Election Day & Beyond: What to Expect on Campus
Election Day is fast approaching, and there are a wide variety of resources, events, and campus plans prepared for students, faculty, and staff. Here is what you should know: Pacific Votes programs don’t stop on election day because election night is for “counting” not “results”. Read on for full details about the 10+ ways to find post-election support and information on campus next week.
Pacific Votes Programs Don’t Stop on Election Day
The Pacific Student Political Society and Undergraduate Student Senate are hosting an election night watch party in the UC on Tuesday, November 5th. Coverage will play in the UC lounge all evening (if you want to watch early returns), but from 7:30-9:30pm polls will start to close and we have the best chance of seeing results start rolling in. Snacks and drinks will be provided during those hours by the McCall Center for Civic Engagement and PSPS is planning games and activities! Learn more.
Because it is unlikely that we will know who won major races that evening (see below), the Pacific Votes programming continues throughout the week. Our goal is to ensure every member of our Boxer community has the opportunity to be fed, make crafts, watch comfortable movies, "get the tea", and generally process and learn about the election results. More than 10 different activities are planned around campus for November 6th, 7th and 8th. Find them all here.
By November 13th, we should have a pretty good idea of what happened on election day and how the winning candidates and ballot measures may impact our state and country. Join Dr. Jim Moore ("the most quoted political analyst in Oregon") and the McCall Center for Civic Engagement for a post-election What Just Happened? session, available in person and online.
At any time, McCall Center for Civic Engagement staff are available for consultations, support, and conversation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at mcce@pacificu.edu.
Election Night is for “Counting” not “Results”
While we may see some results come in on election night, there is a high chance that the presidential election will be too close to call. This is because Election Day is not “results day” it is “counting day”. It takes time to count all the votes and if we don’t know the results within 24 hours, that’s ok. It means the system is working to ensure accuracy.
In 2020, it took major news outlets several days to declare a presidential election winner, during which time bad actors spread mis- and disinformation about the vote-counting process. While many states have made changes to speed up their vote-counting process, results in the most competitive (and likely decisive) states in the presidential election may still take days to count from Election Day. On the local level, where margins are sometimes just a handful of votes, it is rare but not unheard of for results to take weeks to certify.
Our country’s ballot-counting process is meticulous, nonpartisan, and designed to ensure accuracy, transparency, and integrity. The equipment used is tested by both major parties, and monitored by bipartisan teams of poll workers. There is no changing the election results after Election Day, even if we don’t yet know the results: election workers are simply counting and verifying all the votes already cast (and many states – including Oregon – allow for votes to be mailed on election day, and they can arrive up to 7 days later and still be counted). The 1887 Electoral Count Act requires all states to have all ballots counted by 41 days after the election, so regardless of what happens immediately following we will all know the results no later than mid-December.
Thank you for voting, Pacific! Please check out the great recognition of our campus in As campaigns emphasize the importance of young voters, some university students in Oregon are eager to take part and find more information about participating in this election (and the support offered by the McCall Center for Civic Engagement) at pacific.edu/pacificvotes. We’re proud to vote alongside every one of you in this important election!