Josh Putnam of Davidson College was one of a handful of election watchers to call the presidential race accurately. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

News coverage of polls leading up to Tuesday’s election made the presidential race seem like a neck-and-neck battle – a nail-biter whichever side you were on. But poll-watcher Josh Putnam has known how it would turn out for months.

The Davidson College political science professor came out on top among those tracking the presidential polls this time around, accurately predicting how the Electoral College votes would fall: 332 for President Obama, 206 for Mitt Romney. Read the full story

Robert Pittenger gave a victory speech in Charlotte Tuesday night. (Briana Duggan / WFAE)

By GREG COLLARD
WFAE

The 9th district congressional seat will remain Republican. Former state Sen. Robert Pittenger defeated Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts 51.77 to 45.67 percent. Mr. Pittenger will replace Republican Sue Myrick, who is retiring after 18 years in office.

Libertarian candidate Curtis Campbell had 2.56 percent in the race. The newly reconfigured 9th District now stretches from Charlotte north into Iredell County. Read the full story

Karen Bentley was re-elected in Mecklenburg County Commission District 1.

Voters handed the Democrats a 6-3 majority on the Mecklenburg County Commission Tuesday, including a sweep of all three vacant at-large seats.

Democrats Pat Cotham (19.8 percent), Kim Ratliff (19.6 percent) and Trevor Fuller (19.1 percent) won the three at-large seats. Those seats were left vacant when current County Commission Chair Harold Cogdell Jr. decided not to run and commissioners Jennifer Roberts and JIm Pendergraph decided to run for the 9th Congressional district seat. Read the full story

Our friend John Syme, who writes the Daybook Davidson blog at Davidson College, recounts his experience voting at Davidson Town Hall this morning: an 11 o’clock traffic jam at the polls. “Many boisterously enthusiastic Davidson students were out in force, right after their 10:55 class change. I was glad to see them there, even though my fingers are only just now warming up.” Read his description of the scene, and find out when to expect the next student rush, at Daybook.Davidson.edu.

Boone Michael, 7, (left) gets help in the Davidson Town Hall Kids Vote booth from Hough High School volunteer Andrew Petry. At right, Della Scott Michael casts her Kids Vote ballot along with dad, Jeff, and sister, Sarah Frances. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Voters wait for voting machines at Davidson Town Hall just before 8am Tuesday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

A line of voters snaked out the door and around Town Hall as voting began in the darkness at Davidson Town Hall Tuesday morning. By 7:45am, the queue had thinned to just a couple of dozen as citizens cast their votes for president, governor, county commissioners and other candidates.

Voting also was going on Tuesday at the town’s other precinct, at Hopewell Baptist Church on Davidson-Concord Road. Read the full story