In a mock election sponsored by The Chanticleer, 144 Averett undergraduate students responded to the emailed survey. Of those who responded, 50.7% said they were voting for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and 45.1% indicated a preference for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The remaining 4.2% checked the box for the Libertarian ticket on the Virginia ballot, Jo Jorgensen and podcaster Jeremy “Spike” Cohen. The results of the election are unscientific.

The survey also asked students who are eligible to vote to indicate whether or not they had actually registered. More than 87% of students responding who are old enough to vote indicated that are registered. Just over 12% of eligible voters indicated they had not registered.

Averett has held two events that allowed students to register to vote, one was a tabling event on Constitution Day, another was the Rock the Vote event. These events gave students the information and resources to register to vote for Virginia or their home state. 

In follow-up interviews, some students indicated they wished the candidates would focus more on issues.

“I wish both candidates talked more about the environment and climate change,” Leah Dowdy, a junior majoring in math, said. “It is such a large, pressing issue and only one candidate acknowledges that exists.” 

COVID-19 has made this election more unusual compared to past years. Reports of lines over three hours long have deterred many people from voting, but there are other options like mail-in ballots and early voting. 

“I’m anxious to see what election day is going to look like,” Dowdy said. She has already seen a major increase in early voting this year compared to previous years. 

Students like Dustin Harrison, a junior majoring in biomedical science, are happy the number of people voting early has increased but also hope for a good turn out on election day.

“I have a message to my fellow students, and to our teachers as well, about the general outlook of this year and this election,” Harrison said. “I want to implore that everyone goes to vote. I don’t care who is on your ballot. Vote. We hold the power and the responsibility, and we can change this country to a land of golden opportunities once again.”