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| January 2009 |
Just over half of the District's 483,600 registered voters participated in the 2012 election. On the DC ballot were races for President of the United States, U.S. Congressional Delegate, Council of the District of Columbia, ANC, U.S. Shadow Representative and Senator, State Board of Education as well as three charter Amendments.
Mount Pleasant precincts (39 + 40) mirrored the District at large. Barack Obama received 91.8% of the Mount Pleasant vote (4,758 votes), Mitt Romney 4.9% (253), Jill Stein 2.2% (116) and Gary Johnson 0.8% (43). There were 14 write-ins in Mount Pleasant.
Now as the rest of the nation is relieved of Election Fever for at least two years, DC begins preparing for Inauguration. This will be my third Inauguration as a resident. I never leave town. I love it. Regardless of party, I enjoy the spectacle and hey, it's been been happening --with varying degrees of spectacle of course-- since 1789.
Inauguration is scheduled for January 21, a day later than usual. The Constitutionally-prescribed first day of the Presidency is January 20th, which is a Sunday. The President will officially be sworn into power on that date, but the public ceremony will wait until Monday. Viewing platforms are already being constructed at the Capitol Building. Other plans are being finalized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend upon the District in two months. So weird this happens every four years, no matter what. Pretty cool, too.
