The 2020 general election has been a historic event. With so much uncertainty, many feelings are coming in waves. The closeness of the election is what has made it so nerve-racking for many, particularly since the election was not called until Nov. 7, four days after Election Day. No matter how students voted at Meredith, everyone’s feelings about the election are valid.
Zoe Hedelund, a current junior and President of the College Republicans club at Meredith, shared her point of view about the election. She stated, “It is a very anxious time [around] Election Day. Having inaccuracies popping up, or questionable votes, is a scary thought. A fair and accurate election is all we should care about, and hopefully the result we get reflects that priority.” With so many methods of voting being utilized this year, it is understandable that many are wary of the possible mistakes that could come with it. Some states are not used to having so many ballots come in the mail, rather than being cast in person, and the uneasiness that comes from this is prevalent. From the Republican perspective, many believe that this will lead to inaccurate votes or voter fraud. Hedelund later stated, “I would say that the media has declared the predicted president-elect. There will still be months of legal processes while we wait for states to officially call states. I don’t think we are in [the] post-election [period] now either.” With some states still unaccounted for, many believe that there is still a chance that the news of who the president-elect is will change.
Another student, Consepcion Cruz, ‘23, commented, “I’m optimistic but also nervous at the same time. Biden is leading right now and he is who I voted for, but Trump has already threatened to sue due to voter fraud, which is ridiculous.” Lauren Guarino, ‘24, said, “Right now I’m mostly just worried about what Trump is going to try to do to [delegitimize] results. I think with the way that mail-in votes are supposed to swing…Biden has a very good chance, but I’m worried that he’s going to have to fight even after all of the votes are counted.” It was predicted that many of the mail-in votes would be in Biden’s favor, considering that Trump urged his supporters to vote in person instead. This was evidenced by what the country saw on Nov. 3 when Election Day poll results came in and what has been seen now that more absentee ballots have been counted. After more stable results were in declaring Biden the president-elect, Cruz commented, “I just feel very relieved and excited!” This reflects the feelings of many who supported Biden throughout this race. However, citizens have to keep in mind that not all votes have been counted and there may be recounts even though the states and the electoral college do seem to be strongly in Biden’s favor.
Alison Bunce, ‘22, had a lot on her mind about this election. She commented, “I was pleasantly surprised by Michigan and Wisconsin. I find it funny NC will probably be red, but thankfully we re-elected Roy Cooper. I wonder if some voters just fill out the presidency vote and go…It’s very clear our country is divided right now.” Bunce was reiterating how most were feeling about the stress of waiting for results for an unknown amount of time. It’s also important to note the more statewide focus during this election of electing a governor. Both sides have their ideas on the direction the state will take with another four years of Roy Cooper. However, all of North Carolina’s votes have not been accounted for just yet. The state will have to wait to see how the votes favor other candidates for the state and nation. A greater breakdown of why the state’s results are not in can be found here.
Bunce later shared, “I’m shocked that the election is close after the last four years we’ve had as a country. There’s a video I saw of Trump supporters in AZ chanting ‘stop the vote’ while simultaneously in Detroit, MI, they chanted ‘count the vote.’ At least they’re being open about suppressing the vote. Counting every vote is called an election. Polls are closed so now it’s just a waiting game.” After the news of Biden's win, Bunce said, “I’m super thrilled!! I think [the fact that] all major cities and even other countries [are] celebrating Trump losing says a lot. In all the videos I’ve seen, people are dancing in the streets and celebrating together. It’s the happiest I’ve seen people in a while.” Despite the happiness she feels about the apparent result of the election, Bunce also said, “Of course, we need to hold Biden and Harris to their past and future actions.” Many are excited about what Biden’s leadership will hold all while being cautious of who the president-elect and vice president-elect are as people.
From a political standpoint, Bunce also shared, “I’m psyched to finally have people who believe in science and scientists back in a position of power! Trump has done a lot of harm in terms of loosening or revoking standards and laws in place for environmental protection. Biden says he’ll [re-enter] the Climate Accord, so I hope he keeps his word.” Environmental protection has been a big issue for Democrats and they hope this win will hopefully put more protection in action.
The waiting game is mostly over. With Trump still trying to file lawsuits and many conservatives wanting a recount, information may not be correct. However, from most projections, it can be seen that Biden is the people’s choice. If students want to talk with others in the Meredith community about personal post-election feelings, there will be “Community Coffee Hour” events at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11 and Nov. 20. Information about those events, including an optional RSVP, was sent to Meredith email accounts and the Zoom link can be found here.
By Kaylee Haas, Staff Writer