The most expensive campaign in U.S. history ends as President Barack Obama wins re-election.

A divided electorate voted to give President Obama more time to continue the agenda he began four years ago, despite a fragile economy, rancor over his signature health care overhaul, and a partisan Congress continually at odds.

The night also marked victories for those on the left of social issues, as Maine and Maryland became the first states to legalize gay marriage through popular vote, and Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Gay marriage was also on the ballot in Washington, where supporters held a thin margin of victory.

President Obama performed a nearly clean sweep of the fiercely contested battleground states, including Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, with a narrow lead in Florida, pushing him well past the 270 electoral votes needed to win for a current total of 303.

The popular vote, however, showed a much less resounding victory, where President Obama had a 50 percent share over Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s 48 percent—down 3 percent from his win over John McCain in 2008.

President Obama will continue to preside over a divided Congress that has stymied legislation over the past four years, with the Republicans maintaining control of the House and the Democrats retaining the Senate.

In recognition of the difficult road ahead, Obama returned to themes of hope and cooperation in his acceptance speech to a boisterous crowd in Chicago, Ill.

“I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests,” said Obama.

“We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.”

In his concession speech to supporters in Boston, Mass., Mitt Romney also acknowledged the need for both parties to work together.

“At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work,” he said.

Obama also began to lay out a tentative agenda for his second term, with a focus on jobs, immigration reform, and a balanced budget.

“You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do.”

The crowd gathered reflected the coalition that pushed him to victory. President Obama won with a coalition of the young, female, and non-white voters.

According to the AP, President Obama won 55 percent of the female vote—11 percentage points more than Romney—more than making up for the ground he lost among male voters. Among those ages 18 to 29, he won 60 percent of the vote.

Romney’s support was strongest among male voters at 52 percent and white voters, who supported him by the widest margin: 59 percent to Obama’s 39 percent. The loss raises questions of how the Republican Party will reach out to what will only be a more diverse electorate.

In stark contrast, President Obama won with 93 percent of African-American, 71 percent of Latino, and 73 percent of Asian-American voters.

To some of the loudest applause of the night, Obama celebrated the diversity of the American populace.

“I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try,” he said.

Elizabeth Shim contributed to this report. 

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Lisa Cannistrati with her birthday cake flanked by Erin Drinkwater and Jeremy Markman on the right.

New York: Hudson Street

It was an unusual time for a 50th birthday party: 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 27. The four people loafing outside the Henrietta Hudson, known as a local “Bar & Girl” in the West Village, were not finishing a celebratory night. They had just arrived—on time. Odder still was that of the foursome, only one knew the birthday girl, bar owner Lisa Cannistraci.

A fifth person joined, wearing an Obama T-shirt, layered with a warm down vest. Her dirty blonde hair was cropped boy-short, with a pair of black, square-rimmed glasses balanced on her nose. Erin Drinkwater walked briskly, exuding excitement and authority, corralling the loiterers as they moved on to other party locations. One block away the group entered The Goodwin, a West Village restaurant, which had opened early to feed the 22 bleary-eyed people gathered in booths and tables. They were given with hot coffee, and a spread of scrambled eggs, French fries, toast, berries, granola and yogurt, as well as chicken and salad.

By 8 a.m. the volunteers were awake, nourished and ready to participate in the Women’s Bus REDUX, a trip to the battleground election state of Pennsylvania. Drinkwater addressed the group. “There are only 17 women in the Senate,” she said, “representing 51 percent of the population.” This morning only six of the 22 gathered were men; many of those present were members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community.

The crowd ranged from the newly eligible to vote, Marymount Manhattan freshmen, to those who had been politically active for half a century. A few were loyal Obama volunteers, gushing about their past and future trips to Ohio.

Most had signed up at Drinkwater’s urging. Several were there to celebrate with Cannistraci. At 8:25 a.m., the volunteers left The Goodwin, stopped at the Obama for America headquarters uptown to cram empty seats with more volunteers, and then headed off.

