The party begins 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Just as the polls start to close across the country, the History and Political Science Club will host students interested in watching the results come in at an Election Night Viewing Party in the Navesink Rooms in the Student Life Center (SLC).

Students who attend can indulge in free food and beverages, play a variety of games and win prizes. According to club adviser, Professor Jonathon Moschberger, attendees might be playing either Kahoot or Jeopardy and questions will be connected to the election and politics in general.

The presidential election this year has been one of the most contentious in the nation’s history. This election has also made history, with President Joe Biden removing himself from the race on July 21 and endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris. And former President Donald J. Trump is running on the Republican ticket for the third time, looking to become the first President in over 120 years to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

This election has been one of the most polarizing as well among voters. Groups, organizations and companies are under more pressure than ever to endorse a candidate. Voters also live in a time where the majority of people do not trust mainstream media outlets. According to Gallup – a company that has been behind trustworthy polls on a wide variety of political and culture subjects for decades – 69 percent of people either don’t trust mass media a little or at all.

At Brookdale’s viewing party, a variety of news channels will be broadcast. This will ensure attendees will get the latest calls and predictions. Presenting multiple broadcasts will also ensure students will be able to get the results from the networks they most trust.

While the presidential election is the most talked about race, many other seats at a variety of government levels are up for a vote as well. These include members of Congress and a U.S. Senator from New Jersey. On election night, voters will also see the results from major Senate and House elections. These elections are integral to determine which political party will control the chambers of Congress.

Statistics provided by Brookdale show that 87.7 percent of Brookdale students lived in Monmouth County as of the Fall 2022 semester. Four congressional districts split the county. New Jersey’s 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 12th congressional districts. There will also be a Senate election in New Jersey to choose someone to take the seat that former Senator Bob Menedez, who left after being convicted of corruption during the summer. The choice is between Democrat Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw.

Students should be aware that the presidential election most likely will not be called on Tuesday night or even early Wednesday morning. The 2020 election was on Nov. 3rd, but had not been called until Nov. 7th. This was because of the tens of millions of voters who had voted by mail due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the closeness of the race.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have been absent for at least two years, more voters are expected to vote via mail than elections before the pandemic. There have also been dozens of lawsuits in the most contentious states over how mail-in ballots and registration should work. Students should be aware how laws changing in the last few weeks before election day will impact how quickly the election will be called.

For example, Al Schmidt, the Secretary of State for Pennsylvania, has said. Counting votes “takes time. So when you hear on election night, what’s the delay in Pennsylvania? … There isn’t a delay. It takes time to count millions of votes, and Pennsylvania is a unique disadvantage because that process can’t begin, like other states, earlier.”

Biden’s win of Pennsylvania in the 2020 election is what led to media outlets to declare him the winner. Pennsylvania will be playing a similar role this election, as Pennsylvania is a swing state and may end up deciding the Presidential election for a second time with it’s massive 19 electoral college votes.

The viewing party is technically supposed to end at 11:59 p.m., but Professor Moschberger stated in an e-mail conversation that the party has gone past this deadline in the past, such as the 2016 election. Information about the viewing party will be sent via email and be on the club’s social media accounts, but there is also an event on Oct. 22 at Navesink Rooms to discuss the upcoming election. There will also be food, games, and presentations at the event.

https://www.nj.gov/highereducation/IP/IP2023/pdf/Brookdale.pdf

https://www.witf.org/2024/09/24/pa-secretary-of-state-al-schmidt-answers-questions-about-the-election/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/651977/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx