the Obama campaign is calling "Obamacans," Republicans who have turned party for him. -- Deborah Ziff

Visiting with neighbors

10 a.m., District 10 (Madison ward 67, Theoreau Elementary School, 3870 Nakoma Road): About 340 people had voted by 10 a.m. in the Near West Side ward. That would translate to a turnout of 60 percent to 70 percent if volume remained steady, Inspector James Firmiss said. Poll worker Jim Moser said working the voting machines was a great way to see neighbors, but the job itself is uneventful. "They all pretty much know the routine," he said of voters. -- Patricia Simms

Sliding, and striding, into the polls

9:35 a.m., Fitchburg Community Center: Voter No. 444 walked into the community center, unfurling the tartan wool scarf from her neck, stomping her rubber-booted feet, content that the most dangerous decision had been made already: whether to start braking the car one block or two blocks from the entrance off icy Lacy Road. Compared to that, the choice of candidates for president was probably a breeze. She greeted the poll workers as the old friends they are, smiled, took her number, holding the paper in one hand and her scarf in the other. It took only a few seconds to make her mark, longer to wrap her scarf carefully around her head, and, still chatting, stuffing the fringed ends carefully into her coat. -- George Hesselberg

Lost and found

9 a.m., Blue Mounds Town Hall, near Little Norway: By this time of day, 53 residents had navigated roads resembling snow tunnels to vote at the town hall. There, the talk was of the town's successful system of reuniting stray animals with their owners. Town Clerk Helen Kahl sends out an e-mail alert when animals are lost or found. Last Friday morning, school bus driver Julie Garfoot spotted two injured dogs along Highway ID as she was heading out on her morning run and remembered the e-mail. Owner Ernie Gilbertson, former West High football coach and teacher, reports that his dogs appear to have been injured in a fight with a coyote, but are now on the mend. Clerk Kahl says the system works: "So far, we've had a 100 percent success rate." -- Susan Lampert Smith

Remember: Only pick one

9 a.m., District 16 (Madison Ward 2, Lake City Church, 4909 E. Buckeye Road). About 170 people had voted so far in the church basement. About a dozen people were in line when the machine that counts the ballots balked at one man's choices. A poll worker noticed that the machine wouldn't take the ballot and quickly guessed the problem. He'd voted for presidential candidates from both parties, which isn't allowed. Following instructions from the poll worker, the voter tore his ballot in two, went to the head of the line and got a fresh ballot, then voted again -- this time making a choice between Republicans and Democrats. -- Steve Verburg

Who's that waiting outside?

9 a.m., District 6 (Ward 35, Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, 953 Jenifer St.): Chelsea Clinton doesn't seem like the kind of person usually kept waiting. But wait she did -- and outside, no less -- while Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and her husband, Peter Bock, voted. The couple was driving the former first daughter to UW-Oshkosh for a speaking engagement later today. Clinton waited outside because it might have been seen as electioneering, said Dick Wagner, a poll worker and former Dane County Board chairman. It was a short visit. She was scheduled to be there at 8:30 a.m. and was gone by 9. -- Deborah Ziff

Training a young voter

8:50 a.m., District 9 (Madison wards 82, 101, 127, 132 and 141, Alicia Ashman Branch Library, 733 N. High Point Road): The first voter arrived at the Far West Side library at 6:45 a.m., with about 30 people in line by the time the polls opened at 7 a.m., said Duane Steinhauer, chief inspector at the polling place. By 8:50 a.m., 215 people had voted and 25 people had registered -- including Sam and Natalie Koblenski, who were accompanied by their 11 month-old daughter, Lilly. "She's got to learn early," Natalie Koblenski said. "I thought it would be busier." Steinhauer expects a steady day of voting but, because the ballot only has the presidential race, voters are in and out rather quickly. "It seems like a pretty normal day," Steinhauer said. "We hope nobody has to wait too long." -- Barry Adams

Lining up at 6:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m., District 1 (Madison Wards 95, 96 and 137, Falk Elementary School, 6323 Woodington Way): A warm school awaited residents who lined up outside Falk Elementary by 6:30 a.m. to vote this morning. But people waiting to vote before polls open on Election Day is "not uncommon at all" at the West Side elementary school, said Isabel Hubbard, who's been a poll worker for more than six years. "They'll be here in droves," Hubbard said of the Falk voting location. "Even though it's cold, that won't make a difference." -- Gena Kittner

Bitter cold, eager voters

8 a.m., District 11 (Madison wards 70 and 71, Hoyt School, 3802 Regent St.): Election day dawned bitterly cold. It was negative 5 at around 8 a.m. (felt like -19, with windchill), but that didn't stop voters from eagerly waiting in line for the polls to open at Hoyt School. Poll worker Karen Tuffli said there was a line of about 75 or 80 people at 7 a.m. when the doors opened, and one woman arrived at 6:15 a.m., determined to be the first to vote. Tuffli, who has worked the polls for 25 years, said she doesn't think the frigid weather will deter voters. "It seems not to be bothering people," she said. "I have seen people come in on crutches, on canes, with little babies. People feel very compelled to vote." -- Deborah Ziff

Jammed tabulator on first day

7:15 a.m., District 13 (Madison ward 50, St. James Catholic School, 1204 St. James Court): The first 15 minutes of Lanier White's first time as chief inspector at a polling place went smoothly. During that time, about 50 people had already voted at the Near West Side school. Then the tabulator jammed. That's the piece of equipment voters slide their completed ballots into to be counted. "We temporarily had to put the ballots into the emergency slot," said White, 51. With help from the city clerk's office, the tabulator was fixed within 45 minutes. Meanwhile, a steady stream of voters continued casting their ballots -- and shopping for bakery at the school's sale. -- Sandy Kallio