Talk Elections

I don't even know if this is the right board for this thread, but here we are...

Anyone else have any rituals, traditions, or gatherings that they do every Election Day?

For years, on Election Day in an even-numbered year I've had a big party. It looks like I'm not gonna be able to do it again this year, however, though I have since I was a teenager (close to 20 years ago).

Starting in 1994, I developed a tradition of throwing piles of trash into the street as a protest if conservatives do relatively well in the election. I did this in '94, and I've done this several times so far in the 2000s. (I did this even after the state elections in 2003, though it was an odd-numbered year.)

My party usually consists of TV viewing, snacks, fizzy sodas, laughing at conservatives who lose, and (since the mid-'90s) much Internetting.

Hopefully I'll find a place to have a party this year, but it looks like I may have to skip it.

Does anyone else have an Election Day tradition like this? It's more exciting than Winter Solstice, New Year's, Christmas, Fourth of July, or any sporting event.

No.

Nope, can't say I do.  If it's a big election, I'll sit and watch the results come in, but otherwise I'll just wait until the next day to find out who won what.  It's not usually a biggie.

Work the polls and go to a candidate's party. The problem with the parties is the inability to follow the results that closely as they come in. They have TVs set up but you can't really track what was going on. I was originally going to have something set up at my house this year as the results came in with three computers and my big screen TV to follow the returns but now I am swamped with parties. One of the parties is a ward party where I have to turn my precinct's results in. After that I have to rush out to a party that will likely be a victory (my first victory party!). Another event is a potential victory but it is looking like a tossup now.  :)

Conservatives doing well? Ha! Keep buying into that right wing media, Republican.

Um, voting?

That and obsessivly watching the returns.  (though they have meds for that now and I'm getting better... :P)

Looking at the election results and acting like a total dweeb ("OH MY GOD PEND OREILLE COUNTY IS REPORTING!").

Well, I work the polls and watch the results, but thats about it.

I love acting like that. Over the years I've been able to act like that in state primaries and I'm not talking just about PA. I couldn't tell you how many random summer nights I'd inform people of a primary going on in Georgia or Ohio or wherever else. Hey, this is my passion - people just have to get over us acting like total political nerds.

I always spend the day monitoring results with students.  I vote as soon as the poll opens and sit down in my office with five televisions on, a cup of coffee, and the internet.  I have my students gather in groups and track the results in all 50 states.  Class ends late on election night.

I like to vote in the morning, because the polls close at 8PM in my state, and I can't guarantee that I'll be home in time.

I watch the results at night, but not obsessively.  For many races, I'm content to wait until the next day to hear the outcome.

i might be a major league dork, but election day is my favorite day of the year.

on that day im filled with all kinds of anticipation, even if there isnt a major race in my state, i know there are major races elsewhere.


i can remember being filled with nerves on both election day 2000 and 2004.

like many of you, i became obsessed with politics and elections at a very early age.  i can vividly remember my mother picking me up at school on election day, just so i could go in the booth with her.

I used to go into the voting booth with my dad.

I watched him vote for Gerald Ford in 1976.  He flirted with the idea of voting for Carter, but my mom threw a fit, and brought him back to the proper way of voting, at least for then. :D  She had a particular dislike for Jimmy Carter.  She said he was nothing but a hillbilly, that his wife was nothing but a hairdresser, that the whole family was very uncouth, etc.  Her instincts were not always right, but in that case, they sure were.

Other than Carter, her greatest dislike was reserved for ultra-liberal female politicians, generally from New York City.  People like Liz Holtzman, Bella Abzug, etc.  She could rant on about them for hours. :D

I grew up in a political family, in that my grandfather and uncle were both involved in politics.  My mom was pretty interested in politics, though she hated the actual practice of it, and would have nothing to do with things like campaigning, other than going to a few dinners, and even that she complained about bitterly.

I feel pretty much the same way.  I like politics at the strategic level, but I don't think I'd ever run for office.

I look at the last polls, make a final prediction of who wins what seats (I got 12 wrong last time...out of 150 :p), wait around, make my parents get ALL the how-to-vote cards, read them, read the newspaper analysii (?), then watch the ABC telecast.

If there are elections in Germany, me and friends meet somewhere, watch tv, drink some beer, dicuss the results and have a little bet competition (you loose 2-3 € at most).

