Ashbrook Scholars on election night
November 2, 2021
With last year being the presidential election, scholars gathered together anticipatively awaiting the results of who their next President was going to be. Those in the Ashbrook program handle each election night differently, may it be local elections or federal elections.
Students in Ashbrook continue to do their civic duty and vote in their own local elections either by mail in ballots or voting in person. Compared to last year during the 2020 presidential elections, Ashbrook students each developed their own routines to prepare for election night.
Senior, Juliet Touma, has been in Ashbrook since 2017, having interviewed for the program in high school and traveling to AU to become a full time member.
“My normal routine on election day may vary but normally I vote early back home so I don’t have to worry about it on the day of,” said Touma. “I start out with a strong cup of coffee and add a couple more by the end of the day. I don’t normally watch the news on a daily basis but on election day I do. I try not to make my whole day revolve around the election.”
Smaller elections happen more frequently than presidential elections, and each scholar views the importance of local elections much differently than federal.
Nathan Vacha, senior Ashbrook scholar, said, “[Local elections] are way more important. In reality, your life is so much more based on local laws and local regulations than it is anywhere near federal laws…that’s not to say that federal laws are unimportant, people don’t realize that every day they utilize or follow a dozen local laws, versus one federal law.”
Elections are not only important to those who study politics, it is also important for those in the community who choose to vote.
“If you are able to vote and are willing to, the most important piece of advice that I can give to you is to do your research,” Touma said. “Don’t vote for a person just because your parents do. Don’t vote for a person just because people on twitter are. Vote for a person who lines up with your issues, agrees with your values, and is who you believe to be the best candidate.”
