[Arthurio]

These early projections just blow, whether in 1980, or Florida 2000 when Republicans were still voting in the FL panhandle.

So many polls, so much money spent.. how about counting the votes before declaring a winner?

[Sacajaweau]

Same scenario as Election 2000 starring Timmy Russert and his magic marker.

All these polls.....I call them "Tim Russert Syndrome" polls...cuz they're not meant to be truthful, they're meant to be influential.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

“A mayor protested that it “effectively ended the races even before the polls in her area are closed.””

Here, in Canada, national election laws prohibit news about results, until polls close in the west. That doesn't work very well, in the Internet age; so poll results aren't released until voting is mostly complete in the west.

We don't vote directly for the Prime Minister (just our local MP); so, even if you know that your side won't form government, it still makes sense to vote for your local MP.

It seems to me that this is probably more important in the US, where you vote directly for President (albeit once-removed, through the electoral college).

[11th Commandment]

I am old enough to remember that John Anderson was running as an Independent, doing well, but faded as election day came. By calling the election early, the media was helping Anderson by encouraging people in the west to vote for Anderson so he could get federal funds... He received over 5% of the vote and funds. - ANY FREEPERS remember differently-

[Signalman]

Brokaw: “I don’t think anyone anticipated it would be a floodgate for Reagan”.

Tonight, they’re going to say the same thing, except they’ll be referring to Romney