Pace around nervously all day, sit down with food and some good coffee, tune into the BBC and wait for the exit poll. Once the graphics have been presented and the swingometer been rolled out, I channel hop to ITV and to SKY. Last time I hit the internet forums (in particular PoliticalBetting) after 10 to catch up on the rumours until the first results trickle through. I then watch the whole thing to around 3am, before getting some sleep. If it was a knife-edge election I would stay awake of course :)

I'm usually pretty nervous all day, and I get pretty obsessed over following the returns. I pretty much always take the day off of work the following day so that I can stay up late watching returns, then pore over them the next day as well. I'll certainly be glued to both the internet and the tv this year.

I tend to spend most of the day listening to the radio for news of turnout and weather information.

In 2004 my friends and I had a party which was fun except for the results :P.

In 2000  I watched the TV and ran down to tell my parents which states had been called-I specifically remember Florida being called and my parents being really surprised how early it'd been called and assuming it was going to be an easy Gore victory.

This year I think I'll have the major network's sites open as I constantly check results.  Maybe some TV too.  Maybe a party.  I hope I start a tradition of parties, but my friends aren't too political, so I don't know.

I watch the news, and check internet news sites too.

Pretty much it.

If it's an American election I try to find people who care about it as much as I do to watch it... so 2000 was a bust... but I found Democrats abroad and hung out there for election returns.


For ours, I just sit at home with family and see how predictable yet another election will be.

I usually am standing out at a polling place for a candidate (or two).

Very early prediction: Libs 74/ALP 66/NAT 12/IND 2

More then likely right, too :D

This will be the first election I cast a vote in, but prior to this I used to just stay home and flip between MSNBC  and C-SPAN, watching the returns.

I know from a friend in the NSW Lib Council that polling is not great for them... but it's mostly in seats they don't already hold... I'm told they're anticipating a loss of 5-7 seats.

Lib: 72 ALP: 67 Nat: 13 Ind: 2 ... that could change... but I'm not expecting it to.

Me too, and since I've been following politics I've never been disappointed, but all good things must come to an end, but who knows maybe I'll be happy after all

Well Down you're young.

Who'd do better...Costello or Howard? Queensland and SA have the swing seats, and Howard would do better in QLD as a whole then Costello, but I think Costello might do better in swing seats as a general rule. I'd guess Howard would get up to2% more of the total vote nationwide, but wouldn't be surprised if in seat count it was the same, or even a slight Costello lean.

Howard will always do better in more conservative/rural areas.

Costello should work better in the mortgage belt, which I think the election will be fought - if interest rates go up further... Many are just outside marginal status... but a swing wouldn't need to be huge or uniform.

Lab needs to win federal seats in QLD DESPERATELY...

I've worked the polls or done GOTV in every one since I was old enough to vote.  While at night we usually play some sort of drinking/smoking game while watching returns. 


Sorry but Republicans are required to like American League baseball and are required to be Yankees fans.

Labor should focus on getting back the two seats they lost in Tasmania. It's a relatively cheap eway to gain two seats; it's much more expensive for an ad campaign in any other state, and the ground campaign would be about the same in time and cost. Also, Solomon in the NT which has the same benefits.

So that's three of the necessary 15 or so seats :D

The only likely place for many of those 15 seats is Queensland-many of the South Australian marginals are already ALP IIRC.

They only lost those two seats because Latham and the Loggers declared war on each other.

More or less, although I remember during the campaign that Bass in particular was looking a bit shaky.

Michelle O'Byrne was a good member, btw.

Bass will always be marginal o/c

Those tassie seats... especially Bass blow with the wind.

The Tas forest issue won't be in 2007.

Morton and Petrie in the Brisbane surrounds are possible... as is Deakin in VIC... Eden Monaro is always going to be worth the effort. I want to put Greenway in there... but the hillsong crowd are too powerful around there.

I don't have many election day traditions, besides watching results on the TV for even year elections, or the computer for off year elections/primaries, never both at once. This year I'm planning to watch the early returns with my girlfriend (part of a deal) and then watch the later ones all alone. Maybe get some pizza.

the MSU College Democrats are planning on having a party with the MUW (Mississippi University for Women) CD's.  should be fun...

I'm going to the Democrats Abroad party in Sydney.

I went to the mall on November 2, 2004, but my school had a holiday that day. I don't think it will fall on Election Day this year. :(

I don't remember what I did the day of any other election, except watch results come in. I'm going to be glued to the T.V. this year, that's for sure.