WHEN do we know?

[Nerdling]

Being a brit and due to time zone constraints I'd like to know when Kerry is elected... Stay with me here...

I mean, first of all you have the poll closures which is all done by 11pm EST right? All the polls are done and counting the votes takes a while but we're going to be hit with the "exit polls" and networks calling it when they get tired of sitting around all night. I ask you... just when do we know? When is the official result out and its done and dusted so I can go to bed. Whom do I trust?

I'd rather not sit around for hours thinking... Did Kerry win... but Bush hasn't conceded yet... bah.

I have the choice of SkyNews (boo!) BBC News, MSNBC, CNN and Faux News and we'll probably get a special C-SPAN feed for the night on the BBC Parliament channel. I'm going to sit and watch all of these and report in on DU.

P.s. This is my first thread :)

[Sparkly]

1. Hi and welcome

I think the networks will be very careful not to use exit polls to call states one way or the other this time. (The exit polls may actually be more accurate than the voting processes used, which happened in Florida last time, but oh well.)

With states so close, it could take until morning, but I hope not.

Whichever side doesn't "win" by first count will probably contest (especially if it's the GOP that loses) citing that the voting process wasn't fair or accurate.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

17. Lots of people will be doing absentee voting.

There are no exit polls for absentee voters.

[Bronco69]

2. Welcome!

:-) I'm guessing we should know by 10 eastern. Most of the swing states are either eastern or central.

[Birthmark]

3. If you want to go to bed early.

Just watch Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. When Kerry takes two out of three, it's over. (Have an eye on Virginia and North Carolina, too. If Kerry takes both of those then Bush is in for a real beating.)

[exsoccermom]

4. Since there are five hours difference between the UK

and Eastern Standard Time, you may want to just go to bed early and get up early. Even if it's called by 10 PM, that's still 3 AM for you. If you want, leave your number and one of us will give you a call.;)

[missouri dem]

5. When Ohio and Pennsylvania go blue you can chalk it up.

Say 10 - 11 oclock central time.

[Guaranteed]

13. Basically.

I think if we get Ohio, we'll easily get Iowa and NM, which is what we'd need at that point.

[NEDem]

6. My guess: it will be

in the middle of the night (state side) on the 3rd. I can't see it being called very early.

[Eye and Monkey]

7. Might know by Boxing Day

But probably not until 12th Night. If then.

I think it'll be contested.

[Sean Reynolds]

8. I think you'll get a good idea of where the election is heading early.

I think the networks will not act too quickly to call a state (like they did in 2000), however you'll probably get a good idea of where the election is heading early on in the night.

Typically eastern states will be projected before western states. Some MAJOR swing states are located in the east and I think that'll set the trend for the night. If Kerry/Bush grab a few eastern swing states, you'll probably get a winner before California closes its polls.

[tedoll78]

9. Here's my first big clue for the night:

If Kerry flips New Hampshire into our column, we'll know that it will NOT be a Bush blowout. Winning New Hampshire (the most conservative New England state) signals that Kerry is already running better than Gore did.

The margin might tell us something as well. If Nader barely registers a blip, that probably portends a national trend of Nader's already-weak support collapsing into Kerry's column. Now, if Kerry somehow wins NH by more than 6 or 7%, I'd say it's time for Bush to break-out the Maalox.

That's my theory. It might be wrong.

[Guaranteed]

14. Yeah, I think NH is the canary state. nt

[djack23]

15. Nice Theory

I think it will be pretty clear by 9:30 ET that Kerry will win.

[Nerdling]

10. :D

:D Firstly, Thanks for the messages and offers.

I'm training to be a journalist so I'm going to be sitting watching ALL NIGHT LONG and even planning on moving the PC down to the big screen TV so i can DUwhore and watch the talking heads all night long. I will NOT be asleep until I know who won the race. Errr... or rather... how big a margin Kerry won by.

Sadly CBS will be unavailable. I'm going to try and get some people to record the coverage and upload it for me purely for the Ratherisms. :D

I'll be watching, as will my friends. Who you choose is going to affect our lives and we eagerly await a Kerry win.

[Clinton Crusader]

11. JMHO, but Im figurin' on a long one - between 1-2am EST

hope Im dead wrong, Ill be so wired and so drunk by then, there will be a striking resemblance between me and Lloyd Bridges in AIRPLANE after he sniffs the glue..
:kick:

[cally]

12. None of the major networks will announce results before

the polls close in the West (pacific standard time) You'll get some hints on DU and the tone of the coverage before that. At 8, pst, we'll have a litany of states and who won. If it's a great night, we'll get Florida, NH, NJ, Maine....maybe NC and Virginia. If we get those, then we basically win the election. We'll all wait for Ohio (maybe an hour of so later). If the election is close, none of us will know until the morning. I usually go to bed and wake up very early to find the results. This year I will wait up all night.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

18. I think Maine will definitely go for Kerry..

The state went to Gore in 2000. I have a suspicion that New Hampshire will also go to Kerry.

Florida seems like a real toss up again. I suspect there definitely will be fraud since the governor is the president's brother. It's so evil. Has any other presidential candidate in the history of this country had the unfair advantage of having a family member governor of a highly populated state?

[Doohickie]

16. When will you know?

Right now, my British friend. Kerry has already won; the voting is just to confirm what we already know.

[liberalpragmatist]

19. Is British TV Covering the Results continually?

Or are they just offering periodic updates? I assume they wouldn't have a newsdesk actually following the election results like on US Tv or during a British election - am I wrong?

[Lefta Dissenter]

20. Welcome to DU

but this thread is making me nervous. Suddenly it seems very real and very soon!!! I have to work at the polls till at least 9pm central time, so if I'm home by 9:30 you guys had all better have great news waiting for me! I'll be away from DU, tv and radio all day (starting my day working at the polls at 6:40am)...

and while you're at it, would you have a great big vodka/tonic waiting for me, too? :toast: