U.S. presidential elections – in Paris.

“Harry’s Bar”, rue Daunou, was opened in 1911 as the “New York Bar”. The barman Harry MacElhone took over in 1923 and added his name to the bar. It has stayed in his family since. Among the guests over the years there are names like Ernest Hemingway (see my post from 2009 about Hemingway’s Paris habits), Ali Khan, Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Dempsey, Coco Chanel, the Duke of Windsor… and George Gershwin composed “American in Paris”.

This is also where for each U.S. presidential election since 1924 a “straw poll” takes place. You must be a U.S. citizen to participate. The results have always corresponded to the real result with exceptions for 1976 (Jimmy Carter) and 2004 (George W. Bush). The box is there and the U.S. ambassador (Jane Hartley) was the first one to cast her ballot a couple of days ago. She then also stated that only 5% of Americans abroad voted in 2012 – “let’s do better”. The “straw poll” results will be known only on the Election Day, November 8. 

(By the way, the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel is now again open – hotel recently renovated. I was there last week, had a Dry Martini – 30€. Nice, but it will not be on a daily basis.)