But on Tuesday night, when the winner was yet to be crowned, folks around the Valley headed out to grab a bite to eat. Some aimed to distract themselves from the numbers rolling in. Others sought the comfort of friends and family or participated in weekly events in effort to make the unusual night feel a little more normal.
For Phoenix couple Natasha and Jason Thompson, normalcy was the goal. After voting, they stopped by The Churchill in downtown Phoenix for Bad and Boozie Bingo, a monthly event hosted by Kaitlynn Boyd.
On election night, music from DJ Yeesus filled the space and the Phoenix Suns game streaked across the TVs in the background. Aside from people wearing stickers proclaiming their votes, it felt like an average Tuesday.
And, that was kind of the point. Boyd says there were conversations about whether to shift the date, as other bars had with events that fell on Tuesday. But ultimately it was important to move forward with an event where people could gather.
The Thompsons admit they don’t talk politics much, because they don’t always see eye-to-eye and supported different presidential candidates in the election.
While that may be unimaginable for some, “we don’t let politics dictate our relationship,” Natasha said.
“We have so much respect for each other’s opinion,” Jason added.
Although the Thompsons had hoped the news would be on the TVs at The Churchill, Jason had been checking his phone for updates. Natasha said bingo was an opportunity to get her mind off “the most stressful election ever.”
Emily Ewan and Alex Kohlhaas tried to distract themselves by grabbing a drink on election night. But as the map turned red, they checked in on the news.
Zach Oden
“We didn’t intentionally plan on coming to a purple state on election night, but I had to come in for a conference,” Ewan said.
“We decided it was feeling a bit cagey at the hotel, so we decided to take a walk and grab a bite and some drinks,” Kohlhaas added.
The couple were trying to unplug and step away from their phones, and had enjoyed burgers at the nearby Grapevine. They decided to grab a drink at Pattie’s, and the bar was showing the returns on one of two screens.
“Dinner was great, and the weather is amazing, so the atmosphere was perfect. But just seeing that red got us a little nervous. So now we are checking in,” Ewan said.
“We like this part of town. It’s just a short walk, and the whole area is kitschy and we thought that would lend itself to distraction. But now, it looks like Trump is up in Minnesota, so that’s not good” Kohlhaas reflected.
Ewan was sipping a house margarita and Kohlhaas nursed a Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA.
“I usually drink PBR, but this is a slight step diagonally. With more alcohol,” Kohlhaas said.
“It’s a little stressful,” Ewan added. “Not quite the vibes you want, necessarily.”
Canadian coal miner Jesse Krienke extended his trip to the U.S. because the election seemed "like a Super Bowl."
Zach Oden
“I’ve never played an election night, but I played the night the Suns lost in the playoffs. Tonight might not be that bad,” she said.
Zamora has been playing The Rusty Spur for three years, every Tuesday from 7:30 to 11:30p.m., This week, Zamora took the stage to The Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider.”
“It’s election night, and ya’ll look a little tense. Music and alcohol should help. If someone isn’t having fun, they have to buy the next round!” Zamora told the crowd.
The bar seats were full, and the patrons seemed jovial, many wearing MAGA hats and shirts. They cheered along.
Among the crowd was another out-of-town visitor. Jesse Krienke, a coal miner from British Columbia, was taking a vacation from the Canadian weather and decided to experience the election.
“I was supposed to go back yesterday,” he said. “I had come down to catch some football and enjoy the warm temperatures, and thought, fuck it, I want to see this.”
“I don’t really have a dog in the fight. I was a brewer before COVID and then shit got too expensive. I was married to an American, now I’m dating this lady coal miner. I called her and said I had to stay. This seems like a Super Bowl,” Krienke laughed.
Cousins Aryana and John Peña attempted to stay offline on election night by hanging out together at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
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The cousins said they feel indifferent about the presidential candidate options and were more concerned with the outcome of local elections, such as the Phoenix mayoral race, and ballot items such as Proposition 139, which addresses abortion rights.
“There’s a lot of important stuff down ballot for the state,” John said.
They didn’t have plans after Arizona Wilderness other than to continue their evening offline.
While some bars and restaurants aimed to help customers avoid the stress of the election, others awarded voting. Many spots around town offered discounts and freebies to those with an “I Voted” sticker on Tuesday.
At Jobot Coffee on Roosevelt Row, the reward was a little more permanent. Sad Boy Studio offered flash tattoos for $20.
Pablo Sapien, owner of Sad Boy Studio, offered flash tattoos on Tuesday. Cynthia Joy got two.
Sara Crocker
“We’re supporting politicians and politics and just trying to make a difference and change,” he says.
Both Sapien and one of his flash tattoo clients, Cynthia Joy, said they were feeling anxious on election day. Joy, a downtown Phoenix resident and esthetician, said she was using the pop-up as an excuse for some self-care.
“Today is a day of change and sometimes you’ve got to go and do things that feel good,” she says with her arm flat while Sapien filled color in her first tattoo.
Joy got two tattoos, a cactus with red hearts and arrows, and an equality sign, while wearing her “I voted” sticker.
While Joy has two new permanent reminders of Tuesday night, this election is one that will be hard to forget. On Tuesday night the tone was hopeful, if a little stressful and shaky. By Wednesday morning, those who partied last night are nursing a hangover in a very different America.
