Throwing a Federal Election Party

Throwing a Federal Election Party

October 19^th is coming! What are you going to be doing election night? How about throwing an election party? Here are some ideas to get you started. You know your friends, so pick and choose the ones that work for your crowd, or make up some of your own.

Invitations:

You can always invite people by text or FB or phone, but a real invitation either hand-delivered or sent through the mail is extra special.

Idea 1 – Include the graphic and link from Elections Canada reminding people to register to vote.

Something like this: 

Other designs are available at http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=spr&dir=promo&document=index&lang=e

Idea 2 – You could use one of these

Or a non-partisan version

You could get nostalgic with one of these

There are lots of memes you could use for your invitations. Or you can create your own...

The other side (or inside if you get all fancy and make a folded invitation) could be something like this:

Voting checklist:

• Make sure you are registered (http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx)
• Make sure you have the right ID
• Watch for your voter card in the mail
• Choose how you want to vote (advance poll, by mail, on election day...)
• Learn about the candidates in your riding and the federal parties
• Figure out where you are on the political spectrum (https://votecompass.cbc.ca/)
• Mark your calendar
• Come to my election party!!!!

Remember: Not voting is not rebellion, It's surrender!

You will need to include the details: the when, where, what to bring of your party. If you and most of your friends live close together you may all use the same polling station. You could arrange for everyone to meet somewhere and all go together to vote. 

Hand out "I Voted" stickers to your friends, or take selfies in front of Elections Canada signage at the polling station (don't try to take a photo of your ballot, you may get kicked out and lose your right to vote). In fact, you could have a selfie taken at the polling station and posted to instagram, twitter, or facebook as the "ticket" to get into your party (#Ivoted) - that way you can include those who don't have the same polling station as you in the "group vote".

There aren't many designs for a Canadian printable "I Voted" sticker, but here's a couple of designs:

Download this design here

Download this design here

These are compatible with Avery brand printer sticker sheets 22807, 22817, 22825, 41464, 41494, 22923, 22933, 22921, 22961, 80510  (Stickers designed by ArtThistle:
artthistle.deviantart.com )

Or you could design your own.

Setting up for the party

It's all about the poll results, so you want to have plenty of audio/video access. If you have a tv, tune in one of the 24 hour news channels (CBC News Network, CTV News Channel, Global News Network, or CPAC).  Even if you don't have a tv, all these networks livestream.

It might be a good idea to get a few friends to bring laptops so you can keep track of journalists live-tweeting the results, and follow the #elxn42 thread.

Decorating can be as simple or as complex as your imagination, space and budget allow. From life-sized cardboard cutouts of the party leaders (to take selfies with, of course!) to clusters of red, orange, green and blue balloons, to printouts of political memes... whatever will work to get people in the election mood.

If you do the balloon thing, you could expand that to have each cluster represent ridings in your community. Then you can pop all the losing ballons as the results come in. (See party games, below)

 Food can be as simple as chips and dip, or pizza, but you will want to have something on hand to much because it will be a long night. You could go all out and have themed food. Maybe a "Green" veggie platter; orange nibbles like cheezies, natchos, mandarin oranges, apricots, cantaloupe wedges, cheddar cheese cubes, etc.; red velvet cupcakes with strawberry icing, cherries, strawberries, etc.; blueberry cheesecake, etc.

Beverages can also be party-themed. 

Orange drinks: 

- orange crush (of course!)

- mimosas

- screwdrivers

 

Red drinks:

- red wine

- cranberry juice

- Caesars

Blue drinks:

- blue kool-aid

-  cocktails made with blue curacoa

Green drinks:

- green smoothies

- drinks made with absinthe

- green beer (beer with lime cordial)

Jello shots can be any colour you want, so why not have party themed ones?

And, of course, you'll want to keep a bottle of bubbly on ice, in the hope that the final outcome is the one you want!

Games, well, obviously! There is a Cards Against Humanity Canadian expansion pack. Apparently this edition adds these black cards:

In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the Royal Ontario Museum has opened an interactive exhibit on ____________.
Air Canada guidelines now prohibit ____________ on airplanes.
O Canada, we stand on guard for _____________.
What's the Canadian government using to inspire rural students to succeed?
CTV presents ____________, the story of _______________.

It also adds these white cards:

Snotsicles.
Syrupy sex with a maple tree.
Homo milk.
Heritage minutes.
Burning down the White House.
A Molson muscle.
Schmirler the Curler.
Naked News.
Terry Fox's prosthetic leg.
Mr. Dressup.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Being Canadian.
An icy hand job from an Edmonton hooker.
The Offical Languages Act. La Loi sur les langues officielles.
Don Cherry's wardrobe.
Canada: America's hat.
The FLQ.
Stephen Harper.
The Famous Five.
Poutine.
Newfies.

