Political Science majors await election outcome

Joe Talerico, Staff writer

On Nov. 3, the country voted to decide who shall be the next president of the United States. Mercyhurst’s Political Science students have been following the election closely. For many of them, it will be their first time voting in a presidential election. This will be the first election for sophomore Lily Smith.“I was considering voting us-ing an absentee ballot since I am from Rochester, New York, but I actually ended up making a trip home to vote in person the last weekend,” said Smith. “I do not trust mail-in ballots this year due to the tampering of the USPS, but I am happy I voted in person because I know my vote will count.

My parents instilled in me the importance of voting from a young age, and for that, I am forever grateful.” Junior Holden Sczerba believes that voting by mail is a lot safer than many think. He says that many states like Florida have been voting by mail safely and securely for years. However, he also says that he is “in favor of voting in person if you can. My belief is that if you can go to the grocery store, you can go to the polls.”

Smith predicts that Biden will win the election. “People have realized that Trump is unfit to run the country and his actions have proven that he only really cares for rich people.” She is also critical of the administration’s response to the corona-virus pandemic. “His administration did not take the coronavirus seriously, and many people have died and suffered due to this,” Smith said.

Sczerba predicts that Trump will win the election. He believes that Trump’s victory will be ensured if he wins Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, and Florida are the main battleground states of the election. Whoever wins the majority of them will win the presidency. Although excited to hear the election results, Smith is less hopeful about democracy in America. “The political state of the country is a mess.

People are too loyal to their parties so they don’t consider the candidates’ actual beliefs.” She predicts that “after the election, people will definitely be angry, no matter the outcome.” Smith also feels that there has been a loss of compassion and empathy in our politics currently. Sczerba believes that the state of American politics is “poor at best.” “People can no longer have beliefs without being attacked, and they are losing friends and distancing themselves from family members,” said Sczerba. “We have gone from a state of politics when John McCain took out a full-page ad congratulating Obama on winning, to looting and riots.”