Welcome to The Eagle's Election Night Live Blog!
All night, we will be updating this blog with updates on House, Senate and presidential races from AU's major states (California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C.); analysis from SOC and SPA professors; hopes and goals from students; and reactions from political groups on campus. We'll be reaching out to the AU community all night. If you would like to have your voice heard, please reach out to our Campus Life Editor Dan Papscun (dpapscun@theeagleonline.com) or any of the Eagle staff working tonight.
Saturday:
11:38 a.m. Election Update: Following a tight and historic race, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to become the 46th president of the United States, after the Associated Press called Pennsylvania on Saturday. Biden’s lead surfaced late in his native state after winning the majority of mail-in ballots counted after Election Day, concentrated in population centers like Philadelphia.
The former Delaware senator also surpassed President Donald Trump in Georgia by a small margin Friday morning, a state which hasn’t been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992. While the AP hadn’t called the state as of Saturday morning, Democrat Stacey Abrams, an unsuccessful 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate, has worked for years to increase Georgia’s voter turnout.
The AP’s call comes as Americans reckon with a coronavirus pandemic, racism and economic hardship. On Friday, the U.S. surpassed its daily record with over 132,000 new reported COVID-19 cases and about 236,000 total deaths in the country since February.
The call also means that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is on track to become the first woman, first Black person and first Asian American to serve as vice president of the United States.
Biden’s journey to earning 270 electoral votes was characterized by a contentious battle with Trump, who has repeatedly made false claims about the democratic process as it didn’t turn out in his favor. During his presidential campaign this year and in 2016, Trump refused to commit to accept the election results if he loses.
Biden is winning the popular vote by about 4.3 million votes, totalling the most votes ever cast for a presidential candidate in U.S. history with 74.8 million votes.
—Sophie Austin
Wednesday:
1:04 p.m. Election Update: SPA professor and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia Daniel Gade conceded to incumbent Sen. Mark Warner (D) Wednesday morning in a post to his campaign website. Gade initially refused to concede after the Associated Press called the race for Warner early in the night on Tuesday.
“I concede and call on all of my supporters to recognize state and federal results with peace and unity,” Gade wrote. “No matter the results of the Presidential election, in particular, it is paramount that every American realize that we still live in the greatest country on earth, and to work towards ‘liberty and justice for all.’”
Gade thanked his family, campaign staff, supporters and volunteers, and said they outperformed expectations in what has been a safely Democratic seat for more than a decade.
“We were relentless in fighting for our Conservative values,” Gade wrote. “COVID has redefined campaigning and I’m extremely proud of the volunteers who sacrificed so much for our cause.”
—Dan Papscun
12:53 p.m. Professor Analysis: Allan Lichtman, a history professor at AU, is famed for accurately predicting the outcomes of presidential elections, which he has successfully done since 1984 (He predicted Democrat Al Gore would win the popular vote in 2000, but Gore didn’t win the presidency). He’s sticking with his August prediction of a Biden victory, he said.
Lichtman bases his prediction around 13 “keys,” or factors that assess the performance and strength of the incumbent party in the White House. Keys include the health of the short and long-term economy and prevalence of social unrest, among others.
“It's based on the insight that [in] American presidential elections, [voters] will vote up or down on whether the White House party should get four more years in office,” Lichtman said. “If six or more of the keys, any six, go against the White House party, that of course now is Trump, they are predicted losers.”
As a result of President Trump’s response to the pandemic, along with broad demands for social justice and economic instability across the country, the keys are in favor of Biden, Lichtman said.
He sees two major lessons to be learned from this election.
“We are the world's longest running democracy,” Lichtman said. “And that's great because we have great democratic traditions. But we’re also saddled with obsolete 18th century institutions, one of the worst of which is the Electoral College.”
Lichtman also said polling systems need a massive overhaul.
“Who knows what pernicious effects these terribly misleading polls have?” Lichtman said. “They were predicting an overwhelming Biden victory; did that discourage Biden voters from coming out? Did it discourage Trump voters from coming out?”
—Jordan Young
1:47 a.m. Election Update: Biden is set to win New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes. With over 60 percent of the state’s ballots counted, Biden maintains a strong lead with 61 percent of votes. New Jersey has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in the last seven election years. In 2016, Hillary Clinton defeated then-candidate Donald Trump, 55 percent to 41 percent.
Sen. Cory Booker (D) won his re-election, and 10 of the 12 New Jersey House seats have been called in favor of Democrats. One is still too close to call, while Republican Rep. Chris Smith defended his seat in the other.
