In this special edition of Her Campus’s Dorm Diaries series, Gen Zers from across the country share their experiences on Election Day 2024. You can read more Election Day Diaries here.
The 2024 presidential election season has brought us all on a wild ride, and we have been counting down the days, researching ballot measures, and tracking the polls for long enough : Nov. 5 finally arrived. As a political science major, nothing gets me excited quite like following electoral maps does, but there are definitely a lot of nerves that come with that excitement, especially in an election as close as this one.Â
I am a sophomore at Vassar College, which is very politically active and very liberal, and I have been able to learn so much from my professors and peers within this type of space. But even as a Democrat, I find that the like-mindedness comes with its disadvantages. The political bubble that is Vassar can make it easy to forget that there’s another side out there, that there’s a fight that needs to be won. The same cannot be said for my hometown, which is in a red Congressional district. Though in different ways, both my home and my home away from home have taught me the importance of being involved in politics.Â
So, as this is my first time voting in a presidential election, I am fired up, and all in! Going into Election Day, I am feeling stressed, because so much is on the line, but hopeful, because I have faith in the American people.Â
Here’s how I spent Election Day 2024.
9:30 a.m.: Woke Up
After ignoring the three previous alarms I had set with a confident but naive spirit the night before, I finally woke up at 9:30. I opened my phone to a slew of media outlets posting about forecasts and early voting data. The thrill of Election Day had begun.
10:00 a.m.: Got Ready
My morning getting-ready routine might be my favorite part of every day. Starting the day by focusing all of my energy (which, frankly, was not much after just getting out of bed) onto taking care of myself by doing my hair and makeup is always a relaxing and peaceful process. Today especially, it was the perfect fix for easing election nerves. I had already planned my outfit the night before because I was so excited to sport some patriotic navy blue and wear the “Vote Harris” friendship bracelet I made at our Her Campus at Vassar for Harris fundraising event. I had already voted by mail a week ago, but I saved the sticker to wear on Election Day!
11:00 a.m.: Checked My Ballot Status
I went to Ballot Trax, a ballot tracking website, to check the status of my mail-in ballot, but the site said it had not been received by my local county elections office. My mind started racing: Had I mailed it incorrectly? Would my vote not count? Totally panicked, I called the service line on the website, and I was kindly reassured that there were thousands upon thousands of ballots that had yet to be accounted for. Phew!
11:05 a.m.: Did Homework
To prepare for my English class, I finished reading Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It was nice to escape from 2024 with a light 19th century novel about marriage.
12:00 p.m.: Went to Class
Luckily, I only have one class on Tuesdays. My lovely professor opened class by addressing the elephant in the room; she told us with such kind understanding that this is a stressful time and was ready to proceed with class in whatever direction we would like to take it. She opened the floor to suggestions, asking if we would like to discuss our thoughts or anxieties about the election, if we would like a shortened class period, or if we would just like to spend some time with Catherine Morland in Bath. We ended up deciding to go on with business as usual, and I think everyone appreciated investing their thoughts into something other than the polls.
1:30 p.m.: Hit The Polls With My Friend
After class, I joined my friend Sadie on her voting journey! While I chose to stay registered in my hometown and thus had to vote by mail, Sadie decided to register in Dutchess County, so I got to live vicariously through her traditional in-person voting experience.Â
3:00 p.m. Went On A Campus Walk
The weather outside was absolutely perfect on this fine Election Day! So, I had to pull my eyes away from the news to enjoy the fresh air while running some errands.
4:00 p.m. Made Calls for Harris
To help out in the final stretch of the campaign, I joined the Young Voters for Harris-Walz Election Day Phone Bank on Zoom. Phone banking is not only a simple and accessible way to volunteer, but it’s also effective. From the comfort of my own dorm room, I was able to call registered voters in battleground states from my laptop and read off of a script encouraging them to support Harris and to get to the polls. It felt meaningful and rewarding to truly involve myself in a race I am so invested in. While it was uplifting to hear from those who were voting for Harris, not every person had a positive reaction. On multiple occasions, people yelled out “Trump 2024!” as soon as I shared that I was calling with the Democrats.
5:30 p.m. Scrolled TikTok
My TikTok FYP was filled with political content, and because my algorithm has been catered to me, it was all in support of Harris. I loved seeing the pure joy and hope shared among women for being able to vote for a candidate who could potentially be our first female president!
6:30 p.m.: Had Dinner
My friends met up at the dining hall for some pre-watch party fuel. The building was abuzz, and I kept hearing the words “election,” “Harris,” and “Trump,” float around from table to table. It was clear there was only one thing on the minds of Vassar students.
8:00 p.m.: Watched The Race With Friends
As my friend group’s resident polisci major, I invited everyone to my dorm to watch the results roll in. My roommate and I even decorated beforehand with balloons and Kamala Harris signs. We made popcorn, and we fully immersed ourselves into Election Night, allowing ourselves to get caught up in the political frenzy right along with the commentators and pollsters.
8:20 p.m.: Confirmed My Ballot Had Been Counted
While watching the results, I received an email from California Ballot Trax that my vote had been received and counted. Having that certainty that my voice was heard was such a relief.
9:00 p.m.: Went To A Viewing Party
My friends and I then stopped by the election watch party hosted by Vassar Votes. It was great to see the Vassar community come together at a time like this.
10:00 p.m.: Made Cookies & Continued Watching Results
We then went back to our dorm building to bake some cookies, as our watch party was to continue late into the night. My friends eventually filed out to head to bed, leaving my roommate and I alone (besides the talking heads of NBC) to talk over the state of things. The main emotion we felt was shock — we just couldn’t believe things seemed to be going in the direction they were. As we watched Florida’s reproductive rights ballot measure fail, and as we watched states quickly change from gray to red, matters of simple human rights did not seem simple to the rest of America.Â
Exasperated, we turned off our TV and wondered when we would know the results — at that point, any amount of time felt like years. But no matter what, a couple things are for sure: Today was historic, and being a part of a campus community of people who truly care about our country makes the future seem a lot less scary.