For many college students across America, the 2024 election was the first election they could vote in. Having always been interested in politics, I was so excited to exercise my right to vote this year, especially considering all that was at stake on the ballot. The night of November 5th, my whole friend group cuddled up on the couch of our friend’s apartment, and watched the poll results flow in. I could feel the excitement permeating the room at the potential for the first female president to be elected. And then I left around midnight, crying.
California is a Blue State, so while we may not feel as much impact here as some parts of the country will, I still felt very concerned. I wondered how my fellow Gaucho women were feeling in the aftermath of such an important election.
Every female identifying student that I contacted said that it was their first time voting in a major election. A second year linguistics major said, “It was my first time voting in a major election and I honestly felt scared for the future of our country… I wanted to make my voice heard through my vote, and allow my opinion to show through.”
This feeling of wanting to make one’s voice heard seems to be a common theme amongst the women I spoke with. If you’re in college, you are (typically) barely a legal adult, so being able to participate in this civic process feels really important — especially when you consider that the fight for equal access to voting for American citizens has been happening for almost 200 years. A second year Environmental Studies student said they voted because “our future is on the line and our rights are at stake.” This was an important topic in the race this year, with rights for bodily autonomy and LGBTQ+ people and policies on climate change and gun safety being on the ballot. The Gaucho’s I spoke with voted with this in mind, and patiently awaited for the night of November 5th.
As poll results poured in, these UCSB students expressed shock at the outcome. A second year Poli-sci and English major commented, “I woke up the next morning, refreshed my Google page and saw he [President-elect Trump] won massively. I remember just sitting there for a second not believing it. The final score difference didn’t even strike me as much as states like AZ and NV turning red, I really had faith it would go in a different direction.”
Another student I spoke with said they also thought the election would be in Kamala Harris’ favor. President-elect Trump will be America’s 47th President, after serving a term as the 45th President from 2017-2021. In the wake of this news that his presidency would continue once agaon, a fourth year English major at UCSB shared, “I was extremely disappointed. I was in the middle of numerous text chains which were discussing the results as it happened, and after the news was made official, it felt like there was just silence.”
This silence continued for several days. Many Gaucho’s reported that their discussion sections or club meetings were cancelled the day after the election, and they felt a strange disassociation from everyone on campus. A second year Bio-psych and Philosophy major remarked, “It was a terrible feeling knowing that people around the country will be suffering from inhumane policies and from a government that doesn’t care about many of its communities (LGBTQ+, non-white, immigrants, etc).”
However, another student shared, “maybe America got the leader it deserves this term.” It’s true, over half of the country that filled out a ballot cast their votes for President-elect Trump. America has yet to have a female president in office, and it seems will have to wait a little longer. Nonetheless, one student I contacted still said, “I miss Momala and Timmy.” Maybe Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will run again in 2028, and they won’t be missed for much longer.
In the wake of the election results on Tiktok, there has been a lot of discussion around decentering men from the lives of women across America. Many young women have even talked about taking inspiration from the 4B Movement that developed in South Korea. Knowing this, I asked these UCSB students if in the next 4 years they would be changing any aspects of their lives, whether it be day to day or more long-term. Several students said they were inspired to join UCSB Democrats and get more involved in politics in the coming years. Another said she will have to reconsider her citizenship status “under [President-elect Trump’s] term to make sure nothing could possibly be a problem in terms of stay and immigration rights.” One Gaucho even remarked that some of her friends are considering switching career paths.
Whether or not you are happy with who is going to be president, America is a democracy, and it will persevere. We are actively watching history unfold, and able to see its impact in seconds thanks to technology. The period between election and inauguration day can feel strange and turbulent at times, no matter who you voted for. UCSB offers many student resources, like the Women’s Center and CAPS if you feel you need support.
How you choose to spend these next four years under the new administration is up to you, but in times when I’m anxious about something, I like to remind myself that the time will pass anyways. The earth will continue to orbit the sun, the trees will still sway in the wind, and you will be okay.
Interviewees mentioned in this article have their name excluded in order to protect their voter privacy. Major and year may be included in order to provide context on which interviewee is being quoted.