Voters also passed Question 1 on the ballot, legalizing recreational marijuanna for people over 21 years old. In two other ballot measures, voters elected to expand qualifications for veteran’s property tax deductions and favored a measure to delay census redistricting if the census is delayed.
As of Monday, New Jersey met 90 percent of its total 2016 presidential race turnout with 3.5 million early voters. The state will accept mail-in ballots until Nov. 10, as long as the ballots are postmarked by Nov. 3.
—Skye Witley
1:35 a.m. Election Update: Biden is set to win seven electoral votes from Connecticut, with over 58 percent of the vote. Polls closed at 8 p.m., and early results indicate a Biden victory.
Connecticut, a reliably blue state, had one competitive race — its northwestern 5th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes is vying to keep her seat. Currently leading over Republican David X. Sullivan, a career prosecutor, Hayes is waiting to announce her victory until all votes are counted. The candidates are divided on issues such as healthcare and police reform.
—Sophia Solano
1:20 a.m. Political Organization Reaction: Gen Z GOP is a conservative organization that promotes political involvement from young voters within the Republican Party. The group aims to turn the party into an appealing alternative to the Left.
Elle Kalisz, a senior in the School of International Service and the group’s communications director, said the organization has been monitoring the election closely, following trends on Black and Latinx voting habits.
“Exit polls from the election demonstrate that the Republican Party’s draw for Latinx voters covers a broader swath from several backgrounds,” Kalisz said. “Despite the president’s rhetoric, conservative principles are appealing to these voters, and we are excited to include their perspectives as we address policies within their priorities, such as accessible, free-market-driven healthcare, immigration reform and school choice.”
The organization was also interested in youth voters in this election, Kalisz said.
“We think that this election is defining how youth voters can translate passion into action,” Kalisz said. “With high turnout and participation among young people, political parties are seeing how they can live up to their demographic as a considerable voting bloc within the United States.”
Kalisz said that the turnout from these three demographics was higher than the organization expected. Republicans now have a mandate to acknowledge a greater variety of voices moving forward.
“Gen Z is ably equipped to facilitate building a new policy platform for the party and country,” Kalisz said.
—Maegan Seaman
1:15 a.m. Election Update: SPA professor Daniel Gade, a Republican, said he is not conceding after the Associated Press called the win of Democratic incumbent Mark Warner in the U.S. Senate Virginia race.
Gade cited a need for more reporting and referred to the Associated Press as fake news in a speech posted on Twitter. The AP called the vote shortly after polls closed in Virginia at 7 p.m. According to The New York Times, as of 12:50 a.m., about 80 percent of the votes have been counted.
“Just like I conceded nothing in combat, just like I conceded nothing in the hospital, and just like all of us conceded nothing this entire race, I concede nothing and I’m coming for you, Mark Warner,” Gade said in his speech..
Gade is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, former White House veterans-affairs advocate and disability rights activist. He was wounded in combat and lost his right leg. He taught at the United States Military Academy for multiple years prior to joining AU’s faculty in 2019.
—Abbie Veitch
1:02 a.m. Professor Analysis: The presidential election has been a close call all night, with tight margins in many states.
SOC professor Jane Hall anticipates the result of the election will be closely contested.
“All I could say about media coverage tonight so far is that it appears that this is going to be closer than had been predicted,” Hall said.
Due to the large number of mail-in ballots that have yet to be counted, Hall thinks that TV networks are being cautious in their coverage while urging patience from viewers. However, that patience is difficult considering most media organizations are also showcasing tallies for their predicted results.
—Fariha Rahman
12:45 a.m. Student Reaction: After polls closed in New Hampshire, Samuel Smith, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and School of Communication, felt the concern often associated with being a swing state voter. Smith belongs to the state’s 1st Congressional District, which has repeatedly flipped between Democrats and Republicans since 2008.
Although all ballots haven’t been counted, the Associated Press called New Hampshire a win for Biden. Chris Pappas, the Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District, is also projected to win.
“Over the past few weeks, things have gotten a lot more intense in New Hampshire,” Smith said. “I think a lot of people are preparing for a really close election this time around, not necessarily as far as the Senate seat or the governorship goes but with congressional elections.”
—Eliza Schloss
12:30 a.m. Professor Analysis: Professor Betsy Fischer Martin, the executive director of the Women & Politics Institute, said that media commentators and analysts are having a difficult time calling races due to the unorthodox voting conditions caused by the pandemic.
