Voters took to polls across Virginia on Nov. 5, casting their votes for U.S. president—between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris—along with the senate and various state and local positions in a highly competitive race. Among those at the polls were many first-time voting McLean students.
“This is a scary election for me. I’m afraid of the outcome and what’s going to happen in the future. I think a lot of people are. It’s kind of hard to trust things would be all right no matter who would get elected,” said senior Gadiel Leksono, a first-time voter.
The Associated Press declared former President Donald Trump won the race, cementing his spot as the 47th president of the United States. Trump won Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina, all key states, and is leading in Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. This election, which came amid wide dissatisfaction with the economy and foreign policy on both sides of the isle, marks the second time in history a former president is re-elected for a second non-consecutive term.
“I voted for Harris, but for a while, I considered voting third party, for Stein or for a write-in of no-confidence,” Leksono said. “I was worried not voting for the Democratic party could lead to Trump getting elected.”
The first president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms was Grover Cleveland, who was the nation’s 22nd and 24th President. Trump, in following Cleveland’s footsteps, also won the popular vote for the first time after losing it in both 2016 and 2020.
“I was extremely surprised because last election, Biden won even though the results seemed to lean towards Trump at first,” senior Bushra Ehikhamenor said.
Some McLean students opted to volunteer with local political campaigns and staff northern Virginia polling locations.
“I worked for a Democratic candidate for Alexandria City Council on election day,” junior Diego Lowe said. “I served as a general guide for voters; I also assisted voters who spoke Spanish and served as a translator.”
While the election results came as a shock to many—with Democratic-leaning swing states like Wisconsin won by Trump—Lowe was unsurprised.
“I think that the results of the election were expected. Both candidates did a good job, but Trump ultimately played a better job,” Lowe said. “I think the transition from having Biden running to Harris running may have hurt Harris in the race. After the inauguration we’ll know how things pan out.”
The election continues to follow a polling trend identified by analysts in which Trump voters are undercounted in both pre-election prospective polling and exit polls. This led to widespread false confidence in a win for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
“I think with straw polls especially, they’re not as random. Some people might not be comfortable with sharing their votes,” Lowe said. “Certain groups voted for Trump more than expected and were unwilling to disclose their votes [in polls].”
Regardless of the results, many students are vowing to maintain their political participation.
“I’m glad I was able to vote. It’s a privilege; I’m glad that I did it, even though it’s just a drop in the bucket,” Leksono said. “I’ve definitely been a lot more politically aware over the last few months. I feel a responsibility, especially because these things are happening and I can influence them.”
Looking forward, Leksono has hope for the future, despite being uncertain about the path forward with a Trump victory.
“I’m an optimistic person and I hold a lot of hope for the future; that’s the only way to be, in my opinion—I think that working for a better tomorrow is the only thing we can do,” Leksono said.
