"...the going rate for a vote these days is $15 or a pint of whisky" (link received from Jerry)
Delightful. A state for rent. Now we can officially say we're internationally known for our - er, um - unique voting traditions (as this is written by the BBC's Washington correspondent). It's hard for me to imagine these things going on because what I've experienced as a life-long resident of the state (in two counties) is so very far from the scenarios described in the article. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. Oh no. I can imagine it, unfortunately.

Anyway, I did go vote today, and I received nary a dollar or a pint of whisky. Sigh. Seriously, though, it was my first time voting with a touch-screen machine, and I have to admit I found it a little disconcerting not to have a piece of paper to shove into a big box after I was done making my selections. I have voted in one of the state's smallest counties and, most recently, in one of the state's largest counties, and until today I've always used paper ballots.