Sydney Mathis ‘21, Student Life Editor
The polls are closed, and the votes are counted.The 2020 Presidential Election is over. The stress of making the right decision, one that can have a major effect on the four years to follow, is difficult for any voter. Senior Kelsey Chalmers said, “I’m so glad I was able to vote in this election. I went to the polls, and I kept telling myself ‘my vote is the vote that will matter’ which really helped me have the motivation to get up and vote.” Since we were kids, society has been telling us that it is our civic and American duty as a member of democracy to vote when we turn 18 because every vote counts.
A lot of young people are taking advantage of their right to vote. Senior Jacob Chantiny said, “Going to the polls and voting was pretty cool. It gave me a sense of making a change in my country.” Some voters were nervous to go to the polls since we are in the middle of a pandemic. Thankfully, mail-in voting allowed for people to vote without contact. Edsel Ford High School senior, Scarlett DeVries, said, “Mailing in my vote was a really different experience. Since my mom was nervous about me going to the polls, I voted early and took advantage of mail-in voting.” Mail-in voting does require time, and especially with the record number of mail-in ballots this year has caused a delay in results.
First time voters are not just juvenile high schoolers; they can be college students, too. Eastern Michigan University sophomore Jody Sandel said, “Voting for the first time was so fun! It went really well, and going to the polls was a really good experience.” With the added stress of school, making a good decision while voting is difficult on young students, whether you are in high school or attending university. Another college student at Northern Michigan University, senior Kelsey Morgan, said, “Voting was quick and easy. I knew exactly who I wanted to vote for, and I couldn’t wait to see the results.”. Waiting for the votes to come in for the few remaining states was stressful, because if an upset occurred, it would shock the country. According to a BBC News article “US election 2020: When will we know the results?”, “Millions more Americans have been voting by post due to the coronavirus, which means a delay in counting all the votes was always likely.”
Since the results have come out, American families are either celebrating or critiquing President Elect Joe Biden, or either celebrating or critiquing President Trump’s many lawsuits to look into alleged voter fraud or miscounting of ballots. All cases turned up zero evidence of voter fraud on the part of the states Trump sued, so as of Nov. 13, President Elect Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States as of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2021. Using your right to vote is something that some countries do not have, and it is something everyone should be able to experience when they turn 18. Making an adult decision is a lot of pressure, but you have to remember: every vote counts.
Lyon Life 