# How do you plan to spend election night? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 11, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728 "2020-10-11T17:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/102 "2020-10-16T15:08:07Z")
If Biden clinches on Election night, I plan on popping the cork of a bottle of Champaign I bought back in May. Otherwise my wife and I will drink when Biden does claim victory or I’ll dump it in Long Island Sound if Trump wins. In 2012 we had no power and had to listen on a small portable radio. In 2016 I worked at the polls until about the time it was certain Trump would win. I’m afraid to work this year and will switch stations. If Biden starts getting close to winning, I’ll start recording Fox for the sheer schadenfreude of it. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/103 "2020-10-16T15:12:07Z")
It’s not enough for Biden to win; I want Biden to win in a humiliating, crushing defeat that sends GOP senators packing, too. That probably won’t happen, but I’ll settle for Biden beating Trump to the tune of Obama’s EV map in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/104 "2020-10-16T16:20:15Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Being romantically rebuffed by ~~Melania~~ Ivanka? Moderating: Not appropriate in P&E. Actually, there were several posts in there that went off the rails. Please refrain. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/105 "2020-10-16T19:20:29Z")
Polls close at 3 am my time, with the first meaningful results expected around 4. If I can’t sleep, I might look for an MSNBC live stream or so. Otherwise, I’ll just check the news tickers in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/106 "2020-10-19T00:23:11Z")
I took the whole week off. We’re leaving town and rented a house by the beach. This time of year it’ll be drizzly and maybe stormy. I’ll get up Tuesday AM and start watching coverage. Around 7 PM is low tide, so I’ll go out and dig a few clams. Then it’s back to the boob tube. Then there’s the Election cocktail. Right now I’m leaning towards a Negroni. Nice mix of bitter and sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/107 "2020-10-19T01:58:09Z")
Working the polls! I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know if there’s a TV somewhere there, or if anyone is allowed to have a phone with them during slow times, etc. I may be totally in the dark until I get home. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/108 "2020-10-19T07:23:08Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > SAA. Sex Addicts Anonymous? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/109 "2020-10-19T07:53:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > What concerns me is trump may ‘win’ on election night before all the mail in ballots are counted, then he will try to stop the counting of the mail in ballots. more democrats are voting early than Republicans. Trump can tweet all he wants about “winning” but unless major media outlets are projecting him as the winner he will just look stupid. Even Fox News wouldn’t project Trump as the winner unless their numbers backed it up. No one\*\* will call any individual state until enough votes have been recorded to make the remaining votes statistically unimportant and that could takes days. \*\*welll… one or two outlets might get a little ahead of themselves here and there but for the most part, nobody wants to be wrong when they’re on the Grandest of Live Media Stages. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/110 "2020-10-19T09:53:31Z")
{MUSING} There once was a website, where certain p[eople would be described as being Slapped With A Wet Trout… 🐟 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/111 "2020-10-19T11:30:11Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > {MUSING} There once was a website, where certain p[eople would be described as being Slapped With A Wet Trout Was it called SAA? Am I the only person who doesn’t know what he/she meant by SAA? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/112 "2020-10-19T11:36:50Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Am I the only person who doesn’t know what he/she meant by SAA? Nope, you’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/113 "2020-10-19T11:40:01Z")
Either in wild celebration or in depressed silence, depending on whether or not we slay the dragon. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/114 "2020-10-19T15:44:08Z")
Curious if there’s anything you did the night of 11/8/2016 that you might _not do_ this time around (or vice versa), perhaps out of superstition? In my case I might not follow that NY Times “needle” (assuming they even put that up again). I still think I have PTSD from the moment that thing first crossed over the 50 / 50 mark that night, and kept heading south. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/115 "2020-10-19T15:46:36Z")
I will be doing my best to stay far away from election coverage and news for the entire evening. That includes Facebook and this place. Maybe I’ll just read a book all evening. The next morning is plenty soon enough to find out what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/116 "2020-10-19T15:51:59Z")
> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#): > > Curious if there’s anything you did the night of 11/8/2016 that you might _not do_ this time around (or vice versa), perhaps out of superstition? We were in Paris. I went to bed early, confident that my fellow countrymen could not be so stupid. My wife stayed up all night watching returns on her iPad. This year, we will not go to Paris, and I have no confidence in the voters. (but I’m hopeful) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/117 "2020-10-19T15:54:24Z")
Did you consider just not coming back from Paris? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/118 "2020-10-19T15:57:04Z")
Yes. But not seriously. (we have a dog and several adult children) (and jobs) I do recall a lot of unhappy Americans that week, and confused French people. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/119 "2020-10-19T16:02:37Z")
Oh I guess I should add that I made sure to vote at a different polling location this time than I did that time (only a couple miles further out of my way this time around, so no big deal). ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/120 "2020-10-19T17:27:37Z")
> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#): > > Curious if there’s anything you did the night of 11/8/2016 that you might _not do_ this time around (or vice versa), perhaps out of superstition? I slept well, full of innocence and faith. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728/121 "2020-10-19T17:37:11Z")
> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#): > > Curious if there’s anything you did the night of 11/8/2016 that you might _not do_ this time around (or vice versa), perhaps out of superstition? In 2016 I went over to my neighbor’s to drink Prosecco, eat snacks, and watch DJT get his comeuppance. I went home around 2 in the morning and woke up at 4, looked at the headline on my cell phone, and felt a dark cloud settle over me and the rest of the country. It’s still there. I do not plan to watch election returns at all this year, either at neighbor’s or here alone. I’ll probably be watching Father Brown or Miss Marple and _m-i-g-h-t_ check in with updates on my kindle from time to time. I can’t go through what I (we) did in 2016. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-plan-to-spend-election-night/922728.md?page=7)