Now that election day in the USA is actually here, many commentators re turning to the notion of process i.e. how the results are to be counted and when the results might be available. Tight presidential elections are not unknown, the closest recently being in 2000 when Al Gore conceded (perhaps wrongly) the state of Florida to the Republicans. There has been inquest after inquest into this election with many commentators conceding that Bush actually won but probably more voters wanted Gore to win but were faced with confusing ballot forms and wrongly cast their vote for a candidate called Buchanan. Above all, USA Today highlighted that its review revealed, 'The American system of elections routinely fails to count hundreds of thousands of ballots because of errors by voters, confusing ballot instructions, poorly designed ballots, flawed voting and counting machines and the failure of election workers to adequately help voters.' and this seems to have been the case here. I have heard two legal experts on USA election law giving their opinion in the last day. One was saying that in his view given the accuracy of modern voting machines, the amount of error in the system is incredibly small at least compared with any alternatives. So Trump challenging the result in 2020 was probably challenging the most secure part of the system. Another expert was of the view that we would not get anything like a result until Friday or Saturday. The Americans have a system of 'calling' a state when the lead of the winning candidate exceeds the number of ballots still be counted and therefore, mathematically, the candidate in the lead cannot now lose. But this 'calling' process is likely to be much delayed this time around as the results are so tight and no doubt there will be legal challenges and demands for a recount all over the place.
This morning tended to be a little dramatic but not in the way that we would have liked. But on our way down to Waitrose I experimented with having my iPhone playing Mozart tracks from the recently migrated App and this as we entered the store we had 'Meg, Mike, Mobility and Mozart' But as we were ordering our coffee we were informed that one of our friends (the one who uses a mobility scooter and elbow crutches) had sustained a fall within the store's customer toilet. In falling, she had banged her head but how badly I do not know but certainly cut her face and it was bleeding into her eye. The Waitrose partners were absolutely magnificent and administered literally 'first aid' by putting on dressings onto the wounds on her face and tried their best to make her comfortable. But of course, they had to follow protocols and neither move her or give her a soothing hot drink. Two staff at least administered to her and then a third member of staff who was first aid trained stayed by her side. Our friend had managed to telephone the ambulance herself and give whatever details and I said to myself that when the ambulance men arrived I would have a word with them and make sure that full reports were submitted to her doctor and, more particularly the social services because our friend is now certainly at risk and probably needs more support. Ambulance after ambulance seemed to flash by with their sirens blaring but after an hour and a quarter none had come to the assistance of our friend who was probably destined to spent even more time on a cold toilet floor. But the Waitrose staff found some blankets and were generally excellent. I thanked them copiously on our friend's behalf but, I suspect that like myself as we are their oldest customers and we are such frequent customers that they had pulled all of the stops out. One of the male staff who I know well even got onto her mobility scooter, never having driven one before, and managed to get it to a parking space at the back of the store where it would be both safe and secure. On my way up the hill I suddenly did not feel too well on the steepest section at the start of the walk home and wondered if I had a bit of delayed shock or just low blood sugar level but we got home and coped with a little wobbly that Meg was experiencing the minute I got into the house. Fortunately, a carer arrived not long afterwards whilst I got Meg warm with a cup of hot, sweet tea and a blanket. Things were running a little late today what with one thing or another so I cheated and made a 'quickie' lunch which was a tin of chicken in a white wine sauce, added to a tin of chunky chicken and vegetable soup, both enhanced with some petit pois and served on the type of microwaveable rice that is ready in 2-3 minutes. After this and later in the afternoon, we treated ourselves to the third episode of 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles which was as well acted and gripping as ever and helped the afternoon to whizz by. Naturally, the media is full of the news, such as there is, of America at the polls but I think that the earliest possible result will not be announced until about 1.00am GMT as we are five hours ahead of the USA. The American polls do tend to close a little bit earlier but, of course, it varies state by state and to British eyes, this all adds up to a very complicated and confusing picture. Equally confusing is the way that many states announce partial results congressional district by congressional district. So it might appear that one party is establishing a lead and the results are announced from an opposing congressional district and the provisional results seems to have been reversed.
November 5th is, of course, the traditional bonfire night. But although we have heard some of the whoosh and bangs of fireworks, we also heard some last weekend when families felt, no doubt, they had a bit more time at weekends. I also expect that some will even delay until next weekend, as well. So we now have a scenario in which the traditional bonfire night extends over a period of several days. As a marketing gimmick, no doubt, the ClassicFM radio station is advertising everyone a 'calm and soothing music for pets' service but I wonder if they end up with a multitude of satisfied or dissatisfied listeners?
© Mike Hart [2024]