“Only when it’s dark can you see the stars.” That’s the message Vice President Kamala Harris left supporters with today in what eventually became her official concession speech. Those attending appeared dejected, deflated, even depressed. But dig a little deeper, and they remain fervent. One thing I kept hearing? “The fight’s not over.”

“I’m deeply disturbed,” Cynthia, a 1993 Howard alum said. “But this has motivated me to do more.”

When asked if she could say something to the 72 million people who voted for him, she sharply said, “I have nothing to say to them.”

Harris accepted her defeat with grace, citing “pride” for her campaign, and gratitude to her family, as well as the Bidens and the Walzs. Once again, the energy is nowhere near the fever pitch it was at last week on the Ellipse.

“We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said. “We will engage in a peaceful transition of power.”

Harris is set to take the stage any minute now. Periodically, the crowd erupts in polite applause and cheers in an attempt to coax her out – nothing close to the enthusiasm at last week’s Harris rally on the South Lawn of the White House. For the most part, people hold their breath. One student remarked that “it’s giving a throwback to Jim Crow,” with regards to a second Trump term. Others hold out hope that she won’t concede in a Trumpian-style defiance a la 2020. Of course, reports of her calling the president-elect to congratulate him would prove this theory wrong.

One young woman traveled all the way from London to take part in this historic moment.

Francesca, who says she deliberately lined up a visit with her friend to be here during the election, is feeling grim about this morning’s results.

“I saw the photos of how abandoned and empty [Howard] was last night,” she said. “I was very surprised when I woke up this morning.”

As someone from the UK, she says the results still undoubtedly have an impact on her.

“It has an impact on the whole world. It feels quite defeatist,” she said.

Speaking to the energy in the venue right now, she painted a dull picture of what should be a lively event — between the mass amount of Howard alumni, and the fact that we are at the vice president’s home base.

“It doesn’t feel great. Everyone feels a bit subdued,” she said. “We all know what’s coming.”

As for whether this term will be better or worse than his last, she says: “Worse. Much worse.”

President Joe Biden congratulated President-elect Trump on his election victory during a phone call and invited him to the White House.

“President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” the White House said in a statement to reporters.

Biden is additionally scheduled to speak to the nation on Thursday on the outcome of Tuesday’s election.

One Memphis Tennessee voter is trying to keep high hopes, despite the results.

“I’m sad. I’m still sad,” she said. “[I’m here] because I support woman leaders, I support women in politics.”

Crystal Night, a Howard University alum was excited to return to her school, despite the circumstances.

“This is the best place in the world,” she said.

She closed out by expressing her disappointment in the country that just re-elected Donald Trump.

“We say that we want more women in office, but when we put up qualified candidates, we’re coming up short,” she said. “The question is, do we really care about having gender parity in a country that is industrialized, a country that is a world leader, when we cannot elect a woman to the highest office?”

President Jay M. Bernhardt addressed the Emerson community in an email sent around 11 a.m. Wednesday, following President-elect Donald Trump’s win.

“With the presidential election results now known, many in our community will undoubtedly have strong emotions about the outcome,” Bernhardt began.

He emphasized the college’s role as an arts and communication school in bringing people together.

“We remain unwavering in our commitment to inclusion, respect, and support for each and every Emersonian. We embrace and are enriched by our diversity of backgrounds, beliefs, identities, abilities, and experiences,” he wrote. “Together, we will continue to create a foundation for moving forward that is resilient, compassionate, and steeped in our educational priorities. This will never change.”

Bernhardt also encouraged students to join community healing spaces created for post-election support.

Meanwhile, some professors chose to cancel classes in response to the election results to offer students time to reflect.

There’s been a noticeable vibe check in Washington D.C., so to speak, especially at Vice President Kamala Harris’ alma mater of Howard University. Last night, the crowd at Howard was lively, joyful, even musical. Now, rallygoers are singing a different tune.

“I’m scared and disappointed, but ready for anything,” said Lydia Darrow, a graduating senior at Adelphi University. She attended both the watch-party-that-wasn’t here at Howard last night, and today, she’s here until the fighting end for the VP.

“I’m going to keep talking to young voters and encouraging young people to run for office,” she said, with the slightest glimmer of hope in her eyes.

AP News called the race for former President Donald Trump early Wednesday morning after he officially won Wisconsin, the same state that gave him the presidency in 2016.