The increase in mail-in voting is heavily impacting the timeline of calculating results, she said. Beyond simply slowing down the certainty of a given race, states have different processes for setting deadlines and counting votes, making TV coverage difficult.
“They are essentially having to account for three different buckets of votes: mail-in, early vote and day-of vote,” Fischer Martin said. “That’s why they have been much less apt to make calls in some of the big battlegrounds states. The most repeated phrase on television tonight is ‘too early to call.’”
She emphasized that House and Senate races are overshadowed by the presidential election, but news organizations are unable to make definitive calls in those races as well.
Fischer Martin said the Issues that matter the most to voters like the COVID-19 pandemic are also being under-reported by the media.
—Fariha Rahman
12:20 a.m. Political Organization Reaction: Throughout election season, AU College Democrats have made internal changes to advocate for and promote candidates that they believe will address systemic issues of America. This includes changing the system of congressional caucuses.
“If you were to take climate change, for instance, the Progressive Caucus would probably push towards how best to implement a Green New Deal, whereas the Moderate Caucus probably take the framework that Vice President Biden has laid out,” said Jeremy Ward, the executive director of AU Dems., said.
Dems has been working toward election season since the summer, employing efforts such as phone banking, voter registration drives, and campaigning. They’ve phone banked for candidates such as Joyce Elliott in Arkansas, Lauren Underwood in Illinois and Steve Bullock in Montana.
A lot of their efforts have focused on swing states, such as Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
“I'm really proud that not only did we go for House seats and then Senate seats and obviously for Vice President Biden, but that we had a very large, diverse group of candidates,” Ward said.
Part of the reason why Ward is so proud of the work that Dems has done is because he believes they’ve done a good job reflecting the goals of the party overall.
“I always say one good thing about the Democratic Party is … there are people who want to go one way and there are others who want to go another way, but we don't turn anyone away because we all have the same goals in mind.” Ward said.
The caucus structure of Dems was established to represent this inclusion, helping the organization address issues of disparity in healthcare, education and the economy.
—Sarah Mattalian
12:10 a.m. Political Organization Reaction: College Republicans for Biden has worked to provide an environment that mobilizes young conservatives to vote in favor of Biden this election season. Their efforts have included online guest speakers, virtual events, meetings with conservative news publications and connections with members through social media.
Christopher Trzaska, a student in the School of International Service who founded the organization, voted for Biden by mail, in his home state of New Jersey, he said.
“The main reason I voted for Biden is that I’m seeing what Donald Trump is doing to civil discourse in this country,” Trzaska said. “I think he is tearing down the foundations of what makes America a democracy; I think he’s making us weaker around the world and I think he is exacerbating the already deep divides within our country.”
As a Republican himself, Trzaska has worked hard with College Republicans for Biden to give young conservatives the space to explore the possibility of voting for a Democratic candidate. He said that the group has seen many positive responses.
“People who have always voted conservatively have come to us saying that they just can’t stand by Trump anymore, so they’re gonna vote for Biden this time,” Trzaska said. “Joe Biden is not just a palatable alternative to the president, he’s a preferable one. We think that a Biden presidency would go a long way in restoring America’s dignity around the world and at home.”
Trzaska believes that, by understanding the wrongs within the Trump administration, the Republican Party can begin building itself back up to the status at which it once was. He believes that the same goes for the United States as a whole.
“I think it’s important that everybody recognizes that, no matter who wins the election, it’s important for us to come together as Americans and understand that there’s more that unites us than divides us,” he said. “We need to try to understand what might’ve gone wrong this time for certain groups and how we can adjust those going forward.”
—Maegan Seaman
12 a.m. Election Update: Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) was overwhelmingly reelected to his Senate seat, defeating Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor.
Ballot measure Question 1 passed, amending the Right to Repair Law and allowing car owners to access and share data generated by the vehicle’s operation with independent repair shops. Ballot Measure Question 2, which would have allowed rank-choice voting, did not pass.
—Nina Heller
Tuesday:
11:50 p.m. Political Organization Reaction: The president of AU’s chapter of Black Girls Vote, Mackenzie Meadows, said that the national chapter has been working to get voter information out to Black women through a program called “Party at the Mailbox.” BGV is also hosting a virtual watch party Tuesday night.
“‘Party to the Mailbox’ has really been in the works so that all Americans are educated on the power of voting,” Meadows said.
BGV is a nonpartisan nonprofit, but Meadows feels that the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest has led to the increase in young voter turnout.
