By Mack Eon and Olivia Rotondo
Over 244 million Americans were eligible to vote in last week’s historic presidential election, and for many students on this campus, this was their first chance to be one of those 244 million.
With a large majority of students on campus too young to vote in the 2020 presidential election, this was a new opportunity for most to take part in the democratic process. For some, this new opportunity presented some unforeseen confusion.
Jordan Wofsy, ‘28, had some trouble with her first experience using a mail-in ballot.
“I’ll be honest, I did not understand the ballot,” she said.
Among this confusion, there was also excitement.
Julianna Percoco, ‘27, said she was confused by the mail-in ballot but was excited by the possibility to make a difference on a national scale.
“This year's election was my first time voting and it was definitely an interesting and exciting experience. I did a mail-in ballot as I am from out of state and needed to Facetime my sister for help making sure I was filling it out correctly. I felt excited to be voting for my first time and attempting to make a difference on a larger scale within the country,” she said.
Isabella Kessimian, ‘27, said she felt a sense of satisfaction when her vote was cast.
“As a first-time voter, I felt excited yet overwhelmed at the same time. It was a little stressful because it was unfamiliar, and I recognized the urgency of this election. However, I was excited to participate in the democratic process and I felt very accomplished when I cast my vote,” she said.
Not every Stonehill student initially felt the urgency to vote.
Mia Dragone, ‘25, said she was originally undecided on whether she’d vote but changed her mind.
“I was in between voting or not, but I realized not everyone is given this opportunity and it’s more than just a presidential election,” Dragone said.
Dragone said sometimes she believes her vote is irrelevant, but Question 5, a proposal to raise minimum pay for tipped workers, also caused her to go out and vote.
“I wanted to be able to vote no on Question 5 because it’s something that plays a big role in my life. I normally say my vote doesn’t matter but I felt like in that instance, it did,” she said.
Commenti