Every four years, the presidential election takes place in America. American citizens that are 18 years or older have the right to vote for one of the candidates. Individuals make their decision for who to vote for based on which candidate promises to represent their beliefs.
For the past few months, the presidential candidates have been campaigning and traveling across the nation to gather support. The primary candidates who gathered the most backing for the overall race are former President Donald Trump representing the Republican party and Vice President Kamala Harris representing the Democratic party.
As reported by CNN, Trump secured the 2024 presidential election with 295 electoral college votes, with 270 needed to win. Harris currently has 226 electoral college votes, as the election results are not official yet. The Republicans have also won the Senate majority with 52 votes and the Democrats with 44. The House majority is still being calculated.
North Carolina is often a swing state, meaning it could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate in a statewide election. Knowing that their state plays a huge role in the election led some Athens Drive students to stay up late to wait for the results.
“I had an election watch party with my friends and we made a cake with the name of the candidates we were rooting for,” said Gracie de Haro, junior.
Along with the presidential election, there were also many local elections taking place for the North Carolina government. According to the Washington Post, Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate for Governor, won with 54.8% of the votes. Democrats also took charge in other offices within North Carolina with Rachel Hunt winning Lieutenant Governor, Jeff Jackson winning Attorney General and Elaine Marshall winning Secretary of State.
These elections mark an exciting moment for many first-time voters. Many seniors at Athens Drive were thrilled to play a part in the election now that they’ve turned 18.
“I was excited to vote because I think it was a good way to feel a part of our government,” said Lindsay Grant, senior.
