Voter turnout on Election Day was strong at the polling station in Laughlin Music Center on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus.
Students voted in large numbers on campus, and the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics hosted multiple events related to the election.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and a line of students and community members had already formed outside Laughlin Music Center.
“For Chatham, for these two districts, I say it was very, very good turnout,” said Tom Aspell, member of the 14th Ward Democratic Committee, “the line has been today from the front door about 20 or 25 feet, maybe 20 feet out.”
Activity at the polling station had quieted down by 8 a.m., with only the occasional voter to be found.
The old quad became quite lively again around 9:30 a.m. as supporters of Republican Senate nominee Dave McCormick gathered and set up more political signs outside Laughlin Hall.
McCormick himself arrived at the polling station on the Chatham Campus at 10 a.m. Having already voted by mail, McCormick accompanied his wife to vote.
“I’ve lived the American Dream. My wife lived the American Dream,” McCormick said at a brief press conference for local media outside Laughlin Hall. “I want to make sure the American Dream is available to all of you, kids across our great commonwealth, across our great country.”
The number of voters at Laughlin Hall fell to a trickle for most of the morning and afternoon, except for a lunch-hour rush of student voters.
As the polls closed on election night, students across campus were left with mixed feelings. Some felt good about participating in the election and expressed an “anxious but optimistic” or “tentatively hopeful” outlook.
“I voted for the first time today. It was very overwhelming but it felt very good,” Kenny Battistelli ’27 said.
Other students on campus felt “indifferent” or “numb” as the election unfolded.
“I’m pretty nervous, but I’ve been nervous about this election since 2016 so yeah, like, I was nervous, but at this point I’m just kind of numb,” said Casper Stevens ’27.
Meanwhile, the PCWP held several election-related events on campus. In the morning, the PCWP tabled outside Laughlin Hall, providing bagels and drinks to voters and passersby. The PCWP also held events throughout Election Day in the Carriage House. From 2-4 p.m. students could make red, white and blue ice cream floats. After the polls closed, an election watch party was hosted by PCWP.
