BRIDGEWATER, Va. – As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepared to face off in the 2024 presidential election, students at Bridgewater College were ready to make their voice heard, as for most, it is the first presidential election they will be voting in.
“It felt rewarding to participate in our democratic process,” junior Tayte Mills said. “Voting in a presidential election for the first time was a great feeling. Early voting makes it much easier for college students to participate in American elections.”
On the ticket for the Republican Party was former president Trump. After losing the election in 2020 to President Joe Biden, Trump looked to flip the script this year. On the other side for the Democratic Party is Vice President Harris. The current Vice President looked to become the first female to ever be elected as president.
Each party holds strong views one way or another, but with one goal in mind: moving America forward.
“I will bring back the American dream,” said Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
“The American Dream belongs to all of us,” said Harris in a campaign speech. The two candidates have made it pretty evident that they care about the American people.”
As students prepared to vote, they weighed their options on each candidate. Some had already made their decision on who they were voting for, but still liked hearing what others have to say.
“I have definitely made my decision on who I am going to vote for come election day,” senior Darien Smith said. “I still like watching the news and keeping myself updated on certain things because I do think it is important to hear both sides and what they have to say.”
Because a lot of students at Bridgewater do not live within Rockingham county, many have chosen to mail in ballots.
“I mailed in my ballot a couple weeks ago because it is impossible for me to make it home to vote on election day. I am glad I can do that though so it is nice to be able to still vote even if it is by mail,” said junior Julia Bellis. Bellis is a native of New York.
In Virginia, Harris had a slight edge over Trump in the polls, while in the national polls, the two continued to go back and forth daily. Of course, what really mattered were the polls that came on election day.
Vice President Harris won Virginia by a narrower margin than many projected, but was able to ultimately win the commonwealth. Many swing states were up for grabs, though, including North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, and what many were calling the most important battleground state, Pennsylvania.
Because of his success in important battleground states, Trump was named as the 47th President in the early hours of Nov. 6. Ultimately, Trump won the electoral vote 312-226 with Nevada and Arizona still counting votes. He also won the popular vote as well. Trump, surrounded by family and supporters, gave a speech shortly after he was elected president.
“God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save our country and restore America to greatness. And now we’re going to fulfill that mission together,” Trump said when talking to America. He was referring to the assassination attempt on July 13.
Harris also addressed the nation on Wednesday afternoon after congratulating Trump on his victory.
“America will never give up the fight for our democracy, the rule of law for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld,” Harris said in her speech. Harris also added that her fight for the country will not stop.
