Editor’s Note: All interviews in this article were held before the results of the election were announced.
On Tuesday, Americans voted in the 2024 general election. Oberlin residents cast their ballots at the Oberlin Enrichment Center on Prospect Street, Kendal at Oberlin, or the House of Zion Fellowship Center on Locust Street. The polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and closed at 7:30 p.m. Students and community members who stopped to talk to the Review after casting their ballot spoke about being excited to take part in the election, but also anxious about the pending results.
Both locations were filled with voters when Review staff arrived Tuesday morning. Voters were given styluses and had their identification checked before they could vote on electronic voting machines.
Voters whose names did not appear in the lists but believed they should be able to vote could proceed to a different area to cast provisional ballots.
Oberlin Enrichment Center, where most students who live on campus voted, with the exception of those residing in Firelands and Tank Hall, had a line starting just outside the door at around 11 a.m.
Oberlin precincts 7 and 8, which include most of the College, saw lower voter turnout than other Oberlin precincts, at 33 percent and 34 percent respectively. Most other precincts had a turnout rate higher than 60 percent
David Price, a volunteer distributing information in support of the Democratic party outside the Enrichment Center, observed high turnout and high levels of enthusiasm from Oberlin students.
“I’m seeing a lot of spirit, a lot of happiness. It’s really quite remarkable,” Price said. “Compared to last election, the anxiety is tremendous, but not at this polling station, just because of the enthusiasm of the students.”
“[Voting] was particularly exciting,” College third-year Erin Koh said. “It’s my second year voting, my first time voting in Ohio, my first time voting in person ever. So it was just really exciting leading up to it.”
Both Koh and College third-year Asha Agarwal reported that their anxieties were high in the leadup to the election and on election day.
“[There are a] lot of nerves,” Agarwal said. “It’s been exciting because it’s our first presidential election [and] this is the most involved that I’ve been in it. But, clearly, the stakes are very high this election.”
They both also agreed that election-related events and canvassing from multiple student organizations and outside groups helped them understand the election and their decision.
“I feel like everyone on the way made sure that we had all the information, the resources that we needed,” Agarwal said.” I didn’t feel unsure at all when I walked in there.”
Oberlin resident Kendra Duran, who also voted at the Oberlin Enrichment Center, expressed excitement at seeing so many people voting in person.
“It’s good to see so many people, many more young people than the last time that we voted here,” Duran said.
The mood at the House of Zion Fellowship Center on Locust St. was more subdued when the Review arrived, but many voters still turned out. Most voting at that location were community members, though some students living in Tank Hall and Firelands also voted there.
Oberlin resident William Jackson described his experience voting at House of Zion as “smooth and easy.” While Jackson characterized the atmosphere as hopeful and joyful, he said that he was happy to be done with the election season.
“I’m tired of seeing ads, especially the negative ones, so I’m hoping for a new change,” he said.
Oberlin School Board member Janet Garett was canvassing in support of the Democratic Party outside of the center. She said that many people coming to vote did not know about many of the down-ballot races, with their knowledge only extending to the presidential and senatorial elections. Garett observed that most voters at the House of Zion were Democrats and that the general feeling at the location was that of anxiety.
“I wouldn’t say people were enthusiastic,” she said. “They’re excited to vote for Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown, but they’ve got a lot of anxiety.”
