Voices on the TV drown out the murmurs of clumps of friends in Harry’s Coffeehouse. Someone brings in the pizza and soda. Students donned in merch crowd into the Regions Room of the Brock School of Business, eager for the night to unfold.
These aren’t your typical weekly club meetings – these are 2024 presidential election watch parties hosted by Samford students on campus.
“Let’s celebrate the right to vote, let’s celebrate being able to exercise this right in this country. At the end of the day, we are free, and it can be a little scary, but every election is a little scary. We are going to keep living regardless,” said Black Student Union President Kelsey Martin.
Before the polls even close on the night of Nov. 5, unrest begins. Samford students gather around campus to witness the event of the year live. The question on everyone’s mind is this: who will take the 2024 presidency?
This election has people invested like never before. Students went out of their way to vote, even in situations where it was tedious (like a state lacking early voting or having to mail in absentee ballots), or if they were voting against the grain in a reliably red or blue state.
Bradley Seals cast his vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in Alabama, a state that does not offer early voting and cast its electoral votes for Trump early in the night. Despite knowing this would be the case, Seals still placed emphasis on the conviction to vote in times like these.
“When I think about why I must vote, my mind is flooded with noise,” said Seals. “All of these minority groups make up the many and it isn’t for the few to tell us what to do! This is our moment to make our voices heard! This is so important. This is our civic duty.”
Professor of political science Noemí Oeding shared her professional observations on students’ interaction with the 2024 election, given that this is many students’ first time voting in a presidential election.
“I think a lot of the students are a little nervous about what the results will be, but everyone is also very engaged in the process and hopeful that their vote and voice will count,” said Oeding.
Samford junior Lila Zadan sits in the Samford Republicans watch party waiting for results. Zadan is from Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state in this election, and she mailed her ballot in for former President Donald Trump.
“When it comes to policy, I’d always put that first and foremost: what do they enact, what do they get done? So, although I don’t agree with a lot of Trump’s life decisions, or the sense of morality and character, I’m trying to view it from an objective standpoint,” said Zadan.
Watch parties began wrapping up around 10 p.m. – before any of the swing states were called one way or another.
In previous elections, Trump has been considered a divisive candidate. Kedarius Spikes, a Samford freshman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama attended the Black Student Union election watch party after voting today for Harris.
“I’m a Lebron fan, I don’t have a team. Wherever Lebron goes I go. That’s how I feel like Trump supporters are, like me with Lebron,” said Spikes. “Wherever he changes his stance to, wherever he goes, that’s where they go. Even if they agree with Democrats more, they always go with Trump.”
Samford Republicans President Kendall Jarrard is from swing state Georgia and mailed in her ballot for Trump.
“I think if there’s anything we’ve learned from Trump these past two years, it is don’t take what he says literally, but take what he does seriously,” said Jarrard.
At 10:24 p.m. CST, crucial swing state North Carolina went red, with Trump at 50.8%.
The three most polarizing issues in this election have been the economy, the state of democracy and reproductive rights.
Regardless of political standing, these issues have inspired individuals from both parties to make their way to the polls, even in a state where they are a minority voter.
Law, politics, and society major Carson Gardner voted red in California, in which no Republican presidential candidate has won since 1988.
“In the national election, I don’t think it really mattered,” said Gardner. “But the numbers will show that there are a lot of Republicans in California, and so I think it does matter to see that California isn’t completely blue… there still are Republicans in California that want to have their voices heard.”
At 11:58 p.m. CST, Nevada began counting their votes, and Georgia was declared red. In the 2020 election, Trump lost Georgia to President Joe Biden.
At 1:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, Pennsylvania was declared red, with Trump at 51%, putting him in the position to win the presidential election with 267 electoral college votes.
Editors Note: The primary writers of this story were Sydney Pulliam and Andrew White. The reporters who worked on this story were Andrew White, Kaylee Bhasin, Kate Seaver, Meg Robinson and Lola Casey. This story was photographed and edited by the Editorial team.