Just three electoral votes away from victory in the 2024 presidential election Donald Trump took the stage at his West Palm Beach election watch party to the sounds of “God Bless the U.S.A,” with his family and top political supporters, including running mate JD Vance by his side.

Trump lauded the new Republican majority in the Senate was won early on Wednesday morning, as well as his victory in key swing states like Pennslyvania. He thanked his wife and former first lady Melania Trump as well as his kids who joined him on stage.

Trump vowed to “not rest until we have delivered the strong safe and prosperous America,” emphasizing the need for stronger border security before passing the mic to his running mate.

Vance called the election “the greatest political comeback in American history,” and vowed that under Trump’s leadership, the country will experience the greatest economic comeback in its history.

AP reports that Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the key swing state of Pennsylvania early on Wednesday morning with a win putting him at 267 electoral votes to Harris’ 214, just three shy of the presidential win threshold.

Scanning the room, most age groups are equally represented here. Baby boomer DMV voters, college-aged Howard and George Washington University students, and parents sharing a glass of wine, taking the night off—except for Joy Freeman, a keffiyeh-donned Jill Stein voter who brought her 11-year-old daughter, Ariel, to watch the results come in with her at Busboys and Poets. 

“My mom used to do this with me,” she said. “So I figured I’d do it when I had my own daughter.”

Ariel doesn’t remember much from the first Trump term, but she’s still made up her mind.

“[He was] racist to Mexicans,” she said matter-of-factly.

Joy, however, expressed disappointment for both candidates. She’d hoped a woman of color, like herself, would have taken a harsher stance against Israel for Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza.

“I feel strongly that our tax dollars should not be committing genocide,” she said. “And I’m sorry to say that both major parties are so invested in AIPAC that they’re not really being fair in the Middle East.”

Joy was a lifelong Democrat until this year. Though she doesn’t characterize herself as a Stein supporter, she does call herself a “peace supporter” —and she says Harris’s stark contrast on that front might have cost her the election. To the question of if it looks like Trump’s going to win, she says, “It kinda looks like it…but anything could happen.”

Kelly Ayotte (R) is on track to be the next Gov. of New Hampshire, according to WCVB.

Her opponent Joyce Craig (D) called Ayotte just before 10 p.m. to condcede. Incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu (R) decided not to seek reelection and endorsed Ayotte.

With about 47% of the vote counted, Ayotte held a lead of 51.2% while Craig had 46.8%.

Ayotte will be New Hampshire’s fourth woman governor.

Maryland voters will approve Question 1 on the state ballot, which asks voters if the right to abortion should be dictated in the state constitution, according to the Associated Press. While Maryland law currently protects the right to abortion, this new amendment will make it more difficult to overturn. As of 10:24 p.m., 67% of votes have been counted and 74% of voters have approved of the proposed amendment.

Florida will not meet the required 60% majority to protect abortion rights in the state constitution, according to the Associated Press. If the initiative had passed, lawmakers would have been unable to limit abortion access “before viability”, which usually encompasses the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, according to The New York Times. Given these results, the abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy will continue. As of 10:15 p.m., 94% of the votes have been counted, and only 57% of votes were in favor of the initiative.

Sarah McBride, a Democrat state senator, became the first transgender person elected to Congress, AP projects.

In front of a crowd of around 100 supporters, friends, and family at the Nash Bar & Stage in Downtown Boston, U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton delivered a heartfelt concession speech.

Introduced by one of his daughters, who expressed both pride and disappointment, saying, “Although I’m disappointed in these results, I can never be disappointed in you.”

As Deaton took the stage he reflected on his campaign and highlighted its commitment to “No lies, no name-calling, just trying to focus on policy.”

He emphasized his dedication to civil discourse, saying, “It’s fun to show people that you can challenge your political opponents on policy and their record without engaging in divisive attacks.”

Deaton also voiced a plea for unity amid political tensions, urging Americans to “move forward” despite electoral outcomes.

“We cannot let the career politicians in Washington, D.C., keep us divided,” he said. “We got to get back to a place where I can look you in the face and say, I don’t agree with who you choose for president, but I don’t disagree with you.”

Among the sea of Harris hats, shirts, and buttons in the restaurant, one lone Jill Stein 2024 shirt stood out.

“Obviously we’re not going to win tonight,” said Steve, who said he knows Stein personally.

However, he said it’s less about winning the whole election and more about the message it sends to the two parties. “I hope [because of us], [Harris] loses Michigan.”

