- Title: Americans in Paris cast straw votes as they drink cocktails
- Date: 5th November 2024
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 4, 2024) (REUTERS) STREET IN FRONT OF HARRY'S NEW YORK BAR NEON SIGN FOR HARRY'S NEW YORK BAR CUSTOMERS ENTERING HARRY'S NEW YORK BAR BARTENDER MAKING COCKTAILS STRAW VOTE BALLOT BOX CUSTOMERS TALKING WITH HARRY’S BAR OWNER FRANZ-ARTHUR MACELHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) HARRY’S BAR OWNER, FRANZ-ARTHUR MACELHONE, SAYING: “It’s the centenary this year.
- Embargoed: 19th November 2024 10:11
- Keywords: ELECTION FRANCE PRESIDENTIAL USA
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001723805112024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Americans in Paris gathered at Harry’s New York Bar in the Opera district, to cast votes in mock U.S. polls on Monday (November 4).
The now famous tradition was created in 1924 by Harry's Bar founder Harry MacElhorne for Americans abroad, at a time when proxy voting was not yet permitted. Any bar customer carrying a U.S. passport is allowed to cast a ballot.
The straw vote has been a pretty accurate reflection of real life polls. In the last century, it has only gotten the result wrong two times: in 1976 between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, and in 2004 between George Bush Jr. and John Kerry. In 2016, it reflected the popular vote won by Hillary Clinton, but not Donald Trump's electoral college victory.
At a partial tally last Friday (November 1), just days before the November 5 election, the Republican candidate Donald Trump led by a tight margin of 23 votes, mirroring the real life dead heat between Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“I have no clue of who’s going to win the straw vote tomorrow ", said Harry’s bar owner Franz-Arthur MacElhorne.
American customer Craig Hanson, who cast his mock ballot for Harris, said democracy was at stake in the U.S. elections, and that he did want to see a repeat of the 2021 storming of the Capitol.
"That was really an ugly sight and one that will be remembered in American history", he said.
The bar is reserved for American costumers on election night, and a count of this week's votes will be done at midnight, for the final tally.
American customer Ashley Gwaltney said she was happy to be away from the U.S. at such a tense political moment.
"It’s scary, like I don’t know it’s weird, because it could really go either way, and you can’t really tell who is going to win at this point," Gwaltney said.
(Production: Lauren Bacquie, Noemie Olive) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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