The most exhilarating campaign of our time has come to an end, and some 130 million Americans now will put the exclamation point at the end of that sentence by casting votes. Each of those votes is equal, of course, but some are more equal than others.

That is, some votes have more strategic significance. They will determine whether Sen. John McCain can pull off a surprise, or whether Sen. Barack Obama wins by a small margin or with a mandate.

Equally important, some will decide how big the Democratic majority in the Senate will be -- and whether Democrats reach the magic level of 60 seats needed to secure, at least on paper, a Senate where the party's members can band together to prevent filibusters.

So, with that in mind, here is a quick look at the voters with the most strategic impact Tuesday:

Young and Hispanic voters. One way of looking at Sen. Obama's lead in the final Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll taken over the weekend is to say that he is leading 51% to 43%. Another way is to say that his lead is built largely on the votes of the young and the Hispanic.