Above: 2024 election results, courtesy of New York Times.
President-elect Donald Trump won all six battleground states. North Carolina was the first of these states to be called for him, but most were not called until early Wednesday morning and evening. Pollsters had predicted these states as crucial for the candidates: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Following the election, The Buzz student newspapers asked students who live in these states their reaction on the election’s outcome, some who expressed anxiety over the election’s impact on personal and national issues.
Wisconsin resident and former SAU lacrosse player, Claire Jeffers, says “It did kind of make me anxious only because my dad was talking about how this is the ‘most consequential election in his lifetime’ and really weighed how important this election was for the U.S.”
Claire says she has already seen the toll this election has taken on our nation economically and she says she fears how the outcome of her state would impact the future. “I was very shocked because for the most part, Wisconsin has always been a blue state and with some differences here and there.”
There was a surge in voter turnout efforts. Nevada Resident, Delaney Austad, SAU Lacrosse Alumni, added, “I sat in line for at least two hours at a Nevada booth just for the vote to go the other way. I’m not saying I wished I didn’t vote; just wish I could’ve voted somewhere where it counted more.”
Delaney says she was very involved in this election and went to rallies and parades to show her support of Kamala Harris and she says she still supports her. “I feel like having a female president would be a massive step in the right direction for our country, I feel sad others don’t share my same mindset.”
Many voters from these states voiced their fear about the future of our country from both sides of the election. A student from Michigan who wished to stay anonymous says, “I, personally, don’t think we had a good candidate for this election. Either way, our country is going to struggle. I think Donald Trump is just the lesser of two evils and that’s why so many people voted for him.” This student shared the sentiment that he was happy Trump won his state.
However, another unnamed student from North Carolina disagreed. She says, “I can’t believe people voted for him. Trump is a criminal and people would rather have him in office than a woman. Makes me sick.”
Long-time Pennsylvania resident and grandfather to an SAU student, Salvator Pitta, had a similar reaction to SAU voters. “I have lived here (in Pennsylvania) for 75 years and rarely do we vote Republican.” He says, “I think it has only happened five or six times since I’ve been here.” Although he did vote for Trump, he says he was still shocked enough of the state agreed with him.
Some voters expressed a desire to move past divisive rhetoric and return to a sense of unity. The common consensus was that they hoped no matter who won this election, it could bring their state together.
Georgian, Parker Smith, adds, “I feel like everyone I talk too has the same opinions as me and yet our state cannot agree on anything. It’s exhausting.”
The outcome of the 2024 election has reinforced the importance of every single vote in battleground states, where margins are razor-thin, and stakes are high. For some, Trump’s victory brings a renewed optimism about national direction, while others fear the repercussions and worry about what it says about the state of unity in the country. Ultimately, these varied responses underscore the diversity of political thought and emotion in battleground states, highlighting the unique role these voters play in shaping the nation’s election.
Raegan Dotterer is a staff writer for The Buzz.