He said the top reasons he is a fervent supporter of Stein is the Israel-Hamas War, her platform on the environment, and her character at the heart of it.

“She’s the real deal,” he said.

At the watch event for the Massachusetts Democratic Party in Boston featuring Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and other party speakers, Warren spoke just hours after her re-election addressing a crowd of hundreds who lit the room up with waving blue signs.

“12 years ago, lots of experts and insiders said Massachusetts would never elect a woman to the United States Senate … And we taught ourselves that no matter the odd stacked against you, it’s always worth it to get in the fight,” Warren said.

Warren thanked the party and those gathered before turning her speech towards policy.

“My name was on the ballot, but this election is about you and the work we still need to do,” Warren told the crowd.

Warren pledged to raise wages for childcare workers, lower the cost of homeownership, continue to forgive student debt and help expand abortion access nationwide. She also pledged to help end the war in Gaza. This followed a moment after the preceding speech of Markey where a pro-Palestinian protester holding a sign calling for an arms embargo against Israel approached the stage and was soon after removed by security.

“We cannot send American bombs to kill civilians in the Middle East,” Warren said. “We must push the parties toward a two-state solution with safety, dignity, and self-determination for Palestinians and Israelis. I will do everything in my power to bring an end to this war.”

Warren concluded her speech by expressing both relief at her re-election and an acknowledgment of work to be done.

“It’s going to be a long night and maybe even a long week, but no matter what happens, we are ready for the work ahead,” Warren said. “So tonight, rest up, drink up, but tomorrow, we’ll be ready to get back in the fight and I’m in this fight all the way.”

New York voters will approve Proposition 1 on the state ballot, which asks voters if the language of the state constitution should be amended to protect the civil rights of those seeking and who have had abortions, according to the Associated Press. As of 9:31 PM, 33% of votes have been collected. So far, 72.3% of those voters have said “yes.”

The question is similar to many on various state ballots this year, including Maryland, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, and Montana.

Apache County Superior Court Judge Micheal Latham ordered nine polling precincts in Arizona to remain open for an additional two hours. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the Navajo Nation earlier today, which cited malfunctioning equipment and a lack of printed ballots as the need for extended hours.

A group of students from Brigham Young University traveled to the District and attended the watch party at Busboys and Poets for a project in their communications studies class—which has seven people in it. The majority of the group is in support of Harris, to the dismay of their families and fellow students at BYU. One of them had never been to D.C. before.

“It’s a great community here. It’s very exciting,” one student named Kate said.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will win re-election to represent District 14 of Georgia in the House, according to the Associated Press. Greene won the race with a 64.7% majority of votes against Democratic opponent Shawn Harris. This will mark Greene’s third term in Congress.

The energy is buzzing at Washington, D.C.’s chain restaurant and bar Busboys and Poets as patrons watch MSNBC coverage on one of the five in house TVs. The establishment, a quirky and eccentric District staple with political murals coverings walls, is crowded far past max. capacity, with Washingtonians overflowing out the door and onto the street. Moments ago, when the District of Columbia was called for Kamala Harris, the dining room exploded into applause and cheers.

A couple who were working the polls in Missouri died on Election Day after their vehicle was wiped out by flash flood waters, according to state highway patrol.

The accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. this morning and involved three cars that were taken out by the extreme flood waters. Three individuals from two cars were able to escape and swim to safety, while the couple in the third car were found dead at 8:45 a.m.

“This is a terrible loss for Wright County,” County Clerk Loni Pedersen said in a statement on X. “This couple were wonderful people who donated their time to serve their community. We will miss them dearly and the service they provided to my office.”

Some precincts in Boston ran out of ballots in the city’s Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury neighborhoods. Secretary of State William Galvin instructed the Boston Elections Department to send ballots using police cars. Poll workers were told to get contact information for voters who chose not to wait, and anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be able to vote.

Cheers erupted from the hundreds gathered at Massachusetts Democrats Election Night Watch Party at SoWa Power station after it was announced Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who will speak at the event later that night, won her re-election against Republican candidate John Deaton.

AP called the Delaware senate race at 8 p.m. Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester claimed victory as the first Black female senator elected in the state, defeating Republican Eric Hansen.

Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost has been re-elected to a U.S. House seat in Florida’s 10th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. With 82% of the results in, Frost has 62% of the vote, beating Republican Willie Montague by over 60,000 votes. Frost, 27, is the youngest member of the House and became the first member of Generation Z to win a Congressional seat.

