What student journalists in 50 states tell us about 2024 elections
What student journalists in 50 states tell us about 2024 elections
I sifted through hundreds of student newspapers to bring you unique takes on the elections, from quirky stories to local insights
If you’ve been following election updates, you know the big headlines — but student journalists across the country have been capturing the local pulse with stories that deserve attention, too.
Did you know a Kansas watch party served a “Childless Cat Lady” cocktail? Or that astrologers predicted a Kamala Harris win based on her birth chart? And did you know New Jersey Senator-elect Andy Kim’s favorite LEGO sets are Star Wars-themed?
These are just a few quirky details student journalists uncovered while covering Election Day across the country.
Much like their professional counterparts, student journalists have been on the frontlines as the elections unfold.
Take The Hilltop at Howard University, for example. Harris spent the election night there — a “momentous opportunity,” Editor-in-Chief JD Jean-Jacques told NBC News.
Meanwhile, when more than half of the country’s largest newspapers didn’t endorse a presidential candidate this year, The Temple News broke its 103-year nonpartisan tradition and declared, “Voting for Donald Trump is not an option.”
In this special edition, I went through hundreds of student newspapers across the country, so you don’t have to.
Here’s a glimpse of student journalism from 50 states, covering the elections from days before to after the results, with some tidbits along the way.
Alabama: Auburn students celebrated Trump’s victory by “rolling” a local landmark, as they do after sports wins. A student said it was summed up best when someone yelled, “I can afford groceries now.” (The Auburn Plainsman)
Alaska: Rep. Mary Peltola, whose race remains uncalled, told student journalists in an exclusive interview earlier this year that Alaska is “at least 100 to 200 years behind the Lower 48” in infrastructure. (The Sun Star)
Arizona: Amid high political stress, the University of Arizona offers resources tailored to ease current-event anxiety. Meanwhile, ASU students ranked Maricopa County's “I Voted” stickers. (The Daily Wildcat & The State Press)
Arkansas: Two Fayetteville voters expressed frustration for voting other than red or blue: One said a third-party vote feels “wasted,” while another doubted any vote's impact in a predetermined state. (Arkansas Traveler)
California: While UC Berkeley journalists reported “unprecedented” student turnout, Santa Ana journalists found most students indifferent. Plus, Sacramento student media said journalists’ rights are on the line this season. (The Daily Cal, el Don & The California Aggie)
Colorado: In a fictional, three-part video series, student journalists illustrated a Texan woman’s experience traveling to Denver for an abortion, capturing every step of the journey from learning of the pregnancy to taking a flight and experiencing the side effects of pills. (DU Media)
Connecticut: Sen. J.D. Vance will become the fourth Yale graduate to hold the vice presidency. But the community likely won’t celebrate the victory as only 8% of Yale students planned to vote for the Republican ticket. (Yale Daily News)
Delaware: Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to Congress. In an exclusive interview with student journalists earlier this year, she recalled meeting President Joe Biden, who told her, “Remember me when you are president.” (The UD Review)
Florida: Astrologers wrongly predicted a Harris win based on birth charts, though Harris’ chart aligned with the U.S. horoscope this year, as Trump’s and Biden’s did in 2016 and 2020. Plus, the legalization of weed and abortion failed on the ballot. (University Press & The Miami Hurricane)
Georgia: Following Trump’s win, Emory student journalists called on Democrats to “abort the sensationalist pro-choice rhetoric” and urged voters to stay engaged post-election. (Emory Wheel)
Hawaii: Turnout, particularly among youth, is down from 2020 during COVID-19. Honolulu leaders urged young people to vote, saying, “You are the future, your voice is going to be way stronger than my voice ever will be.” (The Mānoa Mirror)
Idaho: New state laws restricting acceptable voter IDs, including student cards, complicate voting for out-of-state Boise State students, who make up 30% of the campus. (The Arbiter)
Illinois: A Chicago voting group hosted a “Party to the Polls” for students, giving them a buddy to go vote. Plus, a former inmate advocated for civic rights education in prisons — an issue often overlooked. (Columbia Chronicle & The DePaulia)
Indiana: A West Lafayette school board candidate distributing campaign tags on Election Day raised questions about a possible electioneering law violation; student journalists quickly confirmed it was legal. (Purdue Exponent)
Iowa: A profile of Hamburg Inn No. 2 in Iowa City highlighted its 90-year legacy as a gathering spot for political minds and local discourse in a way little seen elsewhere. (The Daily Iowan)
Kansas: A Democratic watch party in Lawrence featured a “Childless Cat Lady” cocktail and a “Blue Wave” vodka concoction. (The Daily Kansan)
Kentucky: A veteran attorney and first-time alternate poll worker at the University of Kentucky shared a heartwarming moment when a young voter, the first in line at 5:45 a.m., returned 45 minutes later with donuts for the poll workers. (Kentucky Kernel)
Louisiana: Although Tulane students showed strong support for Harris in a survey, a professor noted conservative students may be underrepresented, as campus divisiveness often makes them hesitant to share their views. (The Tulane Hullabaloo)
Maine: Student journalists at Maine’s largest university interviewed 100 voters, finding that only 35% of 20 first-time voters conducted extensive research on local candidates. (The Maine Campus)
Maryland: Some University of Maryland College Park students waited over five hours to vote, with one first-time voter saying the delay left her feeling “defeated.” (The Diamondback)
Massachusetts: Emerson College barred its student paper from endorsing a candidate as part of new speech restrictions. “Our neutrality is not a choice; it has been forced upon us by the Emerson administration.” (The Berkley Beacon)
