Politics on the rocks. The straw vote at Harry’s Bar, in Paris, has predicted the results of the American presidential election as accurately—if more drunkenly—than many more scientific polls. Click here to go to the article in Airmail News.
Summary: Harry’s Bar in Paris has held a mock U.S. presidential straw vote every election year since 1924, originally created so American expats—unable to vote absentee—could still participate symbolically. Each October, U.S. passport holders cast ballots in a locked wooden box, with weekly tallies written on a mirror behind the bar. In 2024, Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump 65% to 35% among participants. Despite its playful atmosphere, the poll has been highly accurate, missing the national result only three times in a century. The bar becomes a lively space where Americans debate politics over cocktails.