Television

Election night is TV theater, designed to keep voters glued to their sets.

When Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1983, initial news stories reported him trailing his Republican opponent. It was reported that he slowly closed the gap during the evening and he was declared the winner by the end of the telecast.

In reality, Washington knew early on that he had won. His precinct workers had reported the results immediately after departing their polling places. Candidates with fewer volunteer stationed their supporters at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to get the results. So, they knew the outcome, too.

Viable candidates do not watch television coverage to find out if they won.