Copy by Everett Pledger

Photos by Marilyn Chavez & Ellie Bunnell

This fall, the Presidential election sparked lively debate all across the University of Arkansas campus,
especially within the Democracy Fellows, a non-partisan club dedicated to increasing voter turnout and
awareness. The club’s goal is to educate students about the importance of voting, both at the national
and local level. Anna Abston, Secretary of Democracy Fellows, emphasized the importance of student involvement, saying “I think it’s really important for students because a lot of students aren’t involved on your college campus. We’ve also seen a decline in voter turnout recently and democracy fellows is really trying to just promote civic engagement.” College students tend to be incredibly politically aware, but they remain one of the least likely demographics to vote. “That’s why Democracy Fellows is so vital. We are working to make the University of Arkansas a more voter friendly campus for students to know their rights and resources,” Abston said. The entire nation paused for election night, anxiously awaiting the results. There were several very surprising results, including the fall of the blue wall, which entails several northeastern states that
generally vote blue, but flipped red this year. Many key swing states shifted in unexpected directions as
the tallies were taken. Organizations and clubs on campus hosted election watch parties and students
gathered all over to watch the results. In the end, Donald Trump was named the 47th President of the United States. This election showed that University of Arkansas students are realizing how important their involvement is in democracy.