Election Day Portraits

Above, from top to bottom: Vlad Polikhun, 22, of Kiev, Ukraine is a trainee at Promova, a company that organized the election party in Lviv, the first of its kind in Ukraine. He's getting his bachelor's in marketing at Kiev University. "I'm glad Obama won . . . he looks like nice person to me . . . I don't know[if he will positively impact Ukraine] . . ., because, as for me, the government doesn't function at all in Ukraine," said Polikhun. ; Linda Knudsen Mcausland, 60, of Seattle, Washington, has been in Lviv working with the Peace Corps since June 2007 and will be staying till July 2010. "In this world, change happens in one day, like the 60s, this will be a catalyst . . . a huge majority of people will begin this process of change," said Mcausland who voted for Obama. "It will be really interesting five years from now to look back and see what this has changed."

Irene Danysh, 48, of Seattle, Washington, USA lives in Lviv, Ukraine as a volunteer at Ukrainian Catholic University where she works with the mentally and physically disabled in the Emaeus department. She voted for Barack Obama, and says the election is so exciting for everyone because "the Ukrainians are excited that we had a good process, and we're so excited that we had a good process," said Danysh. "At this moment in time I feel so good and prouder to be American than I have been in my entire life."

Brett McCaw, 23, of Rockford, Illinois is working for the Institute of Ecumenical Studies at Ukrainian Catholic University as the administrator for the distance learning program. McCaw voted for John McCain while visiting family in the United States in September.