photos by David Halterman

With the first signs of winter dusting the horizon, enthusiastic voters here and around the country braved weather, lines and last-minute campaigning to have their say in what was arguably the most historic and important presidential race in U.S. history.

Voters fill out their ballots at the La Plata County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. The jubilant wall-to-wall crowd at the Abbey Theatre watches the big screen as President-Elect Barack Obama gives his victory speech late Tuesday night from Chicago. Empty voting stations sit aglow as a gentleman fills in his ballot between voter ssurges. A voter arrives at her precinct on Tuesday morning. All campaigning was officially off limits at the entrance to the precincts in order to produce a fair, nonpartisan environment in which to vote.