Students on and around college campuses across the country are ripe with enthusiasm to vote today. Here’s what some students told us about their states:
Pennsylvania
Students from the University of Pittsburgh, many of whom were eager to cast their ballot before heading to class, lined up around the block at the Oakland Career Center near the campus of University of Pittsburgh this morning, Sophia Shapiro, co-president of the University of Pittsburgh Students for Biden, told CNN.
“Everyone’s just really excited to cast their ballot. We had a volunteer try to compete to be first in line this morning. People are enthusiastic and optimistic and really motivated to make their voice heard,” Shapiro said.
Arizona
Meanwhile, while the polling site on the campus of Mesa Community College, in Mesa, Arizona didn’t open until 6 a.m. local time, the line of people waiting to vote had already formed by 5:30 a.m. local time, Carla Naranjo, a 21-year-old organizer with Arizona Center for Empowerment (a voting protection agency) told CNN.
The site at Mesa Community College is open to community members and students, Naranjo said, adding that the line was filled with “a good portion of young people.”
“They come in and say yeah I’m a first time voter, they come out excited with a sticker, and just in general, they are energized and ready to vote,” Naranjo said of the young voters she spoke with in Mesa.
Naranjo, a student at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, voted early in 2020, marking her first time voting in a presidential election.
Virginia
Likewise in Virginia, 20-year-old Ian Waite is tabling on campus at George Mason University in Fairfax County.
Waite, Chairman of the George Mason College Republicans and the College Republicans Federation of Virginia, is voting for the first time in a presidential election and voted Republican up and down the ballot, he told CNN.
“I think overall our campus is very energized this election. Our campus does a great job providing opportunities for us to voice our beliefs,” said.
“Overall I expect our voter turnout on campus to be pretty high,” he said. “I think it’s a combination of one, we’re so close to DC that we have a generally energized population on campus, and two, this election is critical to a significant number of issues that speak to our generation and we’re looking for the best solutions to those issues,” Waite added.
Texas
And in Texas, students are voting on campus at the University of Houston, where students, administrators and Harris county officials worked to turn the TDECU Stadium into a polling center for students and community members on Election Day.
“The enthusiasm shown by UH students has been one of the best showings of unity I’ve ever seen on this campus,” 22-year-old Isaiah Martin and an on-campus group that works with administrators on student initiatives at the University of Houston, told CNN.
“From the many student organizations that made their own creative videos, to all the dedicated poll workers and to the administrators that worked tirelessly to support this effort, our school has jumped on the opportunity to get out the young vote and make sure that all of our voices are heard this election cycle.”