# What Are Your Plans For Election Night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848 "2008-10-14T10:05:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/21 "2008-10-14T18:07:57Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > I went to bed too early in 2000. I thought it was settled by 2am or so. You mean, 2am three weeks later? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/22 "2008-10-14T18:11:14Z")
Working like a dog, trying to get our next president elected. After the polls close, make sure everyone gets home, check out results, and start taking down the office. I may get some sleep. Probably not, though. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/23 "2008-10-14T18:19:56Z")
I’ll be getting drunk. If it’s a McCain win, I’ll be getting drunk on champagne. If Obama, then whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/24 "2008-10-14T18:30:41Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > On the couch with a big bowl of popcorn, flipping between channels. > > When it’s over, I’ll wake up my wife and tell her who won. > > **Blucanary** the networks will call each state after their polls close and keep a running tally, but historically it’s unlikely either candidate will win enough votes to clinch the election until the West Coast states are counted. True, but if Obama comes out with early wins in states like OH, FL, VA, NC, IN, and WV (all of which are quite possible) you can probably go to bed. That’s 91 electoral votes in 6 states and the loss of OH or FL alone means that McCain has lost unless he managed to flip another big state. Throw in states like IA and MO along with the eastern/central Kerry states and the six above and it’s already 279 and an Obama landslide in the making. Basically, if you give everything that’s white or any shade of blue on 538 to Obama, that’s 375. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/25 "2008-10-14T18:40:15Z")
Virginia’s polls close at 7 PM EST, followed by Ohio at 7:30. [Here](http://www.270towin.com/closing.php) is a list of poll closing times for every state. If Virginia goes for Obama, he’s won the election. No need to wait for Colorado and Nevada. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/26 "2008-10-14T18:42:03Z")
My husband and I get up around 5 for work, so we’ll most likely do what we usually do - crash around 9. Our alarm clock is the TV - it comes on a local news channel, so we’ll get the results as soon as we wake up, unless a commercial is on. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/27 "2008-10-14T18:48:51Z")
Vote Work: Glued to the Internet Home: Take out food and glued to the TV ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/28 "2008-10-14T18:54:07Z")
I’ll vote and go to bed around my usual time of 11pm. I made a New Years’ Resolution to not obsess over the election this year\*. So far I’ve stuck to it and I plan on seeing it through to the end. \*I was so emotionally invested in the 2004 election that I got physically ill when Bush was re-elected. I realized that it was my choice whether or not to put myself through that again and I chose not to. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/29 "2008-10-14T19:19:09Z")
I’m a precinct election official (translation: old lady who works at the polls) so I’ll be doing that from 6 a.m. to at least 10 p.m. Then I’ll be watching MSNBC and checking the election thread for as long as I can stay awake. If there are any lulls in voting, I’ll go to my car and listen to the radio. There weren’t any lulls in 2004 though. We had a 70% turnout, if I remember right. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/30 "2008-10-14T19:26:15Z")
I will probably go to Bible Study at my local church, then go home and grade papers. I will learn who won the election the following morning when I join up with my fellow carpoolers. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/31 "2008-10-14T19:53:34Z")
Probably I’ll be having a little fun Go to a bar, and interject myself into any loud political discussion with an opinion contrary to the majority until they get all pissy at me and either shut the hell up, or snottily say is not my business, and some peacekeeper among them changes the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/32 "2008-10-14T19:58:22Z")
Drinking and celebrating an Obama victory. Of this, I am quite certain. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/33 "2008-10-14T20:31:46Z")
I’ll be kidnapping Jim & Babs Gordon and placing them in separate death traps on opposite sides of the city, while setting off a series of bombs that emit a gas that dissolves human flesh in seconds. So pretty much the same as every other Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/34 "2008-10-14T20:38:59Z")
I’ll be in class until 10 and then a nice long 90 minute drive home. Hopefully I’ll walk in the door to the strains of “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next President of the United States, Barack Obama…” ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/35 "2008-10-14T20:59:02Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’m going to leave work a little early, vote, then continue on my way home. Later, I’ll catch up with the results on the CBC website. (Yes, the Canadian election is tonight. Polling stations are open to serve you!) No early results yet ☹ But really, it’s only 5:00 p.m. here–I suspect a lot of people will just be hitting the polls now. We should know more in a few hours, closer to 9 or 10… ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/36 "2008-10-14T21:49:58Z")
I’m going to host a little “election vigil” party after work; wine and hors d’oeuvres all around. Maybe we’ll be nervously watcing results as they trickle in, maybe we’ll celebrating. I’m planning on going in late to work on Wednesday. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/37 "2008-10-14T22:40:24Z")
i’ve been at obama headquarters for the past month. i’m sure they will have something for me to do that day and night. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/38 "2008-10-14T23:45:52Z")
Well, I did it. I voted. I was one of the mice, and I pulled on my lilliputian string, and that pull together with those of all the other mice will tug at the reins of the juggernaut of power. When all the vector sums are added up, what direction will we be nudged in…? There was a lineup at my polling station. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/39 "2008-10-15T00:00:34Z")
As a state employee I am off so I know I won’t be working. I may be doing some last minute phone banking for the CWA. They want us to support Obama and call people to remind them to vote. As long as they are paying me to make the calls I will. I know with the last election for Govenor after I finished going door to door on election day to get out the last votes I wasw invited to an election party at a hotel. I didn’t go but should have. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848/40 "2008-10-15T00:45:28Z")
I’m probably going to go to the county Democratic headquarters and watch there. I’m involved in state-level races, so I anticipate spending time on the phone with the local elections board getting returns. I don’t know if I’m taking the next day off, though. It depends on what happens the night before. Robin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-plans-for-election-night/467848.md?page=3)