After months of campaigning, today is when the efforts of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be measured at the ballot box. Before the results roll in, University of Mississippi students have expressed feelings of excitement, stress, information fatigue and enthusiasm.
Freshman integrated marketing communications major Melinda Ban is a first-time presidential election voter this year.
“I’ve never voted before, so I don’t know what to expect. My friend and I are going to go vote together,” Ban, a Clinton, Miss. native, said.
Ban expressed appreciation for the Election Day efforts many professors are making to allow students to get to the polls before they close in Mississippi, which is 7 p.m.
“My class got canceled,” Ban said. “I think it’s encouraging people to vote, and I think voting is super important.”
Senior finance major Armando Barron, a Houston native, said that he was ready for the election to be done.
“I’m kind of over with (the election). I’m tired of seeing it all over my timeline,” Barron said. “I just hope nothing bad comes from whoever does end up winning. I’m a little curious, but I’m just hoping for the best, honestly.”
Barron, an out-of-state student, chose to opt out of participating in today’s vote.
“I’m not too knowledgeable about where both parties stand, and I don’t feel comfortable enough to pick between the two. I don’t like either of them,” Barron said.
Joshua Owens, a senior pharmaceutical sciences major from Holly Springs, Miss., cast his vote at his voting center early this morning — before most students woke up for their 8 a.m. classes.
“We got there really early. I woke up at 6 a.m., got there at 6:30 a.m., and it didn’t open until 7 a.m. For me, (voting) was pretty easy,” Owens said. “There were maybe 40 to 50 people in line behind me.”
Owens’ feelings about casting his vote in today’s election were comparable to how he felt when he voted in the 2020 election.
“The only thing I am feeling is that I hope my candidate wins because I feel like that’s very important. But other than that, it is what it is,” Owens said. “If the other candidate gets voted in, and we have them as a president, I’m fine with it. I don’t have skin in the game, so I don’t feel scared, stressed or happy. It’s voting.
Avery Parnell, a freshman nursing major from Birmingham, Ala., was relieved that voting in this election was behind her. Parnell participated in absentee voting this year, which marks her first time voting in a presidential election.
“I’m kind of relieved that I’m done with it, but I’m excited to watch them count it tonight. I’m curious to see who’s going to win,” Parnell said. “Whatever happens, happens. There’s nothing we can really do to change at this point. I’ve already done my job. I voted.”
Hardin, a Biloxi, Miss. native, was eager to vote in his first presidential election. As the close of the voting centers drew near, excitement changed to disappointment.
“I’m planning on voting. I did the absentee ballot. I applied for it two weeks ago, however it’s still not here, and if it’s not here today, there’s basically no way I can vote,” Hardin said.
Hitchcock, a Pensacola, Fla., native, also relied on an absentee ballot and has already cast her vote.
“I’m still pretty excited, even though I’m not going to vote today. When I drove by the Jackson Avenue Center (polling site), there were a lot of people out with signs and stuff,” Hitchcock said. “It’s pretty cool that this is the first election where I can actually vote.”
Like many other UM students, Owens plans to watch as the results come in tonight.
“I want to see the results. I feel like people say that voting doesn’t matter. I’m on the side that says if you vote, it does matter,” Owens said.
Dylan Hardin and Lauren Hitchcock, both sophomore international studies and Chinese double majors, are residential assistants for UM Student Housing.
“I’m an RA at the Quarters, and we have to do a watch party from at least 5-6 p.m,. and I don’t know if after the fact I’m going to do a watch party with a group, but I’m definitely going to keep track of what’s going on with the election tonight,” Hardin said.
With the same job requirements as Hardin, Hitchcock’s evening plans look similar.
“I’m an RA at RH3, so we have to do a watch party also. After that ends, I’m probably still going to keep up with it,” Hitchcock said.
Hardin anticipated that the presidential results will be in by later tonight or early tomorrow morning. However, he said, the results will not dispel any strains between students who supported different candidates.
“I definitely think (the results) are not going to be set in stone. I feel like you kind of saw that play out in 2020, and I’m not saying it’s going to be to that degree, but I feel like whoever wins, there’s still going to be tension regarding what happens tonight,” Hardin said. “It’s just a matter of how far it’s going to go, how the candidates feel afterwards and how their supporters act on it.”
Hitchcock said that he has some concerns about what the student body has shared on social media.
“I was on YikYak last night, and I saw some people worrying if there was going to be riots in Oxford,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that extreme, but like (Hardin) said, there’s probably going to be some sort of tension.”
Freshman Bryan Eubank, a real estate and entrepreneurship major, is from Jackson, Miss. Eubank participated in absentee voting in October. Eubank is having a watch party with friends tonight but does not think the United States will find out who the next commander in chief is tonight.
“It’s going to be a close one for sure, but hopefully (we will know) by the end of the week,” Eubank said. “I’m nervous, but I’m excited.”
Aiden Wheaton, a senior business marketing major from Cumberland, R.I., was not old enough to participate in the 2020 presidential election but cast her ballot in 2024.
“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the outcome is just because I think it’s going to be a vast change in the country either way,” Wheaton said.
Wheaton’s sentiments towards the election matched the consensus: a blend of nervousness and enthusiasm.
“I am definitely excited to see what happens. I do have waves of anxiousness,” Wheaton said. “People take (politics) very seriously here, so I’m anxious for certain outcomes, but overall I’m excited to see what happens moving forward.”
Editor’s note: This article has been edited to correct the time that polls close in the state of Mississippi.
