in Paris, the Americans decided between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

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A hand slides a ballot into the box, immediately followed by an enthusiastic cheer. At Harry's bar, temple of the American cocktail in Paris, the election night is in full swing, Tuesday November 5, 2024. This year we are celebrating the 100 years of the “straw vote”. This artificial vote, originally created for the diaspora deprived of votes, has transformed over the years into a rather sharp prognosis. With three exceptions, he was never wrong about the new president-elect.

Beneath the festive atmosphere of the big evenings, a dull worry emerges. Who Donald Trump or from Kamala Harris will win the vote of Harry's voters? And above all, will the final results prove them right? Report from a feverish evening.

« Yes Trump passes… »

The hours sink into an American night with a particularly uncertain outcome. At Harry's bar, you have to elbow your way around. The shakers of the bartenders in white coats rhythmically cut the Franco-British hubbub. Whiskey glasses and cocktail glasses clash amid heated conversations. At the ends of the narrow bar, CNN is running on silent. The blue-red of the signs bearing the image of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris contrasts with the past colors of the pennants of American universities. Hot dogs and burgers disappear as soon as they are presented. The endless suspense pits stomachs and worries.

If the bar proudly proclaims its political neutralitythis evening, the Americans in Paris all seem to have come to support Kamala Harris. Leaning at the mahogany counter, Laurie, an American living in France for 12 years, is preparing for a sleepless night. “I'm nervous. I needed to be with people from home,” says this expert consultant on Europe-United States relations, dressed in Democratic blue.

“Americans are more divided than ever in recent history. People no longer talk to each other. If we don't want to fall out with our loved ones, we don't broach the subject of elections. At this point, we are not more on a difference of opinion. Each side sees the victory of the other as a disaster I am personally worried, because the consequences could be greater than ever. The French should also worry. , it’s an economic war.”

At each meeting, a new insomniac appears. Harriet, a sixty-year-old lawyer in New York, does the math while sipping a “Kamala”. “The polls don't close until 8 a.m. at home, that means 2 hours here. I'm not going to sleep well. If Trump passes, it is the end of democracy in the United States, and the start of a nightmare. Last time, there were sensible people around him. There, he has free rein to do what he wants.”

A worried youth

Outside the confined atmosphere – and reserved for an invited public – of the bar, the street filled up. Often youthful faces gather together, a cup of beer in hand. Students in Paris, Elsa and Elisa came to pick up near Harry's ” an American atmosphere. There are still a lot of French people too,” they qualify. Both say they are optimistic for their champion Kamala Harris. What if Trump passed? “We will stay four more years in France! “, they joke carelessly.

The subject, however, is rarely light in the crowd. Ecology, abortion, immigration, economy, same-sex marriage… A string of concerns is echoed in the mouths of anti-Trump people. “It’s really scary if he wins. I'm from Arizona, I have a lot of relatives with immigrant backgrounds. This vote affects my community,” confides Rebecca.

Jacob, from Oklahoma, nods. “We are used to talking about the President of the United States as the leader of the free world. With Trump, we will no longer be able to say that.”

“We almost never made a mistake”

For these young people, the outcome of the straw vote is “a mix of superstition and fun… while there is still time to laugh,” they add, with a knowing air. Reserved only for United States nationals, this symbolic vote opened one month before the election. Key figures such as the writer Douglas Kennedy and the American ambassador took part.

“It’s a family legacy that we are continuing,” defends Franz-Arthur MacElhone, great-grandson of the founder of the place and current owner of Harry’s. » Installed at a time when proxy votes did not exist, straw voting became a real fictitious polling station. “In 100 years of existence, we have almost never made a mistake,” he boasts. But the preppy style boss easily recognizes it: “This year, it’s very tightit’s going to be played out in a pocket handkerchief.”

Which way will the more than 1,000 votes collected lean? “We counted the votes every week. Harris led the first three. She was caught up little by little by Trump who overtook her by around thirty votes last Friday,” recalls David, a bartender for 10 years at Harry's.

“Count again!” »

Almost midnight. Franz-Arthur MacElhone carries the wooden urn at arm's length to the counter. Amidst cheers,'final counting begin. Bundles of paper are separated into two piles. We count and recount each pile, unfazed by the cries of impatience. The manager of the place climbs on the counter, where the score of each candidate is displayed. A sudden silence sets in. On the mirror, the numbers are drawn in white marker: 568 votes for the Republican, 534 for the Democrat. Disgruntled boos rise up. “Count again!” », shouts a voice in English.

Her “voted” label on her jacket, Mary displays a crestfallen expression. “I am very disappointed. Maybe that means something going forward. We thought that the Americans in Paris would be more open, more sensitive to societal issues.” “You might think that you don't vote for Trump when you're an immigrant yourself, but that's obviously not the case,” squeaks his companion Josh.

A Parisian regular at Harry's, Florence has another interpretation of this Trumpist vote. “The barattracts more and more touristswhich opens the vote to a population other than the American diaspora. Considering the results, I'm happy to live here. I like America, but ultimately, I prefer to experience it at Harry's.”

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