Written for The Argo by Aliza Brown

November 3, 2020. Election day. The first Tuesday in November every four years. Some have been preparing for this day for months while others have been preparing for years. Election day is an extremely important time of year because it determines the fate and future of the country. It determines the next President and Vice President of the United States along with the United States Congress and much more.

For the 2020 election, the two candidates running for President of the United States were Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Biden is a Democrat while Trump is a Republican. Joe Biden served as the Vice President of the United States alongside Barack Obama from 2007-2017. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States and ran for his second term, after his election in 2015.

Biden’s running-mate is Sen. Kamala Harris as Vice President, while Trump ran with Mike Pence again. But no matter who or what the candidates’ said during their campaigns to reach the people, at the end of the day, it all came down to a vote. 

Normally, people vote in-person. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s election was different. Many states, such as New Jersey, conducted the 2020 general election primarily by using mail-in-ballots. The purpose of the mail-in-ballots was to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe. The number of mail-in-ballots this year versus people going in person to vote was overwhelming. Due to this, the winner of the 2020 election was not announced on November 3 because so many states still had to count all votes.

It took until Saturday, November 7, for all of the votes to be counted and the winner to be projected, which turned out to be Biden and Harris.

“Every four years for the past 200 years, Americans’ voices are heard and they overwhelmingly chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President,” said senior, Jelani Gandy. I could not be more happier for this country to be led by a man of compassion and honesty.”

In regards to voting, the law does not require people to vote. However, for many people around the world, especially young adults, the 2020 election was the first time they ever voted.

Young adults have historically voted less than the older generation. Millennials and Gen Z were the largest eligible block of voters in this election, which means they had the largest impact and say in our country right now. 

Some reasons why experts say it is so important for young adults and college students to vote is because economic policies will impact the future of the youngest generations.

Stockton University students were encouraged to vote, regardless of their political beliefs. While Stockton is a liberal college, its students come from all different backgrounds and beliefs. The university supports students in expressing their beliefs, which is why many students have come together to create clubs and organizations based on their political values.

Two of those organizations on campus are Stockton Turning Point USA and College Democrats. Turning Point USA is a club made up of students who educate others about the importance of limited government, free markets, and capitalism. Through their grassroots activism and conversations, TPUSA members promote conservative values throughout Stockton. 

Junior Kyle Oifer who is the Vice President of TPUSA at Stockton University feels very strongly about his views and how the election went down.

“I believe in democracy. Democracy is a beautiful system. However, I believe in fair elections. I believe that there has been forms of voter fraud across the entire country,” says Oifer. “There will be recounts from many swing states. Until the lawsuits are finalized and the recounts have been concluded, I believe the general election is not over. It’s obvious that the media bias in favor of Biden is one example of voter manipulation. The media doesn’t decide the Presidency; the Electoral College and/or the Supreme Court does and until the process is officially over, the general election continues.”

Another organization on campus is College Democrats, which represents Democrats and other civically engaged students on Stockton’s campus. The organization’s purpose is to educate the campus and community on the party through acts like service projects and civic meetings.

Although Biden has been announced as the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election, President Trump believes results should be recounted due to the possibility of voter fraud with mail-in ballots. Trump says he plans to take legal challenges in key swing states as he refuses to concede election.

Much is still in the air about what will come from Trump’s legal challenges. For more election updates, tune into your local news outlets or read the next edition of The Argo.