1776, 1865, 1945, 1968 and now 2008. There are some years that stick out in American history as significant turning points, with events occurring that are so momentous even those living through them know they’re witnessing history.   

Change is in the air across the United States, but some things remain constant: for example, the slow pace of tabulating ballots in Hamilton County. But given the dramatic finish to the nearly two-year-long race for the White House, the local problems were just an annoying delay.  

Cincinnati voters sent a mixed message on the two ballot issues before them, both placed on the ballot by a group of local activists and political organizations. Issue 8 failed, meaning City Council won't be elected via proportional representation, with Issue 7 passed, prohibiting the use of "red light" cameras.  

By 11 p.m. on Election Day, about 25 people were at Integrity Hall in Bond Hill talking or dancing to the music of a DJ. Just 25 people in a room with that DJ, a TV and a snack table with corn chips and sheet cake with red, white and blue frosting, watching in amazement as the first biracial person was elected president of the United States. "His life is the perfect example of inclusion," said Ken Ghee, a psychology professor at the University of Cincinnati. "His color is a merging of Caucasian, African, Hawaiian."  

Ohio might have turned Democratic blue Tuesday night, but Hamilton County and the southwestern part of the state sent mixed signals about whether it embraced the tides of change. State Rep. Steve Driehaus unseated seven-term U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot in the 1st District, while U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) claimed victory in the 2nd Congressional District.  

Democratic incumbent Todd Portune and Republican Greg Hartmann, endorsed candidates who received money and volunteer help from their respective parties, easily won in their separate Hamilton County Commission races. Still, Ed Rothenberg, an unendorsed Republican who challenged Portune, and Chris Dole, an unendorsed Democrat who vied against Hartmann, each nabbed more than one-third of the votes cast in the races.  

It has been said that the 2008 Presidential Election is the most important election in a generation. Be sure that you're a part of it, and help your family, friends and neighbors share in this historic event. Find your polling place and voter registration information by entering your informaton at this address...  

Read up on CityBeat's coverage of the presidential campaigns from throughout 2008, starting before the Ohio primary up through this week's election endorsements. Plus coverage from other alt weekly papers on the Democratic and Republican conventions.  

Cincinnati currently elects its city council members in an at-large, winner-take-all field race known as "9X." Voters are allowed to select up to nine people from a field of candidates that usually includes about 20 to 25 people. The top nine finishers are elected. Some community groups, however, say the current system distorts the will of voters and shuts out fresh voices that don’t have high name recognition, big campaign money or party connections. As a result, the groups are pushing to revive proportional representation (PR), an electoral system used by Cincinnati from 1925 to 1957.   

At CityBeat, we’re fired up and ready to go. We’ve worked for months to explain the candidates and issues on Tuesday’s ballot, and this is our third (and final) week of endorsements. Are you ready? Let's go!