The Women’s Bus REDUX: On the road

Drinkwater twisted—half kneeling, half standing—facing the rows of seats behind her, the name “Spoof,” a childhood cat, forever memorialized on her left forearm. She encouraged the volunteers to stand and share why they chose to spend their Saturday canvassing.

One by one they spoke, drawing nods of approval and a smattering of applause. Barbara grew up in Spain under Franco, and vowed she was “not going to take democracy for granted.” Mary’s fiancé is Canadian; their gay marriage would not be recognized nationally. How would she sponsor her new wife for citizenship?

Phyllis has been politically active since the 1940s. She began fighting for civil rights, and has since extended the struggle to women and the LGBT community. Cannistraci’s activism goes beyond owning the “hottest lesbian bar.” She is also Vice President of Marriage Equality USA. Natalie James worries who will appoint the next Supreme Court Justices. “Ginsburg isn’t getting any younger.”

Some, like Brooke Materia and Jocelyn Swenson, were first time voters and canvassers. Dana Massarsky, member of Democratic Leadership for the 21^st Century, had been canvassing almost every weekend for the past two months. She vibrated with excitement when discussing an upcoming trip to Fairfax County, Virginia. “Instead of taking the time to be scared,” Massarsky said, “I’m working.” Sitting back was not an option. She laughed, “I haven’t seen my boyfriend in two months.”

Each volunteer would receive a “walk kit” comprised of a map (dotted with houses to visit), a list of voters, and a script designed to encourage voter turnout. The weekend before Halloween, Drinkwater described canvassing as “kind of like trick or treating.” The volunteers would only be visiting the doorsteps of President Obama supporters. The goal was to make sure that these registered voters actually made it to the polls.

Some states like New Hampshire “swing” due to independent or undecided voters. Pennsylvania is a different breed. With around 1 million more Democrats registered to vote in the state, the outcome depends on who shows up at the polls.

Corey Robinson: Door-to-Door

Corey Robinson went out drinking the night before. He is running on three hours of sleep. Dressed in a turquoise checkered shirt, jeans, and a camel colored leather jacket, his gait is zombie-like but attitude is remarkably good-natured. Robinson, in his mid-30s, works with the elderly as a social worker, but he moved to New York to become “the black Regis Philbin.”

He grew up in South Carolina, but is dedicated to his adopted city, saying that New York “is the first place where I live matches my views.” He canvassed for Obama in 2008, and is a little nervous this time around. “Black voters will come out for Obama…but they’re disappointed by his gay marriage stance.” Robinson says preachers in his home state are asking parishioners to stay home on Election Day. He is slowly weeding out Facebook friends who share that view.

The “walk kit” in Robinson’s hands took him to a slowly gentrifying Philadelphia neighborhood known either as Graduate Hospital or Southwest Center City. He strolled south on Fitzwater Street past rows of neatly stacked houses—each three stories of assorted brick shades. To everyone he encountered, he smiled and called out, “Don’t forget to vote!”

This was friendly territory. Obama for America posters, bumper stickers, and supporters were plentiful in this cross-section of suburban Philadelphia. Insulated, it was easy to forget Pennsylvania is a highly contested state. Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey is now fighting to retain his seat.

Demographically the neighborhood is largely black with a sprinkling of young white couples and students. Churches are interspersed between the houses. On 15^th Street in front of United Muslim Masjid, a small carnival to celebrate Eid was drawing a crowd dressed in traditional religious garb. Where 15^th met Christian Street the religious Pathfinders Scouts meeting ended, scattering uniformed pre-teens into the streets.

Before 3 p.m., Robinson would march up to 74 doorsteps, knock on 74 doors, and speak to six people. He was persistent. Ringing twice. Standing for minutes. Calling up to open windows. On the street Robinson talked to everyone. Spreading the message to vote beyond headquarters’ specifically mapped houses.

