The uncertainty and confusion caused by the United States election may be shocking but it is by no means rare.
Elections are drama, the stuff of dreams, of hopes dashed, sudden triumph.
National or local, they can be fascinating, as I found.
It started in Caerphilly. One of the perks for a local government officer was to have the day off, well paid, running a polling station.
A long day and, depending on where your polling station was, busy or boring.
Some stations were better than others. A draughty church hall could make it hard work while being next door to a pub or cafe and a take away was a bonus.
Probably the best in Wales was the front parlour in an ex miners cottage on the hillside overlooking Caerphilly.
It had been commandeered over the years by the council's medical officer of health and the chief sanitary inspector.
Stocked up with a case of beer - Red Label Bass - they welcomed the first voter and within an hour all 20 voters would have come and gone. Work done, they settled down for a blissful day.
My job was to chauffeur my boss, the town clerk, acting returning officer and in charge of the count, on his tour of the polling stations. He, too, liked his Red Label Bass, and those pubs were convenient.
By late afternoon he was not feeling well; the refreshment had not helped his bad cold and I had to take him home.
Sworn in by a magistrate, I was promoted to acting returning office. Luckily it was a local election and all went well.
National ones in Caerphily were memorable. Our day did not end with when polling stations closed.
We all went to an after the poll party in a local hall, hosted by the town clerk and paid for with his substantial fee.
Years later I was officer in charge of the count at Chiswick Town Hall where I had to tot up the votes, with anxious politicians looking over my shoulder, then give the result to the returning officer.
Kenneth Wolstenholme at 1966 World Cup final
Reporting for the BBC was Kenneth Wolstenholme, then the BBC's top football commentator, pressed into service to cover what was that day one of the country's key constituencies.
I still enjoy elections, but from the comfort of my bed, finally giving up in the early hours.
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