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UPDATE: We did great in Akron, but what happened to the rest of the country? More later... 

In Akron, Ohio, it turns out that Californians have shown up to do their level best to make sure that this election is fair--at least fair, and hopefully a winner. Tonight I sat in a small room in the back of a strip mall storefront jammed wall to wall with all kinds of lawyers, every race, age and gender, all preparing to go to polling places tomorrow, rain or shine. Of the maybe 40 who'd come to lawyer up the election, my best guess is that half of us were from Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco, including the one who was explaining it all. Dan Roth said he was originally from Akron, but is practicing now in Berkeley. This is his third back-home election trip. 

The nerve center of the operation, however, was the woman at the front desk who's fielding the calls from voters with needs. Where do I vote? Can I get a ride? Is it to late to vote by mail? And more. 

Jackie DeBose is a long time resident of South Berkeley. She and her husband, Dr. Charles DeBose, bought a house here in his hometown as he started to retire from teaching at Cal State East Bay, and they've become local movers and shakers. 

In the last week she's been working from 9 to 9 every day, with time out for church on Sundays and that's about it. Jackie was written up in the New York Times when she shepherded a carload of women of a certain age to South Carolina to vote for Hillary in the primary, and she's determined to make sure that her candidate will be the next president. 

I took a turn canvassing this lovely autumn afternoon, reminding me once again that when mid America is good it's very good indeed. My neighborhood was fifties homes on big lots with lush lawns. Of all the people I talked to, all African-Americans, only one had not yet voted--the rest had already taken advantage of the early voting option. From my angle, at least, the election is looking good.