“COVID has affected the younger population... definitely for individuals in college getting a degree has felt like they got the short end of the stick,” Meadows said. “The current civil unrest during this time period or this administration is considered one of the most divisive, … and that's another thing that's added to people's attitude to go out and vote.”
Early voting and mail-in voting in many states indicate that Black voter turnout is much higher than in 2016.
—Abbie Veitch
11:40 p.m. Professor Analysis: School of Communication professor Scott Talan said that so far nothing has surprised him in tonight’s election.
Talan said it’s possible that the Senate will flip to the Democrats, which would make it difficult for Trump, if he wins the presidency, to get any legislation passed. Talan said by midnight he believes there will be a good, general understanding of election results, although it won’t be definitive.
The most surprising races Talan is watching are in Ohio and North Carolina, key states that Biden and Trump could need to win the election.
“Any Republican who has won the presidency has won Ohio,” Talan said.
—Kelly McDonnell
11:30 p.m. Student Reaction: As anticipation for a prolonged election night grows, AU students are considering their moves for the coming days or even weeks.
"We're probably not going to know for sure what happens [with election results] tonight, and I think that's okay,” said Julia Larkin, a junior studying political science. “A lot of people opted to vote by mail, and I think all those votes should be counted.”
D.C. area protests have already been planned as voters expect unrest amid election results. Trump said that if he believes that tonight's election is conducted unfairly, he may take legal action.
"I think it's really important for students of privilege, particularly if you're white, if you're not immunocompromised, and if you're able to do so, to go out and protest, especially for folks that cannot go out and protest,” Larkin said.
—Grace Newton
11:20 p.m. Election Update: Early results in Maryland suggest that Biden will earn the state’s 10 electoral votes. Biden has an overwhelming 72 percent lead. The state has long been considered a safe win for Biden, due to his consistent polling leads over Trump and the fact that Maryland hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.
Over 2.2 million Marylanders voted prior to Election Day this year; 1.3 million did so by mail, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. According to the state’s Board of Elections, ballots will continue to be counted until at least Nov. 13.
In addition to the presidential and local elections, there are two key measures on the state’s ballot. Question 1 would allow the Maryland General Assembly to modify the state budget it receives from Gov. Larry Hogan by adding, subtracting or redistributing expenditures, as long as the changes don’t exceed the original proposed budget. Question 2, if passed, would legalize sports betting at licensed facilities. The money earned from wagering activities would mostly fund public education. Both measures are set to pass with majority support.
—Skye Witley
11:10 p.m. Student Reaction: Sophomore Trent Szczucki traveled to his hometown in Pennsylvania from D.C. to vote for Biden, making the trip because of Pennsylvania’s vital role in the race as a swing state.
Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, might give him a competitive advantage over Trump, Szczucki said.
“I do know that Pennsylvania is really where both Trump and Biden have been going hard from campaigning, rallying and polls,” Szczucki said.
—Rebeka Rafi
10:50 p.m. Political Organization Reaction: Throughout election season, AU College Democrats have made internal changes to advocate for and promote candidates that they believe will address systemic issues of America. This includes changing the system of congressional caucuses.
“If you were to take climate change, for instance, the Progressive Caucus would probably push towards how best to implement a Green New Deal, whereas the Moderate Caucus probably take the framework that Vice President Biden has laid out,” said Jeremy Ward, the executive director of AU Dems.
Dems has been working toward election season since the summer, employing efforts such as phone banking, voter registration drives, and campaigning. They’ve phone banked for candidates such as Joyce Elliott in Arkansas, Lauren Underwood in Illinois and Steve Bullock in Montana.
A lot of their efforts have focused on swing states, such as Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
“I'm really proud that not only did we go for House seats and then Senate seats and obviously for Vice President Biden, but that we had a very large, diverse group of candidates,” Ward said.
Part of the reason why Ward is so proud of the work that Dems has done is because he believes they’ve done a good job reflecting the goals of the party overall.
“I always say one good thing about the Democratic Party is … there are people who want to go one way and there are others who want to go another way, but we don't turn anyone away because we all have the same goals in mind.” Ward said.
The caucus structure of Dems was established to represent this inclusion, helping the organization address issues of disparity in healthcare, education and the economy.
—Sarah Mattalian
10:35 p.m. Student Reaction: Junior Areeba Yasin is working on a congressional campaign as a communications director for Democrat Georgette Gómez, a candidate for a seat in the House of Representatives for California’s 53rd Congressional District. For this election, Yasin cast her vote for Joe Biden through a ballot drop box. Yasin believes that there has been a large millennial voter turnout in this election.
