According to Google Trends, the search term “liquor store near me” was at an all-time high. Fast food was also searched for in huge numbers, with the term “fries near me” recording its highest search figures since 2004.
Liquor stores—which are sometimes closed on Election Day and the night after voting, and in some states are legally obliged to close—have been classed as essential shops during the coronavirus pandemic. According to Vice, this is because many believe a complete loss of access to alcohol could be “a serious health concern” for those with serious alcohol dependencies.
Alcohol acts as a relaxant for many people, which could explain why Americans are turning to booze to get them through the stress of election night.
Fast food is also a creature comfort for the U.S. population. In 2018, there were an estimated 247,191 fast-food establishments in the country, up from 243,698 the previous year, according to IBISWorld.
Many restaurants were providing deals and free dishes for voters on Election Day. It’s clear Americans needed their comfort food going into the night.
Other search terms that trended throughout election night included the return of “move to Canada”. Americans took to the search engine over the past 12 hours to find out the requirements for emigrating to the country’s northern neighbour. This prompted a humorous response from police in Bangor, Maine, who offered advice to people looking to cross the watery border.
On Twitter, users discussed whether they were going to head to their local liquor store.
Michael Bohlin, a senior editor at CBS Sports, wrote: “Liquor store next to the house is still open. #PositiveThoughts.”
Lauren Migaki, a producer at NPR, responded that her local store had a “v good turnout.”
Pineapple Media’s Eric Mennel wrote: “Liquor store owner in Prospect Heights says last election everyone was buying champagne, this year it’s spirits.”
Some stores were seemingly preparing for the worst, according to social media users. Reporter Jake Flanagin wrote that his roommate had said: “Yeah they’ve already started boarding up the liquor store ahead of tonight.”
Jennifer Elias of CNBC, however, said what we were all thinking: “For the 2.5 people who don’t already know where the nearest liquor store is.”
Speaking of which…