Michigan: In East Lansing, a college town, Harris struggled to match Democrats’ previous support in 2020 and the 2022 midterms. (The State News)
Minnesota: At Minneapolis’ The Blake School, students expressed apathy toward voting, feeling political issues don’t impact their lives directly. Another student journalist noted the growing role of social media in campaigning. (The Spectrum & The Knight Errant)
Mississippi: A finance student said he was ready for the election to be done: “I’m tired of seeing it all over my timeline.” (The Daily Mississippian)
Missouri: This was the first state to ban abortion at all stages — overturned Tuesday by voters. A pro-abortion activist told a student journalist she played “phone bank bingo,” earning points for names like “baby killer” and F-word responses when she made cold calls about the issue. (The Columbian Missourian)
Montana: Voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution despite Republican wins in statewide races. (Montana Kaimin)
Nebraska: Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn’s unexpectedly competitive campaign fell short of unseating Sen. Deb Fischer. (The Daily Nebraskan)
Nevada: In a swing county, a 71-year-old voter noticed divisions even within her own family: “I have some more conservative views. Doesn’t mean I don’t love my great nieces and nephews, but because I’ll listen to them … but they won’t let me talk.” (Reynolds Sandbox)
New Hampshire: A Dartmouth survey showed 74% of undergraduates planned to vote for Harris. Plus, former Vice President Mike Pence gave a talk about American democracy on campus just before the election, attracting a protest. (The Dartmouth)
New Jersey: Rep. Andy Kim, set to be the first Korean American senator, told student journalists at his alma mater, Cherry Hill East High School, earlier this year that his favorite LEGO sets are Star Wars-themed. (Eastside Online)
New Mexico: Albuquerque was one of Trump’s last campaign stops. He claimed to have won New Mexico in 2016 and 2020. He did not win. (The Daily Lobo & The Round Up)
New York: In “NYC Speaks,” Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism reporters interviewed dozens of New Yorkers in five boroughs for a pulse check on the election. (NYC News Service)
North Carolina: Despite voter intimidation incidents across the country, students at North Carolina Central University felt “empowered” to vote. Plus, a Raleigh mayoral candidate who’s an NC State professor blamed election timing for his loss. (The Campus Echo & Technician)
North Dakota: Bismarck High School held a mock presidential and gubernatorial election for students in October, with the results mirrored the general election. (HiHerald Online)
Ohio: Gerrymandering reform, which a student newspaper said would have “shaken up Ohio’s political atmosphere forever,” failed at the ballot box. (The Miami Student & The Post Athens)
Oklahoma: Democrats didn’t spend much here. The state’s Congressional incumbents outspent challengers nearly 11-to-1 in the final campaign stretch. (Gaylord News)
Oregon: Ahead of the election, the University of Portland appointed a faculty fellow for constructive dialogue amid political tensions. (The Beacon)
Pennsylvania: At Trump’s alma mater Wharton, a pro-Harris student who knocked on more than 2,000 doors said, “We’re f**ked. We’re kind of screwed over, and I’m heartbroken, and I felt so confident,” reflecting post-election dismay. (The Daily Pennsylvanian)
Rhode Island: Trump's win jeopardizes $900 million in federal funds the state had secured for green infrastructure projects including home electrification, expansion of electric buses and improvements to water infrastructure. (The Brown Herald)
South Carolina: The University of South Carolina students set aside political differences at a DJ party to “have a good time.” A first-year student said, “(It) doesn't matter if you're voting for one or the other … Everyone just wants to hang out.” (The Daily Gamecock)
South Dakota: Voters upheld an abortion ban, with both pro- and anti-abortion advocates critiquing the amendment’s unclear language. (Collegian Media)
Tennessee: Vanderbilt employees contributed over $355,000 to 2024 political causes, mostly to Democrats, down from $1.1 million in 2020. The numbers this year, however, are close to the numbers seen in 2016. (The Vanderbilt Hustler)
Texas: Reports of anti-Harris flyers have been filed with the San Marcos Police Department, raising concerns about voter intimidation. The flyers were signed by “The Grand Dragon of Trump Klan #124; San Marcos, TX.” (The University Star)
Utah: Researchers at the University of Utah have been looking into the risks and benefits artificial intelligence would carry in the 2024 election. One of the proposed benefits is to use it to detect voting anomalies. (Amplify Utah)
Vermont: The University of Vermont’s Democratic and Republican chapters are near extinction due to a lack of student interest. But the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter thrives. (The Vermont Cynic)
Virginia: A student reporter in Alexandria, seeing Virginia uncalled at 11 p.m., predicted an “increasingly slim chance” of a Harris win nationally. (Theogony)
Washington: International students at the University of Washington, comprising 15% of the student body, showed little interest in U.S. elections, as they cannot vote. (The Daily UW)
West Virginia: A ballot measure to prohibit assisted suicide confused voters with its vague wording. Student journalists found some even cast their ballots contrary to their intentions. (The Daily Athenaeum)
Wisconsin: Deeply split Door County has picked the president six times running, but residents keep things civil by keeping their political beliefs to themselves. Plus, Wisconsin also voted to bar noncitizen voting, opposed by 30+ organizations. (The Daily Cardinal & The Racquet Press)
Wyoming: Casper’s skating community missed out on $5 million for a second ice sheet at the city’s arena — a project players said would help balance practice and game schedules — after the proposal failed. (Kelly Kall)
💬 I want to hear from you: What did I miss? Send me your election stories at nutgrafnews@gmail.com.
