We and our friends at The Albany Project and the many other New York blogs have been writing exhaustively about New York races, and there's far more to come as we move towards the GOTV phase of the election. In that bustle, we've overlooked some things going on in other states, things that require your attention.

Barack Obama is the most astonishing Democratic nominee since John F. Kennedy, and has inspired millions of Americans with a renewed sense of hope and confidence in our seamy politics. However, this race is not over, and the margins in some important swing states - Ohio and Florida come to mind - are within the margin of error. That's where GOTV comes in. To volunteer in a swing state, please go to the New York for Obama page, sign up, and get out there.

In California, the Mormon church, historically well known for its staunch defense of one-man-one-woman marriage, has launched a referendum to outlaw same-sex marriage in the state, where it is currently legal for gays to marry. If this passes, and polls indicate it might, the impact on equality would be very heavy. Learn more at No on Eight, drop them some bucks for their final push, and if you have friends in California, tell them to vote No on Proposition Eight, because it's evil.

Finally, there's South Dakota's Measure 11, which will in practical terms outlaw abortion in that state. This is, with some minor tinkering at the edges, the same ban we defeated two years ago. It's important we do so again. Learn more at South Dakota Healthy Families. If you can, send them some cash, or again, if you have friends in the state, ask them to vote for women's rights, not against them.