Ludacris brought 18-year-old Eddie White to a polling station in St. Louis. It was White's first time voting, and he showed a strong grasp of just how much is at stake in this election. Eddie said he's concerned about health care, since he's no longer covered by his mother's insurance, and he also said that "the next four years determine where our country goes." His comments and attitude earned him no faint praise from Luda: "You're making me proud," the MC said, shaking Eddie's hand.
Read more...

By Larry Carroll

Typically, most people have to wait until their birthdays to run the free-treat gamut from Denny's to Cold Stone to Steak 'n Shake. But this is an election year — in fact, it might be the most important election year of our lifetimes — and even if you can't tell the difference between Joe Biden and Joe the Plumber, a slew of free tasty treats are yours for the taking on Tuesday.

Maybe you'd like to start your morning with a red-white-and-blue-sprinkled doughnut from Krispy Kreme. Then you could wash it down with a Tall coffee at Starbucks. The taste of free stuff is undeniably delicious, but is that coffee too hot for your tongue? Then be sure to cool things down with a scoop of ice cream from your local Ben & Jerry's.

If you feel your waistline growing a few sizes, it's no problem — just keep that "I Voted" sticker on your jacket and go shopping! In New York, handbag and clothing boutique Hayden-Harnett is giving voters 20 percent off and free wine at the door. Before the buzz wears off, head over to Trina Turk boutique for another 20 percent off your favorite item — a comically enormous hat, perhaps. And don't forget to pair your new chapeau with one of those head-turning "FCUK" T-shirts from French Connection, where you'll get 15 percent off your purchase. Read more...

I'm a voter. I've cast a ballot in every presidential election I've been eligible to, and I'm a firm believer in the power of filling in that little bubble for democracy (those touch screens can take a hike).

But I almost didn't vote this year. Yes, in the most momentous election of our time (first and last time you will hear me utter that overused phrase), I nearly skipped out on making my choice, because, sadly, I don't trust that my vote will be counted.

See, I'm going to be in Chicago next week on Election Day, covering what is being billed as the massive rally for Democratic Senator Barack Obama in Grant Park. That means I won't be in Cincinnati to cast a ballot where I usually do, at the megachurch inside the old Home Depot with the awesome sound system, theater lighting and amazing free coffee bar.

As a result, I had to vote early. And call me crazy, but having covered the 2000 and 2004 elections for MTV News, I was a bit skeptical about whether this new experiment in democracy was really going to work. Read more...