Dozens of Emerson students and faculty are enjoying a night of pizza and arts and crafts—and election night anxiety. The Bill Bordy Theatre is hosting its election watch party, where attendees are watching the election results until 11 p.m. Some students expressed feelings of anxiety.

“I’m very anxious … I think [the election] could go either way,” said Meadow Carbone, a third-year Visual Media Arts major who voted for Kamala Harris. Carbone described herself as “cautiously optimistic.”

Violet Masterson, a third-year Visual Media Arts major, who also voted for Harris, shared this sentiment.

“I think it could go either way, but I think because the turnout has been so great today, with like hella long lines and a lot of women voting, that it is very likely that she could win … but I don’t want to get too optimistic,” Masterson said.

Despite uncertainty, Carbone is not prepared in the event former President Donald Trump gets reelected.

“I try not to think about that,” Carbone said. “I don’t want to be faced with that reality again–I’m manifesting.”

Students at Emerson’s Kasteel Well campus gathered for an election results watch party at 1 a.m. CEST.  The event, hosted by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and organized by the Kasteel Well RAs is designed to provide a space for community for a student body that has largely been removed from election events. More than 30 students are sharing beanbags and snacks as they wait with anticipation for the outcome. Many of the students said they feel grateful for the opportunity to be engaged with the events back home.

Elinor Werthman, a sophomore theater and performance major, said that the campus has banded together on Election Day.

“The energy in the castle today has been very community-based,” Werthman continued, “having all of us in this room together kind of allows us to have an outlet for [our] stress.”

Soon after 7 p.m. EST, CNN projected that Trump won Kentucky’s eight electoral votes and that Harris won Vermont’s three electoral votes. These represent the network’s first electoral projections in the presidential race.

Donald Trump posted on his social media early Tuesday that there was “massive cheating” going on in Philadelphia polls and law enforcement was on the way to investigate the situation. Trump did not give any specific details as to what he was referring to and his spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about what he meant, according to the Associated Press.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in response to Trump’s post.

“There is no factual basis whatsoever within law enforcement to support this wild allegation,” Krasner said in the statement. “We have invited complaints and allegations of improprieties all day. If Donald J. Trump has any facts to support his wild allegations, we want them now. Right now. We are not holding our breath.”

As with previous elections, many citizens and news outlets will turn to the Associated Press for the results of tonight’s races. The AP began calling elections in 1848, though their process has changed over time. The Guardian’s Joan E. Greve reported, “…the AP will rely on 4,000 reporters to report vote totals.” Those reporters are on the ground at election offices, calling into the AP’s vote entry team to report results.

In explaining the process, David Scott, the AP’s vice president and head of news operations and strategy, told The Guardian: “We’re able to just do that verification in real time, and it helps avoid fat-finger mistakes. So it is a little analog, but we feel it’s the process that still works the best for us.”

When it comes to calling races early, Scott added, “The question we ask ourselves before we declare a winner is: is there any chance the trailing candidate can catch the leader? If there’s a chance of that, then we don’t call it. We wait.”

Other major networks utilize two different polling systems that survey the American electorate to provide race projections. According to Vox, AP and Fox News use AP VoteCast, which uses large-scale online surveys of registered voters “in an attempt to get the most accurate information from the most representative sample.” ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News are part of the National Election Pool, which takes results from national exit polls and uses them to project a race’s winner. The results of exit polls are not reported by NEP members until after 5 p.m. ET. Results indicative of an outcome cannot be released until after all polling places in that state are scheduled to close.

WEBN-TV and the Emerson Channel will host a live election show at 8 p.m. from the Journalism Production Center and the DuBona Family Studios. Crews of student reporters will update viewers on the presidential and congressional elections, offer analysis through panel discussions, and provide student reactions from several locations, from Washington, D.C. to Emerson’s Bill Bordy Theatre, where an election watch party is slated to take place beginning at 7 p.m.

In a promotional article posted to WEBN’s website, web producer Madison Lucchesi said, “Students have been preparing for this election special all semester with teams creating social media content, writing show scripts and conducting recorded interviews.”

Multiple organizations are offering free or discounted transportation options to make getting to the polls easier for voters. 

