# How are you planning to spend election night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309 "2004-09-27T15:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/1 "2004-09-27T15:19:23Z")
I’m curious if anyone else has plans too. Plus, I’m looking for good ideas. So far, my plans consist of: 1. Tracking the results throughout the workday. 2. Going to my evening class and try to focus. 3. Going home, breaking out the booze, and commiserating/celebrating with my family 4. Taking Nov. 3rd off from work to recover. Recovery from a killer hangover and/or from Bush’s win. How are you going to pass the time? ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/2 "2004-09-27T15:32:33Z")
Hmmm, if I were cool, I would be giving out Votergasms, but I think I’ll just obsessively watch the news desperately hoping Kerry will win. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/3 "2004-09-27T15:36:10Z")
I will be spending that week with family, about 800 miles from my current residence. I’m sure we’ll spend the evening (if not the day) tracking the election, casting aspersions on the characters of the voters & candidates alike, and generally being silly. We were going to have a pool, but I don’t think anyone will be betting on Kerry, so there’s not much point in that. One way or another, it’ll be loads of fun 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/4 "2004-09-27T15:38:20Z")
Probably watch it at home. The election will probably be so tight, we may not even know the winner that night. Oregon votes by mail, so their results aren’t immediately available. Several states will probably be too close to call. Also, no network wants to be in the position of calling a state and then reversing it like 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/5 "2004-09-27T15:39:49Z")
I’m going to turn the TV off and spend the evening reading a good book. Then look to the morning paper for the damage report. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/6 "2004-09-27T15:41:19Z")
Heh, our election day is the same day as the Mexican “Day of the dead” 😛 I plan on voting Kerry, getting a 6 pack, and watching the majority of this country vote themselves into the fall of the Roman empire by voting GWB. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/7 "2004-09-27T15:50:36Z")
Since I’m eight hours ahead of PST, I’ll be asleep at the crucial moment. And then I’ll probably wake up, hear the result and wish it was only a (very bad) dream ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/8 "2004-09-27T15:59:04Z")
Working. I work twice a year (on election eves) for a company that designs & sells ballot counting hardware and software. I help run their ballot-counting equipment for one of the counties here in Ohio. Fun stuff. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/9 "2004-09-27T16:27:38Z")
Why here, of course. I have a feeling my misery may need lots of company. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/10 "2004-09-27T16:27:58Z")
I’ll be in New Zealand on Election Day, so on Wednesday afternoon, when the Tuesday polls are closing and the news begins to report their predictions, I’ll be looking for a TV or radio so I can find out what’s going on! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/11 "2004-09-27T16:34:05Z")
I’m a lifelong political junkie, but I’ll follow my usual practice of going to bed early, waking up in the morning, and turning on the tube to find out who won. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/12 "2004-09-27T16:43:30Z")
Traditionally I’ve planted myself on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn, only to be disgusted and throw the bowl at the TV when the networks called all the important races by 9:00 p.m. The 2000 election, of course, was an anomoly, and a little TOO much of a nail-biter for me. I guess I’ll just hope for a tight race for governor to keep my interest up. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/13 "2004-09-27T16:47:21Z")
I’m going to watch to coverage on CBS and hope for a late night for Dan Rather, as he guts funnier as the night goes on. CBS should get Madden and hook him up with Rather for a night of crazy election commentary. I can just hear it now. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/14 "2004-09-27T18:27:48Z")
Rather was funny as hell four years ago! I will probably get laid, just to get used to it, because we’re gonna get f\*cked for the next four years either way. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/15 "2004-09-27T21:22:29Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Heh, our election day is the same day as the Mexican “Day of the dead” 😛 > > I plan on voting Kerry, getting a 6 pack, and watching the majority of this country vote themselves into the fall of the Roman empire by voting GWB. :: checking finances for round trip gas money to Brooklyn :: But only if I can get the large Carl’s Junior milkshake out of my nose. Thanks a lot, **UncleBill**. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/16 "2004-09-28T00:17:41Z")
Being 22, this is only the second election I’ll be eligible to vote in so pardon my ignorance here but when are the results normally known for sure? Myself, I’ll most likely buy a huge bottle of jagermeister and drink myself into oblivion so that I don’t digest my stomach out of nervous anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/17 "2004-09-28T00:26:40Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Being 22, this is only the second election I’ll be eligible to vote in so pardon my ignorance here but when are the results normally known for sure? > > Myself, I’ll most likely buy a huge bottle of jagermeister and drink myself into oblivion so that I don’t digest my stomach out of nervous anxiety. Depends. Last time, Florida “Gore”, uh, no, “Bush”, uh, no again - and on and on. I know that there was supposed to be a law (written or implied) that national networks are NOT supposed to predict the outcome of the election until all the polls are closed on the West coast. People were complaining that, for example, if voters in CA heard that Kerry won, they wouldn’t bother go vote for Bush - and thus deprive local Republicans the needed votes to win in local elections. But for the most part, barring another Florida debacle, you should probably have a good idea by 9:00 PM PST…then again, if there really are some “too close to call” states, you might not know until perky Katie Couric chirps it in your ear the following morning. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/18 "2004-09-28T00:29:36Z")
Probably trying not to have a conniption fit at work while watching the results online, then going to vote myself before the polls close (I leave work fairly early, this shouldn’t be an issue) and then heading over to my in-laws with my husband to watch the final results (it’s the first time I’ve never been the ONLY liberal in my immediate family - now I’m surrounded by 'em - yay!). We’ll either open a celebratory bottle of champagne and get smashed or open a consoling bottle of champagne, or three or four. Ava ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/19 "2004-09-28T01:18:17Z")
With my head in the sand. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309/20 "2004-09-28T01:49:52Z")
1. Attend my 7:45 Biology class. 2. Eat breakfast. 3. Vote before 12:00, if possible. 4. Attend my 12:00 lab class. 5. Attend my 3:00 history class. 6. If I didn’t vote before 12:00, vote now. 7. Watch at least one of my candidates lose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-planning-to-spend-election-night/266309.md?page=2)