“I also work on a congressional campaign down in San Diego, California, and it's been really interesting just because, this is like my first-hand knowledge of how I've seen voter turnout, but it seems like a lot of younger voters are really excited and really motivated to vote, and I haven't really seen that in the past few years,” Yasin said. “I definitely didn't see it during the last presidential election. I was a lot younger then, but still I didn't see any millennial or Gen Z turnout.”
Yasin has been preparing mentally for whatever outcome of the election comes to pass. Many right-wing militia groups have threatened to riot if Biden wins the election, a threat felt acutely by people of color.
“It takes a lot of just, you know, emotional counseling and healing and patience just to be like, alright, I know this is not perfect. This is not great, but [Joe Biden] is the better of the two choices, and it has to be done,” Yasin said. “[My family and I] are people of color. I live in a pretty safe neighborhood, but I wouldn't count on that. I'm just trying to like be cautious of any protests, or anything that may happen tonight, or throughout this week.”
Yasin believes that Biden selecting Kamala Harris as his running mate was a calculated move. Although Yasin has some issues with these candidates, she still is inspired to see a woman of color running for a top position in government.
“For my South Asian community, it's really, really powerful to see someone with a similar background as us in such a powerful role and I think that really motivates people to care, or at the very least, to be more informed, and to just vote for her,” Yasin said.
Yasin has concerns about the mail-in ballots causing a delay in election results. However, she is hopeful that the almost record-breaking voter turnout is a result of people becoming more aware of the importance of this election.
“I think the longer it takes to have a final count on the vote, the more troubling it is. I think that opens a lot of room for just dangerous things to happen, and that's partially why so many of us are scared and fearful,” Yasin said. “But it's also really great to see that voter turnout has been a record high. It's really exciting to see that so many people are participating.”
—Rebeka Rafi
10:15 p.m. Political Organization Reaction: American University College Republicans are excited to see multiple Republican wins throughout the nation, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over Amy McGrath in Kentucky, the reelection of Michael McCaul in Texas and a high turnout of Republican voters in Arizona.
“It's a good indicator of where the Republican Party is at and what we can achieve tonight,” said Noah Burke, AUCR’s vice president.
Burke’s focus is also on Republican women winning seats in the House and Senate, a sentiment that echoed throughout AUCR this fall.
“We want … people in the House to be able to voice their support for Republican women across the country,” Burke said. “I was that's kind of what we've been doing up until election day.”
Throughout the fall, AUCR has endorsed numerous Republican female candidates, such as Nicole Malliotakis in New York and Nancy Mace in South Carolina.
“You know, we have to admit, in 2018 it was a significant win for Democratic women,” Burke said. “I think this year we’re really focusing on winning just as much for Republican women.”
In 2018, 117 women won seats in Congress. 100 were Democrats, 17 were Republicans.
—Sarah Mattalian
9:55 p.m. Student Reaction: Polling results show the battleground state of Florida leaning toward Trump in an extremely close race. Florida, unlike many other states, will likely have most votes counted by tonight, including mail-in votes.
Sarah Duval, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and Florida resident, said that while she was hoping for a Biden victory, she’s not surprised by Trump's lead.
“I'm honestly just feeling kind of neutral,” Duval said. “Even though polls were like, ‘Biden can win, Biden can win,’ I know my state.”
In Florida, voter turnout is at a record high with one precinct reporting a more than 100 percent voter turnout increase.
In a statement to The Eagle, Alexis Glasgow, a senior from Clearwater, Florida, who is working with an election group called For Our Future Florida, said, “The turnout for Florida is extremely high compared to other years, and mail-in ballots were at an all time high. I am so proud of the work we did and definitely think we made a huge impact in turning our particular swing county, Pinellas County, blue.”
—Abbie Veitch
9:40 p.m. Election Update: Democrat Sarah McBride, former AU Student Government president, won her state Senate race in Delaware on Tuesday. She will be the first openly transgender state senator in the country.
McBride defeated Republican Steve Washington in a race for the state Senate seat left open by Democrat Harris McDowell III’s retirement. With 91 percent of the vote, McBride overwhelmingly won her primary election in September.
“We did it. We won the general election,” McBride tweeted Tuesday night. “I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too.”
McBride made history at the 2016 Democratic National Convention as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention. She later served as national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign.