Bluebikes, a Boston bike rental company, will offer free, two-hour ride sessions for local voters. To access these, voters need to download the app, select “rewards,” and enter the code “BCBSMAVOTE.” Voters can obtain a bike from one of the over 480 stations around the city. 

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will provide voters with two free Lyft rides up to $20 each with the code “NAACPVOTE24.” The offer only applies while supplies last. 

Both Lyft and Uber are offering a 50% discount on rides to polling places, providing up to $10 in savings. To access these, enter the code “VOTE24” in the Lyft app or select the “Go Vote” button in the Uber app.

Vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz landed at Logan International Airport at 4:05 p.m. on Oct. 20 for a fundraiser appearance on behalf of the Harris Victory Fund at the Boch Center in Boston’s theater district.

Read more about this here. 

Republican Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota took to the debate stage for the first and only time on Oct. 1 in New York City.

The debate came 33 days before Election Day and in the wake of President Joe Biden leaving the presidential race and two attempted assassinations of former President Donald Trump.

Recent polls indicate that Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are locked in a tight race. While the debate between Walz and Vance could give voters a lasting impression on the vice presidential nominees, vice presidential debates historically don’t have a meaningful impact on elections and usually garner lower ratings.

The 90-minute match-up steered clear of personal attacks and focused on policies and digs at the running mates’ opposing presidential nominees.

Read more about this here. 

“If I saw JD Vance on the street, I wouldn’t cower. I wouldn’t avert my eyes, and I certainly wouldn’t step out of his way. But rest assured, I am afraid of Vance,” said Opinion Co-Editor Ella Duggan.

Read this opinion piece here. 

This year’s presidential race will likely come down to voters in just seven states. Wisconsin, labeled a “toss-up” state, is highly unpredictable, but has the potential to put one candidate over the top with its 10 votes in the Electoral College, as it did for President Joe Biden in 2020. The winner of the state has gone on to win the White House in the past four elections.

Read more about this here. 

Minutes after the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in Philadelphia concluded, campaign surrogates flooded into the spin room at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where 1,000 journalists convened.

The spin room was filled with surrogates, other lawmakers, public figures campaigning for Trump and Harris, well-known political advisors, and special interest group representatives.

Read more about this here. 

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on the debate stage on Sept. 10 for the first and only time, and the mics are finally off—for now.

The highly anticipated 90-minute matchup allowed Harris to spotlight her policy goals—which she made public right before the debate—and public speaking skills on a national stage for the first time. The former president faced a new competitor at his seventh general election debate with less than two months until Election Day.

Read more about this here. 

“I am tired of listening to our political candidates talk about healing our nation, bringing the country back together again, and being a president for all Americans “regardless of political party.” Fixing our political process is not about emotional healing, or subscribing to murky, watered-down, ethically noncommittal policies. It is about the time-honored slugfest of concrete political compromise. And this task requires political bravery,” writes guest author J. L. McCormick.

Read this opinion piece here. 

Kayla Armbruster was surprised when President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, but threw her support behind Harris after she named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

“I truly do think that his ideas align with me and my personal ethics as a human being, far more than I’ve seen pretty much any other major politician that has been on a presidential ticket,” Armbruster, a senior political communications major, said.

Read more reactions here. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz held their first rally in August at The Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Harris announced Walz as her running mate the morning of the rally and later released the phone call where she asked Walz to round out the Democratic ticket.

Read more about this here.

“Social media is an increasingly relied upon tool of political communication for young people. Think of social media as the language we speak. Call it brain rot, call it jargon, but it’s still a medium of social interaction and grounds upon which to host discourse in the form of comment sections, Instagram polls, and TikTok trends. And sometimes, those conversations may be fruitful,” writes Beacon Correspondent Meg Richards.

Read this opinion piece here.

President Joe Biden spoke from the Oval Office in July to address why he decided to drop out of the presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.

In his first public address since his announcement Sunday, Biden, 81, said while his record as president could afford him a second term, nothing could come in the way of “protecting American democracy,” including personal ambition.

“This sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me, but about you, your families, your futures. It’s about ‘We the People,’” Biden said in the 10-minute address.

Biden became the first U.S. president to announce he would not be seeking a second term in office since 1968 when Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek reelection during the growing political unrest over the Vietnam War.

“I revere this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”

Read more about this here.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced her run for Democratic nomination for president in July, after President Joe Biden announced he would stand down as the Democratic party’s nominee in a letter posted on social media.

Read more about this here.