Pennsylvania: The Voters Who Matter

In the suburban streets, Lisa and Jeremy Nearhoof were taking advantage of the mild fall day, pruning two window boxes of winter plants. Both are in their early-30s. Lisa moved here from New York City four years ago; Jeremy is a Pennsylvania native and a registered Republican. But he’ll be voting for Obama for a second time, and his reasons are economic. “It’s silly to think that one person can create 10 million jobs…there’s no magic cure,” he said referring to Romney, “What wouldn’t work is what we did in the 2000s.”

Lisa, who carries Pennsylvania identification from the last election, says her main focus is women’s issues. “It just makes me feel like our country is behind in so many ways,” she sighs clipping off branches of a flowerless shrub.

Back at Base: South Street

Squeezed between South Deli & Grocery on the left and a pharmacy to the right, 1737 South Street is the lively Obama for America headquarters. At 3:45 p.m. on a Saturday there are roughly 25 people working. Posters of the President and campaign slogans coat the walls. People chatter at phone banking stations; a supervisor hands out assignments.

Kathy, mid-60s, searches for a lighter. A large cake with candles spelling out “five zero” is waiting to surprise Lisa Cannistraci. After a round of “Happy Birthday,” the tired but fulfilled volunteers pile back on the bus.

Heading back to New York City, the volunteers share notes and swap canvassing stories. Marymount Manhattan students, Materia and Swenson produced a crumpled Mitt Romney leaflet they were handed at one house. They knocked on 150 doors and spoke to 27 people whom they described as “99% enthusiastic.” Materia canvassed today even though her right leg is bound in a full-length brace. “I don’t want to sit back and think it’ll be OK,” she says. Fear of a Romney presidency sparked Swenson into action.

Natalie James is seated next to her girlfriend Diana Scholl. They canvassed in a more upscale area filled with family homes. The two had an admittedly wonderful day. Both have professions that work directly with impoverished and working class families. They are Obama supporters for this reason among others. “Romney would totally decimate the social safety net,” James warns.

Midway though the ride home one-half of the passengers dozed off. The others chatted about the election or circulated rumors of a storm headed for New York. Was Governor Cuomo really closing the subways at 7:00 p.m. the next day? Never mind there was a political storm only 10 days away. A sense of optimistic calm fell over the exhausted volunteers.

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Evelyn Polk (left) and fellow Obama volunteer Mia Anderson. Photo by Laura Entis

Before Mitt Romney’s infamous dismissal of the 47 %, before the presidential debates, the Big Bird tweets and the CNN polls, long before the destructive arrival of Hurricane Sandy and her devastating aftermath, Evelyn Polk, an octogenarian and classically trained pianist, decided to join the political fray.

This past March, as a team leader of the Obama for America organization, Polk set up a table in Union Square on a Saturday, stocked it with Obama buttons, and rounded up volunteers to register passerbys to vote. From spring until the election, Polk was out at that table every single weekend, only missing two Saturdays; one in early October, due to a cold, and the last Saturday before the election, due to Hurricane Sandy.

In the beginning, this was a thankless experience. Mia Anderson, a tall black woman who met Polk at a phone bank and was recruited to volunteer at the table, confirms that “April and May were not awesome.” The election was not on the national radar quite yet, and responses ranged from apathetic to hostile. “What really made the change was the Democratic convention in September, there was a huge shift after that,” Anderson said.

So how did Polk find herself in Union Square in March, a full five months before her efforts were perceived as relevant?

It all started in 2000. Up until then, Polk voted every four years, but that was the extent of her political involvement. And then “Al Gore got cheated,” Polk said. She waited for a strong reaction to this blatant injustice but instead, as she puts it, “Everything kind of petered out and I decided that there should be more people who are interested so that it would never happen again.”

