EMPIRE STATE BLDG | Signals Vote Total

For the first time, the Empire State Building
shows Electoral College votes on a bar graph.
Photo by JT Marlin from his apartment.

Nov. 6, 2012–For the first time, the Empire State Building today has been signaling the results of the U.S. electoral college vote. (If a lot of Americans have their way, this will also be the last time that the signal will be used. for this purpose.)

Like the election of the Pope, one can see the outcome of the election by looking at the top of the building. But the signal is not polluting smoke but the color of the building itself. The lights at top show progress toward the magic of the 270-electoral-vote target.

The light show is being provided by CNN. The left side of the top of the building shows Romney Electoral College votes in red and on the right the Obama Electoral College votes in blue.

For much of the evening the lights under the bar graph section of the building were red, white and blue. When Obama reached 270 electoral votes, the rest of the lights went to all blue.

The bar graphs were made possible by new LED panels. This is the first use of the new lights. Many Americans would like to end the Electoral College and use the popular vote to decide the election. In that case the bar graph would take on a different meaning.