American voters hit the polls Nov. 8 to take part in what many describe as the most historic election to date.
If you’re not content to watch from home, or lucky enough to have an invitation to the US Consulate’s private viewing party, we offer five places to check out the results of the 2016 Presidential Election.
The Den at U of C
Campus Election Party by the Gauntlet Publications Society and the Den
The Campus Election Party hosted at the University of Calgary’s student pub, the Den, is the best place to watch the election results as a student. The Gauntlet’s party isn’t exclusive to University of Calgary students, but the atmosphere will be best suited for millennials.
The party starts at 7 p.m. and coverage will continue throughout the night, with the Den selling red and blue beer. Viewers who come dressed as any of the candidates will earn a free sampler of the Den’s lager. No invitation or cover charge needed, and more information can be found on Facebook.
Kilkenny Irish Pub
Democrats Abroad – Calgary’s US Election Watch Party
The best option for Americans living in Calgary would be to view it with fellow patriots at the United States Consulate, but when reached for comment the Consulate told us their party is invite only. Instead they suggested that Americans living in Calgary should check out the Democrats Abroad watch party starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kilkenny Irish Pub in Brentwood.
Registration is free and open to all on the official Eventbrite page, but Trump fans may want to find an alternative viewing party, as Clinton supporters will likely be in full force because Democrats Abroad Calgary is the official arm of the Democratic Party in the city. If you still want to give your “yuge” support with fellow Americans abroad, maybe keep your excitement on the down-low.
Schanks Sports Grill
Liberal Party of Canada’s US Election Night Party
The Liberal Party of Canada is opening their doors to “all political stripes” at Schanks Sports Grill on MacLeod Trail South. Unlike previous events, there is a cover charge for the Schanks event, but you can be comforted knowing that the $20 fee includes appetizers.
Coverage starts at 5 p.m. with polls starting to close around that time. If you’re finishing work at that time, the party doesn’t end until later in the evening, so you should still get your $20 worth.
The Blind Monk
Election 2016 – Race to the White House
Hosted at the Blind Monk on 12 Ave SW by the Calgary-Buffalo Progressive Conservative Association, Election 2016 – Race to the White House is another open event in Calgary. The event at the Blind Monk offers an alternative to the Liberal Party and Democrat events because of its conservative affiliation.
Tuesday nights are also wing night at the Blind Monk, so if you’re making your decision entirely based on the food anecdotes scattered throughout this list, this might be the best one yet! The event officially kicks off at 6 p.m., so if you play your cards right you might be able to hit up each event in Calgary.
Online Spaces
Okay. This isn’t technically a fifth place. But if you’re set to track the election online, we have some recommendations on how to up your viewing experience.
Right now, one place that’s been covering the election substantially is NPR. The 2016 election cycle has seen NPR team up with PBS to provide real time, in-depth coverage of every big event – and that won’t be changing for Nov. 8. NPR will be live starting at 6 p.m. on Facebook, the NPR One app and their website.
Politico is another website that will be out in full force on Nov. 8. Politico provides a detailed interactive map for election day, along with a livestream. If you’re on the go, the Politico map is formatted to work with whatever screen size is available.
VoteCastr is another website providing rich interactive data. Although they’re new to the game, VoteCastr is adding to the experience in a big way. Rather than providing breakdowns after the information has been released by the big networks, VoteCastr will be providing vote-by-vote breakdowns of the election results.
For the best of everything, we suggest you follow NPR, Politico and VoteCastr on Twitter. Speaking of Twitter, it might be useful to check out the candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, on the platform.
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Whether they’re staying home to prepare for the apocalypse or maybe they don’t typically go out on a Tuesday night, many will be choosing to watch the election results from a great distance in the comfort of their own homes.
Regardless of how you take in the event, the 2016 election is a great opportunity to have a dialogue with friends and family about the importance of voting domestically. Results will be easily viewed on cable networks or online. Much like the presidential debates, expect to see a variety of biased and unbiased streams available on streaming sites such as YouTube.
United States Flag icons by anbileru adaleru from the Noun Project
The editor responsible for this story is Bigoa Machar and can be contacted at bmachar@cjournal.ca