On Nov. 8, polls across the nation opened for midterm elections. Citizens from all across the United States submitted their ballots to select new state representatives and Senate members, as well as either oppose or support various amendments being proposed.
Results from the midterms so far show that the governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, was reelected, as were most of the candidates that ran for reelection. In addition, Katie Britt became Alabama’s first female senator.
Among the people that headed to the polls were Samford University faculty and students. Samford community members are registered to vote in different states and either mailed their absentee ballots or voted in person at a polling location. .
Voting is an important way for citizens to push for change. Samford students discussed their thoughts leading up to the elections.
Junior Lauren Bielstein is registered to vote in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. She found her information on the Alabama secretary of state’s website and printed out a sample ballot.
“I try to stay informed on how many people are currently in office who support or do not support things that I am interested in, that helps me make my decisions,” said Bielstein.
Junior Hannah Gusko is registered to vote in South Carolina and gets most of her information directly from the candidates.
“It is important to vote in this election cycle because midterms greatly impact and determine the future of our country. There are so many crises our country and world are facing, and it is important that we choose the right politicians to lead us through them,” said Gusko.
When researching the elections and the running candidates, Gusko said she prefers to look at all the angles before deciding on whom to vote for.
“When using news sources, I make sure to look at news from both sides of the aisle to stay well-informed and well-rounded,” said Gusko.
Students gather information on the candidates through various mediums. Sophomore Delaney Laing is registered to vote in Florida and voted by mail while she was home over fall break.
“I use the website vote411 which is put together by the league of women voters and allows candidates to answer questions about the issues most important to their race,” said Laing.
Everyone has various experiences and opinions on the running candidates.
“This election cycle, the candidates in the races I have voted for have been viciously polarized and are attempting to use emotion from the 2020 elections to gain votes from their parties,” Laing said.
Students reported that they are proud to exercise their right to vote both on campus and across their home states.
Note: control of the legislature was not determined by press time.
Staff Writer
