Election Night Celebrations (updated)
Kari Chisholm
OK, I've gotten something like a million emails and phone calls from people asking about election night parties. So, here's the deal:
First, and most importantly, before you read any further - make sure that you've earned your celebration. If you haven't canvassed, or phonebanked, or donated, or volunteered, well... there's still 30 hours left. Just go to your nearest campaign office and pitch in.
Second, there are parties all over the state and all over the Portland metro area. The main DPO celebration is at the Convention Center in Portland - and that's where you'll find Jeff Merkley, Kate Brown, Ben Westlund, John Kroger, and many others.
An important note: The main ballroom celebration at the Convention Center is a ticketed volunteer-appreciation celebration. All the tickets were distributed by the campaigns to their best volunteers. That said, many of the campaigns will be hosting their own mini-parties in hospitality suites throughout the Convention Center, and most of those are open to the public - as are the wide open spaces throughout the facility. (But if you're hoping to see the big speeches live and in-person, you'll need a ticket.)
If you're looking to escape the big crowds at the Convention Center, where else can you go in Portland? Here's just a few options:
- The Bus Project and Willamette Week are throwing a party at Grand Central Bowl.
- The Portland Mercury's party at the Doug Fir Lounge will be emcee'd by Steve Novick.
- The big movie screens at McMenamin's Mission Theater and the Living Room Theaters will be tuned to election results.
- African Americans for Obama will be at OAME, 4134 N. Vancouver Avenue.
- Looking for a kid-friendly option? Head over to the BackSpace Cafe - where Activistas, Poligots, and Momocrats will be coloring election maps with crayons and playing pin the tail on the donkey.
- ...and many more options, listed here by the DPO.
Update: Oh yeah, then there's the election night event that I helped organize (and somehow forgot to include!) No matter what party you attend, join the Progressive Happy Hour crew for a late-night election after-party -- at the American Cowgirl bar, across the street from the Convention Center. (And yes, they'll be open early too, with election results on screen - just in case the Convention Center gets overcrowded!)
Update: OK, there are other listings of parties popping up. Here's one from PDX Pipeline. And here's a listing from CultureMob.
Outside Portland, there's a whole lot of options. Just about every single County Democrats is hosting an election night celebration. They're all listed on the DPO's site. Be sure to page through the listing - there's a lot of them!
And of course, a bunch of your favorite candidates are throwing their own parties. If you're with a campaign, and your party is open to the public, please feel free to post the details here in the comments.
But don't let this discussion go to your head -- there's still lots of work to be done. Help get out those last few votes; a lot of races in this state, especially some of the legislative ones, will go down to the wire. Earn your election night party, leave everything on the road, and don't leave any room for regret on Wednesday morning.
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connect with blueoregon
Nov 3, '08
Thanks for putting this together, Kari--I was wondering where to go, and asked about this in a few comments last week. But I'm still torn. I want to go to a more progressive election party than the typical Democratic Party affair, and I guess that would be with Steve Novick at the Doug Fir--but that one is co-sponsored by those Measure 60-loving hipster shitheads from the Portland Mercury, and if their endorsement ends up making a difference, I need to not be anywhere near them on election night.
Nov 3, '08
There is also a party at the Greek Cusina sponsored by Tom Dwyer starts at 5 pm. Tom is a strong support of kpoj and should be a good time.
Nov 3, '08
I am amazed that it took the DPO so long to post the information on the Convention Center party on their website. Even now, it is not even in bold and is easily lost among the other events listed there. Prior to seeing this, I only knew that this gathering was a reality from a relative that is a big donor and from the convention center's online schedule.
Very disappointing lack of organization by the local party in this endeavor. Or are they just now recovering from the 2004 party blues?
Nov 3, '08
My wife closes her small business (no, not plumbing) for the day at 8 PM. By then Virginia should have declared for Obama and the POTUS race will be over. We will celebrate at our "polling place" (dining room table) with a bottle of champagne - and maybe an arugula salad. We will watch the local/state results as long as possible. Baked Alaska for desert.
Since we need our sleep, we won't be sippin' our lattes until the next morning.
Yeehaww!
Nov 3, '08
Usually I'm not one to promote piling on hapless folks without a clue, but I think your celebrations deserve to be pretty in your face kind of affairs.
The other side has been ugly beyond any stomaching this campaign, and a bit of gut wrench turn-about is fair play, I say.
This has been unendurable. Neighbors that think they know your voting status and harass day and night to my boss, a DHS director (tall, red hair and owns horses, not to name) today compare Sarah Palin and Barak Obama to Princess Leia and Darth Vader. On the job, she was sucking down YOUR tax dollars all the while.
I say let them know exactly what kind of losers they are. Allow yourself one night of immodest celebration.
Nov 3, '08
The GOP, 24 hours from now.
Nov 3, '08
To yet another thundering silence I say: do you want to party or do you want to finish the thing? There are votes to be counted. THat means monitoring, particularly as this will be the foundation for the next cycles of planning and organization to further improve the integrity of the voting process, as well as brainstorming to improve participation longterm.
I'll be in Clackamas where there is still a HUGE need for vote monitors - I don't even live in that County, but it's where it's most needed, looks like.
C'mon folks: you've worked hard, but while you are getting drunk and watching numbers, there will still be the work going on, not done yet. Anyone game for celebratory Spanish Coffee the TRUE morning-after?
You can have mine.
5:58 p.m.
Nov 3, '08
kari, we need Blue oregon buttons to identify ourselves! Can you go print some?
8:42 p.m.
Nov 3, '08
In Washington County, local Democratic Candidates will be celebrating at the Kingstad Center in Beaverton, 6-9PM
Nov 3, '08