A Season of Firsts: Election Edition

In what was considered one of the most pivotal presidential races in American history, this election season was marked by many ‘firsts,’ including America’s first woman of color presidential nominee. In addition, members of Gen Z, including many at Fisher, participated in a presidential election for the first time, coming of voting age just this year.

Senior Lejla Zornic was among the Fisher students who cast her first ballot for president.  Like many of her peers, she recognized the responsibility of fulfilling her civic duty.

For Gen Z voters, casting their vote was an opportunity to voice concern for their futures, as well as the broader concerns of the country.

“For the first time, it felt like young people had the chance to actually voice their opinions in the most important election there is,” said Zornic. “The world is going to belong to young people one day, and we had the chance to make our country the way we need it.”

Young voters were able to fully feel the pride that comes from turning in a vote that would contribute to a cause that is bigger than themselves. Senior Mailani Faucett chose to vote early, and noted that she drew sentimental value from being able to vote on behalf of herself and her mother, who is unable to vote.

“I felt really good about getting my voice heard and taking part in such an important moment in history,” said Faucett. “I think it's important for younger people to vote because there are so few positions for us in the government, and this is the best way for us to still be accounted for in the political world.

In Rochester, leaving “I Voted” stickers on Susan B. Anthony’s gravestone at Mount Hope Cemetery has become a popular tradition since the 2016 election. This year, her home, located at 17 Madison Street in the City of Rochester, was opened to Monroe County residents as an early voting site for the first time. For Dr. Barbara Lowe, professor of philosophy at Fisher, being able to vote in Anthony’s home was a sacred tribute to her fight for women’s suffrage.

“It felt appropriate, as it is due to the activism of Susan B. Anthony and others, that women have the right to vote,” said Lowe. “I also took the opportunity to bring my daughter with me. Although she is not yet of voting age, it has been a tradition since she was very young to join my spouse and me for this important exercise of our civic rights and responsibilities.”

Lowe added that voting at the house and museum felt like a “fitting way” to honor the life and work of one of the most significant women’s rights activists in history. “I'm not usually an emotional person, but it was truly special to cast my vote at the House alongside my daughter in an election that many are describing as the most consequential of our lifetime,” she said.

Dr. Sebastien Lazardeux, professor of political science at Fisher, had many discussions in his Honors course with students about the election, but said he often refrains from telling students they have an obligation to vote. He also reminds them that their votes are equally, if not more impactful, in other national elections, such as the House of Representatives, and state-level elections for assembly members and senators.

Lazardeux’s observations from the discussions were that his students were fairly engaged with this year's presidential campaigns and the election. “Anecdotal data gathered from my classes and discussions with students about their own friends, seem to indicate that many voted, and their turnout exceeded the national average – around 46 percent this year for their age group. This said, we are here looking at a biased pool—students taking classes about politics and educated young people—people [who are] more likely to turnout than non-educated voters with little connection to politics,” he added.

Today’s first-time voters face a different challenge in the digital age of politics, which can have an impact on how they decide who to support at the polls. “I feel sympathetic toward them [Gen Z] because of the amount of misinformation that exists and is readily available to them,” Lazardeux said. “I lived in an environment where we had journalistic safeguards – limited, yet generally reliable information sources produced by journalists who had been trained and were operating based on some basics, like fact-checking sources and journalistic ethics and integrity. Today, everyone can produce news and disseminate it without any guidelines.”

He went on to say that while elections and politics in general are important, they also require intellectual work and a willingness to be informed.  

This article was written by Brooke Eastman, a senior media and communication major. Eastman currently serves as a Public Relations Writing Intern with the Marketing and Communications department at Fisher for the fall 2024 semester.