Early voting is in full swing in Champaign-Urbana, with students lining up to cast their ballots as narrowing polls and contentious campaigns heighten emotions on campus. For many students, the Nov. 5 election will be their first time casting a ballot for a presidential candidate.
Addison Merritt, junior in LAS, voted early last week.
“I remember I walked up there, gave my name and I could not stop smiling. I was so excited to vote for a female candidate,” Merrit said. “It’s really surreal to be voting for a woman, especially a woman of color.”
Fellow junior in LAS Isabel Jung felt similarly about casting her first ballot for a presidential election.
“I’m feeling excited to carry out my civic duty and feel like I’m contributing to what America’s future will look like,” Jung said.
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RSOs like Illini Democrats and Turning Point USA, as well as the University YMCA and the Office of Civic Life, have hosted events in recent weeks to inform students about candidates and encourage voter participation.
Jung, who is involved in Social Justice Initiative, a political RSO, credited on-campus student organizations for their role in educating students on the election process.
“I feel like if the resources are there, it’s just the agency of the individual to take those resources and do something about it,” Jung said.
Jordan Fitzgerald, junior in LAS and president of Social Justice Initiative, echoed Jung’s sentiments, adding that online resources and publications have helped to inform her as well. She tuned into the presidential and vice presidential debates to better understand the candidates’ platforms and said she is feeling well-prepared to vote.
Recent polls suggest an extremely tight race, and students of all political orientations on campus are feeling the tension. According to The New York Times, the difference between Trump’s and Harris’ polling averages is a single percentage point, both nationwide and in many key battleground states.
Aidan Joyce, junior in LAS, said uncertainties about election results transcend party boundaries.
“There still is a lot of anxiety, whether you’re talking to Republicans, Democrats, Green Party supporters, independents or anyone else,” Joyce said.
Mara Haiduc, freshman in Business, spoke on the narrow polling margins.
“I think I consume a lot of the content of the person that I’m voting for, and I didn’t realize that the polls were really close,” Haiduc said.
Recent data suggests the decision will likely come down to the results of seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin on election day.
“I’m apprehensive, but hopeful for how things will turn out,” Fitzgerald said, vocalizing a sentiment expressed by many students on campus.
Joyce also stressed the importance of respect following the nation’s decision, regardless of which candidate triumphs.
“Whether or not our candidate wins, we should still respect the results of the election, we should still respect each other,” Joyce said. “Hopefully, we’re gonna get to a place after Nov. 5 where we can just look each other in the eye and say, ‘We’re all Americans.’”
