As Chatham University students prepare to vote in the presidential election on Nov. 5, students who moved to Pennsylvania from deep red or blue states are now in the center of a heated campaign for the battleground state’s electoral votes.
Out-of-state students had the choice of voting in their home state or registering to vote in Pennsylvania, a choice that could impact the outcome of the presidential election.
Of the battleground states this election, Pennsylvania has the highest number of electoral votes at 19. Widespread polling shows Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck.
Vanessa Schroeder ‘28 opted to vote in Pennsylvania instead of her deep red home state of Missouri..
“Here I actually feel like it means something to vote,” Schroeder said. “People are saying Pennsylvania is one of the states that is going to make or break the election.”
This is one of the main reasons Chatham students coming from different states like Abigail DiLoreto ‘25 have registered to vote in Pennsylvania.
“I definitely think I have more of an impact here because Pennsylvania is still so split and is really important for this election specifically,” DiLoreto said. “I lived in Connecticut originally, and that is typically a very blue state so they don’t really need my help as much. I know Pennsylvania is a swing state so I decided to register here and hopefully swing it blue.”
After Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case federally protecting abortion, was overturned and sent to the states in 2022, abortion has become a major topic of discussion in the 2024 election, something that motivates Schroeder’s decision to vote.
“Being able to have easy access to contraceptives or just anything relating to that is very important to me, just safety for all people who are able to reproduce,” Schroeder said.
Her time at Chatham has inspired her to motivate others to vote.
“Before I didn’t really care what other people do, but now that I realize the amount of people I talk to who think their vote doesn’t count, it really scares me,” she said. “Chatham has helped me realize it is okay to encourage others.”
DiLoreto, who plans to vote for Harris, said she is voting with the Supreme Court in mind. Trump elected three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and has taken credit for Supreme Court’s decision.
“I think it’s just really scary if Trump gets in there and gets another Supreme Court justice. That’s honestly my biggest concern,” DiLoreto said. “I don’t really love that [Trump] has the majority rule in there right now.”
Harris has been a vocal supporter of reproductive rights, and Trump previously advocated for a 20-week national abortion ban during his presidency but has since said he would not sign a national ban if re-elected.
Carly Sagerser ‘26 feels her vote does more in Pennsylvania than her home state of Washington.
“I think in Pennsylvania there’s more of a big picture impact. Voting in Washington, I feel like I’m really only contributing to my county or the little area that I’m in,” Sagerser said.
She added that she feels surprised by how often candidates visit Pennsylvania, along with the number of political events that take place throughout the state.
“It’s also interesting being in a bigger city with so much more political activity as opposed to my small hometown,” she said. “It’s really shocking to me how many times the candidates visit and how many rallies there are and how many signs are everywhere because in Washington we have none of that.”
Pittsburgh in particular has seen numerous high-profile visits from politicians: President Joe Biden visited on Oct. 26 to rally on behalf of Harris, Trump attended a Steelers game earlier in October and Harris came to the city to campaign in September.
Harris and Trump will both be making a return on Nov. 4, the eve of Election Day. Harris is holding a rally at 3 p.m. at Carrie Blast Furnaces in Rankin, and Trump is speaking to supporters at 6 p.m. in PPG Paints Arena.
In 2020, Biden beat Trump by less than 100,000 votes in Pennsylvania. DiLoreto emphasized the importance of voting in this election.
“I just hope people here understand that their vote is really important. It really does matter if you vote,” she said.
Students who registered to vote using their on-campus address at Chatham can vote at Laughlin Music Center on the Shadyside campus. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
