by Japhet Weeks/WEST OAKLAND

It’s an historic evening and residents of West Oakland have a lot to say about it. Watch the following video for some insight into voters’ emotions and reactions.

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by Huda Ahmed/WEST OAKLAND

Long lines of voters snaked from polling stations all over West Oakland yesterday as the historic presidential campaign came to a close. Pamela Martin, 51, who volunteers at the West Oakland Senior Center, shared her thoughts with East Bay West Online.

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By Nick Burns/BERKELEY

Proponents and opponents of Proposition 8 took their get-out-the-vote efforts to the streets — or freeway — today. A dozen volunteers set up camp on a pedestrian overpass near University Avenue in West Berkeley, hanging banners and waving signs as commuters drove along highway 80, a major traffic corridor connecting Sacramento and San Francisco.

Beginning as early as 6:30 in the morning, signs for and against the controversial proposition appeared  across the north and southbound sides of the overpass. But by early afternoon, supporters of an amendment to California’s constitution that would ban gay marriage left the scene, leaving a hopeful group of opponents unhindered by competing efforts.

If passed, Proposition 8 would overturn a recent California Supreme Court decision that gay marriage is a constitutional right, and nullify the thousands of legal gay marriages performed in the last few months.

Here, East Bay West Online caught up with one emotional opponent who spent his lunch hour encouraging commuters to vote no on Prop. 8.

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By Ali Winston/OAKLAND

As voters flock to the polls in record numbers today, the basement of the Alameda County Courthouse is abuzz with election workers toiling to ensure a smooth and accurate election.

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