The 2024 U.S. presidential race is underway, with election day on Nov. 5. Here are all articles related to the presidential election. Updated frequently.
Signs at Pompey Park Recreation Center in Delray Beach, which was a polling place for the U.S. general election. (Michael Cook)
The voting polls for this year’s presidential election came to a close on Tuesday. The Associated Press reported former President Donald Trump had been re-elected as the 47th President of the United States on Nov. 6.
The general sentiment among Florida Atlantic’s students who were interviewed had mixed reactions to the results of the election. For Lucas Minguez, a freshman majoring in criminal justice, the shock factor came from the electoral and popular votes gap between the two candidates.
“Trump kind of won by a landslide. He did a lot better than I thought he would…I hope he’s a good leader,” Minguez said. “I hope he does better than he did last time, but other than that I guess I was a little shocked. I just thought that Kamala would do a little bit better.”
Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 6. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Surviving two assassination attempts and with a criminal conviction and multiple indictments, former President Donald J. Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, marking a momentous return to the White House.
Also in this year’s general election, the two high-profile amendment initiatives in Florida, recreational marijuana and abortion up until viability, did not pass. Both failed to meet the 60% required to become part of the state’s constitution.
The Associated Press called Trump’s election win at 5:35 a.m. on Nov. 6, with his 277 electoral votes to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 224 votes. As of 1 p.m. after Election Day, Trump has 292 electoral votes, and there are still 20 up for grabs.
Florida was the first state Trump secured officially 6,099,686 against Harris’ 4,669,481, winning 30 electoral votes. He won almost all of the counties in Florida, Harris only winning in five, Palm Beach and Broward among those.
Florida Atlantic University students and alumni are having mixed feelings about the results of the general election.
An illustration created by Taylor Fray. (Michael Cook)
To find out who the student body plans to vote for and what issues stand out most for the next president to address, the University Press made its rounds on the Boca Raton campus Breezeway. Over the course of three days, the UP interviewed 17 random students and alumni, as well as one Student Government representative.
The UP found that seven students favored Vice President Kamala Harris, two students favored former President Donald Trump and six said they were undecided or not voting in the election. Three students did not share.
As the United States general election approaches on Nov. 5, some are turning to astrology in hopes of predicting which presidential candidate will come out on top. Astrologists say the stars are aligning for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican former President Donald Trump.
Although Harris’ presidential announcement has seemed to appeal to most young voters, many do not share the same interest in mixing astrology with politics. Most Florida Atlantic University students don’t believe that astrological charts are capable of predicting who will win and believe that decision is up to the voters.
Abortion has been a hot-button issue since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Now, it’s on the 2024 election ballot in 11 U.S. states — and Florida Atlantic University students are divided on whether to vote “yes” or “no.”
On Nov. 5, Florida voters have the opportunity to decide on the “Right to Abortion Initiative,” also known as Amendment 4, in the upcoming general election. Amendment 4 would add specific language to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights, broadening access to abortion in the state of Florida. The amendment requires a 60% supermajority vote to pass.
A “yes” vote on Amendment 4 would invalidate these bans by adding new language that would prohibit state laws from denying and restricting abortion before “viability” or when abortion is crucial to protecting a patient’s health.
Viability refers to the point in pregnancy when a fetus can survive outside the womb. This typically occurs around 24 weeks, according to Democratic Florida Sen. Lori Berman.
As tensions rise over which Democratic and Republican candidates will be elected to the White House on Nov. 5 for the United States general election, voters will encounter more on the ballot than just the presidential nominees. Voters will also see questions about ballot measures, such as amendments, as well as votes for federal and state offices in Florida.
Florida will soon have the chance to decide on whether or not recreational marijuana should be legal, raising questions about how this will affect the FAU community.
After the Florida Supreme Court ruling on April 1, the state added a “Marijuana Initiative,” or Amendment 3, to the 2024 ballot. It’s unclear whether the amendment will impact Florida Atlantic University.
University Policy 1.6 prohibits all drugs on campus, including controlled substances and being under the influence, said Nicole Kogan, assistant dean and director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution at FAU.
“Possession or use of marijuana is not permitted on university property or at university-controlled events or programs,” Kogan said. “Should Policy 1.6 need to be updated to comply with a change in state or federal law, the university will make the appropriate revisions to our policy at that time.”
An illustration of a student overwhelmed by the responsibility of casting a vote. (Taylor Fray)
While young people have risen to the forefront of social movements and civic engagement, translating that enthusiasm into electoral participation is a different story.
A recent study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) indicated that nearly one-third of young people ages 18-29 who did not vote in the 2022 midterms cited a lack of information about candidates as a key reason. Specifically, 21% felt they didn’t have enough information to make educated decisions.
Political participation among young adults, particularly college students, continues to be an area of concern. Experts and FAU students point to several underlying factors, including a lack of targeted political outreach from candidates and campaigns, complicated voting policies, family influences and the absence of voter education in schools.
Florida’s growing Latino population is taking center stage in the 2024 presidential race as the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund (NALEO), the nation’s leading non-profit for Latino political engagement, projects a historic Hispanic voter turnout.
Florida Atlantic University has a significant Hispanic student body, at around 28% of the total population.
The University Press conducted five interviews with Latino students at FAU. Many of these young voters expressed concerns about issues like immigration, economic hardship and cultural identity. But the path to the ballot box remains very complex.
Top view of the FAU football field against Army West Point on Sept. 7, 2024. The game was dedicated as military appreciation day. (FAU Athletics)
Signs of patriotism are deeply embedded in sports at every level: high school, collegiate and professional. Florida Atlantic University is no different.
