US embassies in major European capitals are largely opting out of the traditional election-night watch parties, partly to avoid an awkward repeat of scenes from 2016, when diplomats had to mask their surprise in front of dozens of guests as the results came in.
Traditionally, these events were when journalists, foreign diplomats, and other high-ranking officials would come together to see how the US voted.
Politico was the first to report that embassies in London, Paris, Brussels, and Berlin are forgoing the usual election festivities as Vice President Kamala Harris faces off against former President Donald Trump in what is expected to be a very close contest.
Prediction models have characterized it as a coin-toss election.
Two elections ago, Samantha Power, the US Ambassador to the United Nations at the time, hosted a viewing party with a group of powerful women, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, and female ambassadors to the UN.
The party was documented in a 2017 HBO documentary, “The Final Year,” and showed guests becoming increasingly tense and emotional as it became clear that Hillary Clinton would not become the first female US president.
Similarly, Politico spoke to then-Ambassador Anthony Gardner, who hosted a 2016 viewing party at the US Embassy in Brussels. The outlet reported that as it became clear that Trump was set to win, the mood turned, with one woman weeping quietly.
A senior diplomat in Europe, who was not named, told Politico that the 2016 embassy events had been “calamitous.”
They added, “I don’t think there was appetite to watch another Trump victory.”
Though Brussels, Berlin, London, and Paris won’t be hosting events, Rome will.
The race for the White House is tight, with polling showing that both candidates are virtually tied in the swing states needed to win.
There’s another, more practical reason some embassies may be forgoing a traditional viewing party.
Simply put, the outcome may not be clear on election night — it could drag on for days or possibly weeks.
Knife-edge races in battleground states could mean that it takes longer to call the winner, and really narrow victories could result in recounts.
The US Embassy in London said as much.
A spokesperson told Politico that while it “appreciates the long-standing energy and excitement around US presidential elections which have been carried out over nearly 250 years of democracy,” it added that “election day does not end on election night.”
The spokesperson continued, “Time may be required to count votes and let the electoral process work.”
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