She has been active in every national election campaign since then. In 2008, she was a poll worker at a children’s museum downtown and therefore unable to follow the hourly updates on poll results. Polk remembers that night fondly; “I think we got out at 10, 10:30 because we had to wait for the machines to shut down. I was walking up Broadway, and I couldn’t find anyplace that was open that had a TV set…By the time I got home, McCain had conceded…I was so happy.”

For Polk, there is even more at stake this time. Small and visibly frail, Polk, at rest, looks her age. When animated, she looks years younger. She is good at keeping the years at bay. A former concert pianist, Polk still gives public performances and in addition to manning the Obama table at Union Square, she volunteers at a local Obama phone bank every Wednesday. She was scheduled to get on a bus to Ohio to canvass before a bout with the flu forced her to cancel. However, she said proudly, “My daughter and my two grandchildren will be in Ohio right up until the election.”

At her table in Union Square on a Saturday afternoon in late October, she had already been standing in the gray fall chill for hours, cheerfully handing out Obama pins and encouraging anyone who stopped to sign up to volunteer. Clearly well-known in the area, friends and acquaintances frequently stopped by just to say hello. This particular Saturday, Polk was joined by volunteers Martha Wolberg and Shirley Robinson, fellow senior citizens and, by this point, all good friends. The three have spent a lot of time together over the past few months, swapping jokes and attempting to calm each other’s pre-election jitters.

Martha Wolberg, a round woman with carefully maintained short white hair and carefully applied eyeliner, has always been a politically aware “news junky,” in part due to a long career working in the market research department of major news organizations, including Reuters and the Associated Press. She did not become politically active until 2008. Newly retired, she joined the Downtown East for Obama, and has been coming to the Union Square table since March.

She supports the President’s healthcare reform; Romney’s plans for Medicaid and Medicare deeply trouble her. As a senior, she collects Social Security and depends on Medicare for her health insurance. “I’ve paid into those systems,” she said. Paul Ryan’s voucher system worries her: “What am I going to do with a voucher?” A cancer surviver, she says, “I was paying twenty thousand dollars a year for insurance before I was on Medicare. Thank god I had it in my IRA, but what about the other Americans who don’t have good jobs, who don’t have that money?”

Volunteer Shirley Robinson, 78, a tall, thin woman with big, thick lensed glasses, has only recently become politically active. “This is the first time I’ve volunteered in an election, and probably the last…I’ll be eighty pretty soon so I may not have the energy but I feel so strongly about Obama,” she said. Now a widow with a grown daughter, she is motivated by her memories of the experiences of women friends before abortion became legal. Robinson recalls that she knew girls “who were damaged and who died at the hands of illegal abortionists…they were so desperate that they felt they had to do that.” Widowed now, Robinson is terrified that if elected, Romney intends to reverse Roe vs Wade and says, “We can’t have that back.”

The three women had planned to be at Union Square on Saturday November 3, but Hurricane Sandy upended their plans. The day before, Robinson called me from Grand Central, where she was sitting on the floor, waiting for her cell phone to charge. As of Friday afternoon, her apartment on 14th street was still without power. Robinson expected to turn up at Union Square the next day, hoping that despite the group’s inability to communicate, others would turn up as well. Mia Anderson had the same plan but ultimately refrained. Anderson had tried to call Polk numerous times (her calls went straight to voicemail) and emailed her twice, but had not heard back by late Friday night. “That is not like her,” Anderson told me. Polk lives in the mid-twenties, well below the power line. By Saturday, with cell phone service still patchy in lower Manhattan, no one had been able to contact her.

Hurricane Sandy dumped a million tragedies onto the city of New York. Even the small ones hurt. November 3 should have been a celebration of passion and commitment; all their efforts had led to this last Saturday, days before the election. But Union Square was empty, the table not to be found.

Anderson recognizes that Hurricane Sandy has dramatically affected the election, saying, “It is difficult to push people to vote when their basic needs are not being met.” Still, she plans to be vigilant in her efforts to get out the vote right up until November 6.

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