The national anthem is played at the start of every sporting event. Athletes and guests alike take off their headwear and put their right hands over their hearts as the anthem plays. Florida Atlantic hosted Army West Point for Military Appreciation Day, with military members walking out holding the U.S. flag and conducting the coin toss alongside the team captains.
In 2023-24, FAU advanced from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference (AAC), displaying how “America” as a brand is prevalent in college athletics.
FAU does not shy away from sharing its American pride through its sporting events, but where do athletes stand when it comes to politics?
Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt Center Gallery is currently a vibrant scene of political artifacts and lively visuals, part of an exhibition titled “Political Circus 2024” on the Boca Raton campus from Oct. 5 to Nov. 24.
Panel discussion at Schmidt Center Gallery on Oct. 22. (Sage West)
The seven-week-long gallery explores political media and culture through the display of artifacts ranging from 2008 to present-day. It was curated by Jane Caputi, FAU Women and Gender Studies professor, and Rockford Projects by Lisa Rockford, an art curator who collaborates with various gallery venues to organize art events and exhibitions. The opening reception took place on Oct. 15.
Kenzie Cameron, a junior secondary English education major who attended the panel, emphasized how well the exhibition represented current political trends.
“I think they did a really good job of keeping up with the modernity of the election this year, especially with memes and the rising tensions between the two parties,” she said.
The empty seats where the debaters would sit for the “FAU College Republicans vs. Democratic students” debate, hosted by FAU’s TPUSA chapter on Oct. 4. (Michael Cook )
Students got a bit heated at an FAU student debate on Oct. 4, moderated by the student chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Republican, Democratic and Independent students were present to discuss the U.S. presidential election.
The event, which TPUSA advertised as “Democratic Students vs. FAU College Republicans” on Instagram, consisted of six students. Three were part of FAU’s chapter of College Republicans (FAU GOP), while the other three students were two registered independents and one Democrat.
Photo courtesy of Alena Niadvetskaya via iStock. (Getty Images)
With only 36 days until the United States general election on Nov. 5, Florida Atlantic University staff and student-led organizations team up to get students registered to vote as the deadline is Oct. 7.
Evan Bennett is an FAU history professor currently teaching “History of Voting in America” this semester. He stresses the importance of students participating in this upcoming election.
“Students shouldn’t just sit on the sideline,” Bennett explains. “Young voters are going to have to live with the choices made, so they should have a voice in choosing.”
Students and faculty outside the FAU Social Work and Criminal Justice building for the “Breezeway Dialogues” on Sept. 25. (Sofia De La Espriella)
On Sept. 25, Florida Atlantic University students and faculty gathered in the rotunda of Social Work and Criminal Justice building for the “Breezeway Dialogues,” a platform FAU professors Naelys Luna and Michael Horswell established in 2021 for civil discussion about controversial topics.
This year’s discussion, “High Stakes: Should Weed Be Legal in Florida?,” allowed participants to debate one of the most controversial topics leading up to the 2024 presidential election: the potential legalization of recreational marijuana in Florida for adults 21 and older under Amendment 3.
Florida’s Amendment 3, which will appear on the ballot on Nov. 5, proposes legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. A “yes” vote supports legalization, while a “no” vote opposes it. The amendment requires 60% voter approval to pass.
Students listen as Lauren Oback, the assistant director of Hillel, talks about the Fourth Amendment at “Hannah’s Night Owl Nosh” event on Sept. 25. (Reese Handley )
Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach, a Jewish student life organization that has an office on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus, opened its doors on Tuesday, Sept. 24 for 20 first-time student voters to discuss amendments one through six on the upcoming election ballot.
Lauren Oback, the assistant director of Hillel, welcomed students to the event, “Hannah’s Night Owl Nosh,” with pamphlets including information on the ballot’s amendments. The handouts listed the supporters of each bill and broke down the meaning of a “yes” or “no” to each amendment.
“We wanted to remove the political figures and just have the facts about what amendments we’re voting on,” said Oback. “Everyone was actively listening to each other, we just had the opportunity to experience genuine conversation about the amendments with all views.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is narrowly leading former President Donald Trump in the race to the White House 50% to 45%, according to a new national poll from Florida Atlantic University’s Political Communication and Public Opinion Research (PolCom) Lab and Mainstreet Research USA.
The conclusions from this poll, in particular, were drawn from 820 registered voters across the U.S. in a 24-hour window from Sept. 16 to 17, according to university spokesperson Joshua Glanzer’s press release.
The poll also found that 54% of voters predicted Harris would win the United States presidential election over Trump’s 46%.
On August 14, People Power for Florida (PPFF), an organization founded by Democratic Florida House Representative
A sign in front of the People Power for Florida campaign table to inform students to update their voting registration with their new dorm. (Michael Cook)
Anna V. Eskamani of District 42, hosted its fourth “Dorm Storm” campaign in front of Florida Atlantic University’s Heritage Park Towers while students were moving in.
This campaign is a yearly effort that aims to get students across multiple Florida university campuses registered to vote before Oct. 7, according to the PPFF’s Communications Director Allison Minnerly. She notes that 50 FAU students registered to vote or updated their address during the “Dorm Storm” event.
“The main objective is to help students update their voter registration to make sure that they are ready to vote at their campus address, but also to make sure these new students that might be new to the state of Florida, or that may have recently turned 18, are registered and ready to vote in the upcoming election,” Minnerly said.
