Contest: At what Exact Time Tomorrow Will the First Network Call Obama the Winner?

[ritehook]

Use Eastern Time, as that's where the network HDQ's are, and it's the time they always use.

(1) Which network will be the first to call the election for Obama?

and (2) At what precise time (EST) will the national election be called ("projected" the networks call it) for Sen Obama?

Winner of this contest will receive the ability to make 1000 more posts on this board, providing they abide by board rules.

[ryanXL977]

before 10pm est

[pimike]

before 10pm est

No way I'll bet you on that

[ritehook]

If memory serves, I think a few years ago (10?) the networks agreed to lay off the "projected winners" until the polls closed on the West Coast.

But Nielsen greed overcame that, I think. And there is a race between the major networks to be the first to project the winner. They all have a lot of folks working the "exit polls" to come up with their projections.

I think ABC is usually the first. But I'm not totally sure.

[ritehook]

I'll say ABC, and 9:43 PM EST.

[pavyracer]

Fox News 5:59 pm ET. McCain wins in a landslide.

[treece]

CBS. 6:48pm EST

[durito]

I've already called it.

[McBa1n]

between midnight and 1am ET... Unless Indiana goes for Obama, then it'l be really early.

[ritehook]

What might confound the exit polls is that a lot more states now allow early voting,so in some states (Florida I think) a lot of votes are already in the bag. Tho I think the early votes are counted last, which could screw the projections.

Who votes early? Seniors, I think mainly. But the Obama campaign has been making a big effort in states that allow early voting to get blacks and students to do just that, and that could more than outweigh the oldster votes.