Trivia quiz

If CAH isn't your thing, you could try a Canadian trivia game to test everyone's knowledge. You can make up your own questions, but here are a few to get you started:

Canadian Trivia Game Cards

Print the cards and cut them out. Stick them on 3x5 index cards or just use the slips of paper. Put the stack of cards face down in the middle of the group. One person draws a card and ask the person to their left the question. If that person cannot answer, the person to the left of them gets a chance. It goes around the circle until someone answers or it comes back to the one who asked the question. If someone answers the question correctly, they get the card. If no one can answer, the asker gets the card. Then the person who had first chance to answer picks a card and asks the person to their left. This goes on until all the cards are gone. Each player counts their cards - the one with the most cards wins! (Get a prize from the local dollar store, or maybe one of those individually packaged fancy shots... )

Predictions game

 Have your guests predict the outcome of each riding. This could be across Canada, in your province or territory, or in your community. Put the predictions in sealed envelopes to open when the results come in for each riding. Give prizes for correct predictions.

Drinking Game

 Well, we have to include a drinking game, don't we?

Here are the key phrases to listen for:

"Too close to call"

"Swing riding"

"Crushing defeat"

"Unexpected lead"

"Scandal-plagued incumbent"

"Unusually high voter turn-out"

"Hard-fought battle"

"Battleground riding"

"An upset"

"Reclaimed the Riding"

"Orange wave"

"Orange crush"

"Lost the riding"

"Safe riding"

Off course, you can add or make up your own drink cues, but that's a few to get you started.

Tracking the Results

Print off riding maps for your community, your province, or the entire country. Have red, blue, orange and green pencil crayons (and dark blue if you are in Quebec) handy so your guests can colour in the ridings as results are announced.

Here you can find ridings maps

Alternatively, you can arrange coloured, inflated balloons in ridings groups around the room. You can represent your community, your province, the whole country, or the 128 "swing" ridings that could decide the election.

Assign each guest a few ridings and give them a pin. As the results come in, the guest responsible for the riding can pop the balloons of the candidates that did not win. Your party room becomes a 3-D election results diorama.

Music

What's a party without music? Here is a selection of election-themed tunes to get your party in the groove:

Harperman

Captain Stephen Harper& the Good Ship Hypocrite

The Harper Song

Stephen Harper Hates Me

Burnaby Song

I Couldn't Care Less

Steve, It's Time To Leave

Fools Like You (Blue Rodeo)

If I Had a Billion Dollars

Tories

The Prorogue Song

Get Duffy

Oppa Harper Style

I Want My Canada Back (Raffi)

There's Always Money For War

Stephen Harper Hates Me 2

Another Harper Song

There's Always Money For War

Save our Waters

I Don't Like Stephen Harper

What Up Steve?

Another Prorogue Song

Stephen Harper Song

Seriously, Mr. Harper

Farewell Stephen Harper

Scientists' Lament (Raging Grannies)

Harper's Agenda (Raging Grannies)

Harper, the Sneaky PM (Raging Grannies)

Harper, Statesman of the Year (Raging Grannies)

Raging and Radical (Raging Grannies)

Harper's Hymn (Raging Grannies)

The Omnibus Song (Raging Grannies)

Under the Bus (Raging Grannies)

CEAA Blues (Raging Grannies)

Hit the Road Steve (Raging Grannies)

Leave Steve

Pots & Pans (Stop Harper Rap)

Steven Harper, Like a PM

Celine Dion parody

Like a Rolling Stone parody

F*#! You

Conservative Love Song

Hey Harper!

Harper: He Prorogues (Bob Rae)

Troubles (Idle No More)

We Will Survive

I'm On a Break
 
Canadian Revolution 2015

Hey Stephen

Stop Harper - The Musical

The Pro-Rogue of Parliament

You Have A Choice

The Harper Song (Albert John Saxby)

Harper's G20

Oil Painted Feathers

 A Stephen Harper Song (grunge)

Harper Raps!

Stephen Harper's New Campaign Song

Go To The Polls!

Stephen Harper is an Asshole

Kanada Day

Heave Steve (Prince Albert)

Stephen Harper's Grave

We Don't Need an Autocrat

Stephen Harper Sez Goodbye

The Ballad of Stephen Harper

Take Back This Land

Hapless Harper

I Wish I Never Shook Your Hand Prime Minister Harper

Smoke Is Rising (G20)

So Long Stephen

Stephen Harper Blues

For What It's Worth Adaptation #MMIW

Mike Duffy- The Tory Bagman

Come Together (Harper Edition)

Harper Turn Around

Pocahontas (Neil Young)

The Reform Party at Burning Man

I Wish Stephen Harper Smoked A Joint

Harper is a Dictator (Raging Grannies)

Harper Hates You (rap)

The Postie Song

Stealing All My Dreams (Blue Rodeo)

Harper's Got To Go

It's a LONG list, but, hey, it's going to be a long night. Some are very amateur. Some are very professional. Some are funny. Some are a bit depressing. But they all have videos, so they are ready to be added to your multimedia event.

I will keep adding to this page as new songs or ideas come up. All suggestions welcome!

So, there you are! All set to throw a 2015 Canadian Federal Election Party! Time to get busy!