With Romney stickers being passed out on the Concourse and many students openly adorning them on their shirts and backpacks, and the College Democrats holding up signs at local polling stations, it proves Auburn students are not afraid to make their positions known.
“After returning home from the Concourse, there were a lot of students that I spoke to who had a lot of enthusiasm about voting and the election in general,” said Charlie Smith, College Republicans president.
“As I have watched the news throughout the day, I think the excitement shown by Auburn students today has been a snapshot of the country-wide excitement.”
Student Affairs held an event open to all students wanting to watch the results, from 6-11 p.m. in the Student Center lobby, by the Foy desk.
The College Republicans passed out Romney/Ryan stickers and bumper stickers on the concourse from 11a.m - 2:30 p.m. on Election Day while reminding people to vote. They also were selling Romney/Ryan T-shirts throughout the day.
Later in the day they held a results party at Lee County GOP headquarters at 8 p.m.
The College Democrats went right to the source and held up Obama/Biden signs at the local polling stations, as well as setting up camp in the Student Center room 2310 to make calls to Florida and Alabama residents on behalf of Bob Vance and Lucy Baxley.
The Democrats joined Student Affairs at 6 p.m. to watch the election results.
They then headed over to Quixotes, where they were invited to watch the results.
Jacob Dean, president of the College Democrats, encouraged students to embrace the excitement of the election.
“Make some memories folks,” Dean said. “This will more than likely be the only presidential election that you’ll experience as a college student.”
Although this is not Smith’s first time voting, he was still excited to participate.
“Many political analysts have been giving different predictions today and the past week for who they think will win,” Smith said. “This is my second time voting in a presidential election, and these feelings of enthusiasm and anxiety that I share with my fellow students, I believe, are only intensified in this election.”
Lots of students were excited to have already turned in their absentee ballots but did not have any plans other than watching the results at home.
Others ran out of time to send in their ballots altogether.
“Honestly, I just kept forgetting,” said Taylor Hicks, senior in nutrition. “I am really busy this semester that I never made time to get one.”
For Caitlin Miller, sophomore in public relations, she missed the absentee ballot deadline.
“I was really upset because I wanted to vote,” Miller said. “I feel like the process could have been easier for students or at least be put online.”
For local students, voting at the polls was easier than expected.
Mary Kathryn Fletcher, sophomore in human development and family studies, said this was also her first time voting in a presidential election.
“I didn’t have any classes on Election Day, but I would have skipped my classes if I did,” Fletcher said.
Lee County voting results
Mitt Romney - 32,062 votes (59.2%)
Barack Obama - 21,274 votes (39.3%)
Others - 779 votes (1.4%)
Statistics from The Huffington Post
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