Election Day 2018

After months of anticipation and at-times angry discourse, Americans stood in lines at polling places all around the country to speak their peace. Many voters described this midterm election as a referendum on the Trump Administration. CNN reported that in exit polls more than half of the voters say the country is on the wrong track.

Nationally, the balance of power in the Congress is at stake. Democrats could reclaim the House of Representatives, but the Senate will most likely remain Republican-controlled. Three prominent gubernatorial races include Democratic African American candidates: Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Andrew Gillum in Florida, and Ben Jealous in Maryland.

As Geraldine Rowdy arrived at her polling place in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, she scoffed at politicians who offer “false promises.”

But, she said, “I am determined to vote. The millage, the casino that could bring jobs, I support what could make Pine Bluff a better place.”

It was a refrain heard around the country in city after city, town after town regardless of race, age, or gender as Americans worried about the nation’s future. Healthcare and President Trump were two of the biggest concerns.

The pundits have settled in for a long and, perhaps, unpredictable evening of election returns . Many Americans plan to watch the news coverage. Once the polls close, analysts will start dissecting the data, explaining which demographic played a key role in the outcomes. In an election that generated more voter engagement than expected, it may be difficult to isolate the segment of the electorate that played a pivotal role, but younger voters, like Ambrossiaal Rose, are already recognized as possible political game changers.

Rose, an African American college student, voted for the first time today. He said, “I was lost…I didn’t know what was going on. I wanted to say, ‘I’m here to vote, America!’”

Millions shared Rose’s appreciation for the power inherent in voting, and in doing so, rewrote the history today of low turnout at the polls during a midterm election.