With election night coming up, it’s a great time to throw a fun watch party. You can keep things relaxed while staying tuned in to the results. Here’s how to make sure everyone stays entertained and engaged all night long.
To make your election night party more fun, go beyond just turning on the TV and putting out snacks. Add some interactive games and themed decor to keep things lively and get everyone involved. Whether you’re setting up activity stations or planning creative games, these ideas will make sure your party stands out. Here’s how to make sure your event gets everyone’s vote.
Transform your space into election night central
Hosting an election night party is more than just gathering your friends to watch the results. It’s about creating a space that feels like your own personal epicenter of political action. With the right setup, you can turn your home into an exciting environment that gets everyone excited about the election.
Set the tone with invitations
An election night party differs from your typical gathering to get friends together, so setting the tone from the jump is important.
Make your intentions clear with the invitations, using a light and friendly tone to explain that this will be a night to celebrate shared enthusiasm for the political party you support or to follow the election results more broadly. This approach ensures clarity on what to expect and helps avoid any awkward surprises for those who may not be politically inclined.
Get your home ready for the big night
You can transform your living room into an election HQ that gets your guests into the spirit of the evening. Using a wall in your party space, build an Election Wall — providing sticky notes, stickers, and printouts — where guests can post their predictions, thoughts, or even memes as the night progresses.
You could also set up a mock newsroom to add a professional touch. Small knickknacks like a podium, anchor props, and a backdrop can create a fun photo booth. For extra impact, consider renting a projector to display real-time coverage and results on a large screen.
Kornacki wardrobe corner
Set up a “Kornacki uniform” corner with khakis and rolled-up sleeves, a nod to Steve Kornacki, the election analyst known for his enthusiastic coverage and signature outfit during election nights. Guests can wear the outfit if they want to channel their inner Kornacki and take part in updating everyone or making predictions.
Host a live exit poll
Bring the excitement of voting to your party by passing out ballots for guests to vote on silly topics. Using categories like loudest person, best snack, or most accurate prediction, tally results and announce winners periodically. You can also award small, politically themed prizes like flags or bobbleheads of political figures.
Plate up winning snacks
Food is a must for any party. For your election night gathering, get creative with it and set out a spread that is both delicious and punny. From patriotic-themed cocktails to a DIY swing state snack bar, these food and drink ideas will keep your guests happy as they follow the election results.
Serve food and drink with a bipartisan twist
Keep things light with drinks and snacks that reflect both sides of the political spectrum. Offer red and blue drinks for beverages, giving them interesting names like “Elephant Elixir” or “Donkey Daiquiri.” If you’re feeling cheeky, you can even make a purple drink called “The Swing Vote.”
Complement your drinks with easy finger foods like loaded tater tots, a guaranteed fan favorite that can be made in less than 40 minutes. For desserts, set up a “Unity Bar” where guests can decorate cupcakes and cookies in the colors of your party.
Don’t forget dips and spreads
Provide a selection of dips and spreads to add variety to your food offerings and keep the crowd snacking all night long. A spicy jalapeno cranberry dip adds a fun twist, while classics like hummus or 7-layer dip can balance the heat. Pairing them with dippables like tortilla chips and veggie sticks is easy to prepare and ensures that there’s something for everyone.
Other fun election night party food ideas:
- Whipped Feta with Honey Dip — A creamy and slightly sweet dip made with whipped feta and honey.
- Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms — Bite-sized mushrooms filled with a savory sausage mixture.
- Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts — A delicious appetizer with crispy bacon wrapped around water chestnuts.
- Beer Cheese Dip — A creamy, flavorful dip made with cheese and beer, perfect for serving with soft pretzel bites.
- Bacon-Wrapped Mini Peppers — Sweet mini peppers wrapped in crispy bacon.
Design a swing-state snack bar
Put together a snack bar with dishes inspired by key swing states. Think Wisconsin cheese curds, Pennsylvania soft pretzels, and Ohio Buckeyes. It’s a fun way to include some regional favorites and keep things interesting as your guests watch swing-state results come in.
Keep the momentum going all night long
Keeping guests entertained through the highs and lows of election coverage can be challenging. Having a few tricks up your sleeve, like high-energy activities or fun games, ensures that your party stays engaging from the first poll closure to the final state call.
Plan election-themed games
Consider creating a candidate or news anchor-related drinking game. Make a list of common election-related phrases like “battleground state,” “too close to call,” “electoral votes,” or “breaking news,” and actions like technical on-air glitches or salutes. Guests can drink as each of these things are said or occur.
For non-drinkers, this game can be set up like bingo, or you could even make themed mocktails with names like “Filibuster Fizz” or “Gerrymander Gulp.”
For those who may not be as invested in live coverage, keep guests entertained and test their knowledge with political pop culture trivia. Ask questions about famous political books, movies, and TV shows with categories like quotes, plot twists, and character names.
Election results prediction pool
Setting up an election results prediction pool is a great way to keep your guests engaged throughout the night. It adds a competitive element, makes the wait for results more exciting, and gives everyone something to focus on between updates. Here’s how you can set one up:
Create a simple prediction form
Before the party, prepare a prediction form that includes key election outcomes for guests to guess. Depending on how engaged your crowd is with the election, this can be as detailed or as simple as you like. At a minimum, include:
- Total electoral votes for each candidate.
- Which key swing states will flip or stay the same.
- Popular vote percentage for each candidate (for an extra challenge).
You can print these forms out beforehand or email them to guests so they can submit their guesses before the night begins. If you want to keep it paper-free, you could also use an online form or shared document where everyone can enter their predictions digitally.
Set a deadline for submissions
To keep things fair, make sure guests submit their predictions by a set time — ideally, before polls start closing in the first states. This way, no one is influenced by early results.
Let guests know the deadline at the start of the night, and offer reminders so everyone has a chance to participate.
Choose a prize for the winner
Keep it fun by offering a prize for the person who makes the most accurate predictions. This could be something small like a politically themed gift, a bottle of wine, or a fun prize related to the evening’s theme.
Whatever you choose, it should be something lighthearted to keep the competition friendly.
Track the results live
Throughout the evening, update your guests on how their predictions are faring as real-time results come in. You can do this informally, like reading out totals during a break in the coverage, or set up a chalkboard or digital scoreboard to keep track of everyone’s guesses and the actual results.
Announce the winner
Once the results are clear, tally up the predictions to see who got the closest. You can calculate based on who guessed the most states correctly, came closest to the electoral vote total, or nailed the popular vote percentage. Announce the winner and hand out the prize for a fun conclusion to the evening.
“270 or bust” party popper countdown
For a big hurrah and a memorable highlight, plan for a “270 or Bust” party popper countdown. Buy party poppers for all your guests, and when a candidate reaches 270 electoral votes, have everyone pop their poppers at the same time. It’s a fun, celebratory moment that releases some election night tension.
Use music to create the right atmosphere
Set the mood with a curated playlist of victory songs and energetic tracks to play through the night. Use songs like “We Are The Champions” for big wins, “Eye Of The Tiger” for nail-biting moments, and “Born in the USA” to channel your patriotism. You can even use this playlist for an election-themed karaoke on your TV when the live coverage slows down.
Start your countdown to a memorable night
An election party is all about mixing the intensity of the results with some fun and community. Make it a night to remember by turning your space into the heart of the action, with just the right balance of energy, decor, and themed snacks. With these ideas, no recount will be needed — your party will win by a landslide!
Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
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