Day 232: Election

It looks as if there will be no clear result tonight. It might all come down to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and beloved Michigan.

It is hard to think about 2008 when we sat at Gullistan's with people we didn't know and cried happy tears as Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. The election was called early, before 10. The joy was so loud that Tessa got woken up.

We had decided to not go to Chicago because Tessa was so little and I was unsure as to how the large crowd would behave (I have learned that even large crowds are quite tame in North America). So, when the local Obama campaign center invited us to join everyone for dinner (we had volunteered in their call centre and took 6 month-old Tessa canvassing), we didn't hesitate.

It turned out to be a very exciting night, full of promise and joy, where strangers shared hopes for a better world and for change. It was magic and free. And, for a moment, the world smiled.

10:52 pm

Canada cases 247,916

Deaths 10,334

Recoveries 206,691

World cases 47,404,173

World deaths 1,213,693

World recoveries 31,608,668