“This campaign has reinforced for me that people are hungry for conversations in our politics that are rooted in kindness and compassion, and it's reinforced for me the desire for change and progress … on issues ranging from better health care to education to the environment,” McBride said in an October interview with The Eagle.
—Sophia Solano
9:10 p.m. Student Reaction: Eric Perless, a graduate student in AU's economic program, has been working as field director for Sam Edney, a Democratic candidate for North Carolina's House of Representatives District 113. Perless said his goal, and any organizer’s goal, is "to organize yourself out of a job."
A day before Election Day, Perless said he felt a mix of emotions: intense anxiety and excitement for tonight's results, especially considering the close to eight months he's put toward Edney's campaign. Perless said the results of Edney's race could be close. If Edney does win, it would be an "underdog upset" in a district that favored Trump in the 2016 general election, Perless said.
"I think that's helped to calm our nerves a bit," Perless said. "We don't think we're blowing a winnable race; we think our opponent is blowing a winnable race. Win or lose, we're going to be proud of the work that we put in."
—Eliza Schloss
8:40 p.m Professor Analysis: Throughout their time on the campaign trail, Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have employed specific strategies aimed at garnering greater shares of the vote total.
Candice Nelson, a professor in the School of Public Affairs and the academic director of the Campaign Management Institute, explained during an interview on Monday that the Biden campaign has hosted rallies using drive-ins in order to maintain social distancing. The Trump campaign, on the other hand, has been holding large, in-person rallies.
“The Trump campaign has been knocking on doors as I understand it,” Nelson said. “The Biden campaign has not until pretty recently, and there's some concern that that may hurt Biden in Florida in terms of turnout.”
She also emphasized the importance of each candidate getting their message out to the voters.
“The Biden campaign message for a long time was social distancing, wearing a mask [and] not having big rallies,” Nelson said. “It's important to get your message out, but you have to have a message, and I'm not sure what President Trump's message is going into these last two days.”
—Jordan Young
8:15 p.m. Student Reaction: As polls begin closing in select states, AU students look back on the last four years and the impact they’ll have tonight. Second year MPA student Tom Lebert first came to AU for his undergraduate degree in 2017, the year President Trump was inaugurated.
“One of my goals in coming to AU and studying politics was trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess,” Lebert said. “My freshman year, I did join the AU College Democrats and served as treasurer in the spring of 2018. I know a lot of the talk was about what kind of ground work can we lay, what kind of preparation can we get, even two and a half years out from this election.”
Not only are the number of young voters surging this election, but Millennial and Generation Z also make up key portions of campaign volunteers. Emily Coneybeare, a junior double majoring in political science and history, spent her morning phone banking in swing states like Pennsylvania and Iowa, for example.
“You see a lot of young people volunteering on campaigns, poll working and voting, the turnout was already so high this year and it's really cool to see," Coneybeare said.
— Grace Newton
8 p.m. Professor Analysis: School of Public Affairs professor and NPR contributor Ron Elving is predicting 50 to 60 million more votes to be cast today in addition to the 100 million early votes, which would make this election the biggest in U.S. history, he said in an interview Tuesday morning.
Elving said three key states, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida, will report their votes before midnight tonight. In the 2016 election, Florida’s panhandle counties flipped the state 1 percent to favor then-candidate Donald Trump, which could happen again, Elving said. But, with so many new voters, Elving added that the panhandle counties may not have as much sway during this election.
“If Biden were to win Florida, people would think he was winning the election. If Trump doesn’t win Florida, he’s having a bad night,” Elving said. “My guess is that Biden wins the popular vote pretty easily … but that doesn’t make him president.”
— Kelly McDonnell
Our team:
Reporters: Alisha Chhangani, Isabella Goodman, Nina Heller, Ben Johansen, Sarah Mattalian, Grace Newton, Fariha Rahman, Rebeka Rafi, Eliza Schloss, Maegan Seaman, Sophia Solano, Skye Witley, Jordan Young, Abbie Veitch, Kelly McDonnell
Editors: Sophie Austin (Editor-in-Chief), Dan Papscun (Campus Life Editor), Daniella Ignacio (Managing Editor for Online), Kelly McDonnell (Managing Editor for Life), Spencer Nusbaum (Managing Editor for Sports), Georgina DiNardo (Managing Editor for Copy), and Emmanuel Boardman, Vincent Russo, Gabriel Ferris, Jessily Crispyn, Molly Rearden and Danielle Mistretta (Assistant Copy Editors)
