(Illustration: Desmond Meagley/Youth Radio)
Election Day has finally arrived! Just a few more hours and we’ll finally be able to talk about something else. But for the moment, it’s time to lean in, and follow what’s going down across the country. We’ll keep updating this page as we get live updates, videos, and reactions from young people across the country. So check back with us throughout the day!
6:57 p.m. PST Update from San Francisco, CA
Not Celebrating Election Night: Teen Won’t Feel Safe If Trump Wins
Amanda Agustin, 17, from San Francisco, says she won’t feel safe in her own country if Trump wins. “With every single racist, xenophobic, misogynistic…comment he’s made… Every single time, that’s felt like a blow,” said Agustin.
6:48 p.m. PST Update from Denver, CO
Divided Nation, Divided School
Jasmine Bilir, 15, from Denver, tells us that the partisan heat of the election spilled over into her school this week.
6:28 p.m. PST Update from Philedelphia, PA
Viewing A Scary Election Through The Lens of History
Olivia Sandom, 16, of Philedelphia, reflects on what has been a rough campaign season with some insight gained from a friend this week.
6:07 p.m. PST Update from San Francisco, CA
First Time Voter Guides Her Immigrant Parent Through Ballot
Amber Ly, 18, from San Francisco, is a first time voter. So is her father. She explained several state and municipal propositions to her dad. “It was interesting to fill [the ballot] out together, because I was really guiding him through the process,” Ly said.
5:55 p.m. PST Update from Fremont, CA
During Riveting Election Night, Teen Needs to Study for Three Tests
Arnav Gupta, 16, of Fremont, California is a politics junkie. But the night of the elections, he’s busy cramming for exams in biology, precalculus, and Spanish. Gupta even started a petition to move
5:44 p.m. PST Update from Oakland, CA
Latino Teen Worries that Racist Trump Rhetoric Will Continue Past the Election
Emiliano Villa, 17, of Oakland, California has spent the election season putting up with overtly racist rhetoric from Donald Trump’s campaign. “Even if Donald Trump doesn’t win, he’s going to have this impact of letting these closet racists out,” said Villa.
4:58 p.m. PST Update from Cleveland, OH
As Polls Close In Ohio, Cleveland Teen Wishes She Could Vote
Tess Kelly, who turned 16 this week, wishes that she could play a role in this deeply divided election.
3:00 p.m. PST Update from Canton, MI
With All Eyes on Michigan, Teen Canvases Till Polls Close
Ethan Petzold, 18, a Michigan Democrat, has been knocking on doors since 6 AM on Election Day. “Turnouts been high. There’s been long lines in some of our Democratic precincts,” Petzold says. .
2:54 p.m. PST Update from Colorado Springs, CO
First Time Voter, Colorado Teen, Recalls Chaotic Primary Season
First time voter, Joel Crank, 19, of Colorado, looks back on the Republican primary. “As this primary season started, I was actually a Marco Rubio supporter. Then I went to the convention for Ted Cruz. And today I cast my ballot for Donald Trump,” Crank said.
2:00 p.m. PST Update from Oakland, CA
Bay Area Rapper IAMSU Urges “Everyone” To Get Out the Vote
Reporter Myles Bess sat down with Bay Area rapper IAMSU. During the interview, IAMSU expressed ambivalence towards both candidates, but reinforced the importance of voting.
1:00 p.m. PST Update from New York, NY
Trump Fortune Teller Makes An Appearance in NYC, But Signs Point To Hillary
Both candidates claim ties to New York City, but according to Brooklyn resident (and self-identified ambivalent voter) Sayre Quevedo, 23, he doesn’t see many pro-Trump signs in the city. “The vibe is definitely pro-Hillary,” he says.
We asked him if he feels relieved that it’s finally election day. He says, “I was feeling relieved but then I remembered that election politics don’t actually end [on election day.]”
12:00 p.m. PST Update from Atlanta, Georgia
Outside A Packed Polling Station, Teen Talks To Mom
Chase Kleber of Grady High School in Atlanta sends us this update from outside his local polling station.
An Illustrated Election Day Survival Guide
From Republicans in Georgia to Democrats in California, we illustrated what young people from around the country said what they would need to get through election day 2016.