Election 2019 - A Guide To Staying Up For The Result
Are you planning on staying up for election night? Me too! Well I’m going to try to anyway, I usually end up K.O’d on the couch after too much tea and tweeting. In the past I’ve worked on a few election/ referendum night programmes so I’ve been contractually obliged to stay awake for the duration of my shift and if I can do it, so can you! Here’s
some advice that might help:
No Caffeine
If you know in advance you’re going to pull an all-nighter then the day before is a good place to start. Try and sleep, nap or rest as much as you can. If you can’t and have to work like a normal human being then avoid tea, coffee or energy drinks. Drinking them during the day will only burn you out by the time you get to 10 PM
Pick a Programme and Stick With It
It’ll be tempting to flick between the different all night programmes that are on offer, try not to. They’re all getting their information at the same time, the only real difference is how they deliver it and the type of guests they’ll have on. In Scotland you can choose from the following:
Election 2019: Scotland - “The team present coverage of the 2019 general election with all the key moments from across the country. Presented by Glenn Campbell with analysis from Brian Taylor and guests throughout the night.”
Election Café 2017 - “Join Nick Sheridan and Fiona Stalker for an irreverent take on the very latest from election night.”
Election 2019 Live: The Results- “Bernard Ponsonby anchors through-the-night coverage of the 2019 General Election results from Scotland and other parts of the UK.”
C4’s Alternative Election Night - “Channel 4 is hosting a live eight-hour Alternative Election Night show on Thursday, 12th December. The coverage will be hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Katherine Ryan along with Rylan Clark-Neal who will be sense-checking results with a specially invited studio audience.”
Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2018 -”Featured incidents include Ant McPartlin's drink driving.”
Stay Connected
Multi-screen viewing is a thing, you’re probably doing it now, so as well as watching the events unfold on TV across the night following the right people on Twitter, you can start with this list and this list for more Scotland specific jurnos.
Snacking
Try to avoid having one big meal, it’ll only make you want to go to sleep. Snacking both savoury and sweet across the night is the way to go. I recommend Pringles, but all the tubs as different party colours. Then you could theoretically pile up the crisps as the night goes on, one crisp is a seat won by a party. Use it as your own way of monitoring the outcome. Or you could just be boring at eat them… For sweet, try to spread your sugar intake across the night so you’re less likely to crash about 3 AM when stuff starts getting good.
Get Involved
LOADS of people will be live tweeting their election night, join them, interact with the programs you watch. Start a discussion, comment on whats going on, be part of the night as the result becomes known. Doing this will keep you focused and you’re brain active so you’re less likely to drift off on the couch.
When To Go To Bed
The first wave of people go to bed not long after the exit poll. The next after the first few results come in. That's followed by the 2 AM lot, they leave the fray just before things get interesting. I think if you’re in it for the long hall then the earliest you can go is after the official prediction. Then you’ve seen the dramatic stuff, and you know the outcome, just not the detail.
Be Nice or Get Over It
Whatever the outcome, try and be nice about it… until we have to start getting ready for the next one, which given the current rate will be in about 9 weeks time.
This is an updated version of a post from 2017
It can be hard to say goodbye to something that has meant a great deal to you across your life.