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FWIW, as a Briton-turned-American, it’s always struck me as very bizarre how they start announcing results on the east coast here, while people on the west coas
by jrmg 3y ago
FWIW, as a Briton-turned-American, it’s always struck me as very bizarre how they start announcing results on the east coast here, while people on the west coast (not to mention Hawaii and Alaska!) are still voting. Surely it affects results?
The practice of the media predicting results based on exit polls and then everyone just treating them as if they're authoritative is equally bizarre.
- NeoTar 3y agoThe argument I've heard from some US-Americans supporting the practice is that it's not the same election - i.e. you aren't electing Joe Biden, you are electing members of the electoral college for state XXX.
- iainmerrick 3y agoThat’s a really flimsy defence.
- pxeger1 3y agoYou’re not electing members of the electoral college though right? You’re electing who you want the electoral college members to vote for.
- lokar 3y agoMost media waits to make calls until polls close on the west coast. But the incremental results: we have distributed elections. For the people reporting results the election is over.
- bombcar 3y agoThat’s just a variation of the effects of mass market elections. If you only vote for president? There’s no reason to go to the polls in the majority of states. The problems even worse in Australia where voting is mandatory with a fine but if you’re in Western Australia you could be “forced” to vote in an already concluded election.
- AussieWog93 3y agoThat's a pretty big oversimplification. Western Australians are voting for completely different MPs and Senators to people in other states/electorates, and even if they weren't it's a small price to pay compared to having half the country not turn up on voting day.
- nervlord 3y ago[dead]
- nopassrecover 3y agoAgreed - what would be the harm in holding counting, or at least publishing/communicating counts, until all votes have been cast?
- jowea 3y agoIMHO there's a lot of little and big things that feel quite bizarre about US democracy when compared to most others. A consequence of being both the first-ish and never having a government change.