LIVE UPDATES: Election Day in Winston-Salem

Several Old Gold & Black reporters provide live updates from Winston-Salem on Election Day

Maddie Stopyra, James Watson, Ella Klein, Andrew Braun, Isabella Romine, Skyler Villamar-Jones, Maria Silveira, Miriam Fabrycky, and Nick Costantino

November 5, 2024

Evan Harris

The Old Gold & Black will provide live updates on Election Day, both online and on our social media platforms X and Instagram.

Winston-Salem residents and Wake Forest students arrived at Precinct 905 to cast their votes. (Maria Silveira)

5:58 p.m., Maria Silveira:

In Precinct 905, the roughly 18 voters at Bethabara Moravian Church around 3:15 p.m. were predominantly Winston-Salem residents. Wake Forest students living in North Campus housing were zoned for this precinct.

Several students expressed similar sentiments to those the Old Gold & Black spoke with in Precinct 903. Freshman Trevor Weiss from California expressed excitement about being a first-time voter in North Carolina — a decisive swing state.

“It’s nice to vote, nice to get my voice heard. I wish we could have a little bit better candidates but it’s good to […] have input on this finally,” Weiss said.

Weiss expressed that several issues are important to him when voting for a presidential candidate, including what he describes as the “drug crisis,” immigration, the economy and foreign policy.

Graduate student Joe Cius explained that women’s rights were the main reason she visited the polls.

“I think that’s just a basic human right that we shouldn’t have to vote on, which is sad,” Cius said. “That’s the number one thing that made me want to vote.”

When Cius was asked if she had anything to add regarding election day she said: “Go Vote!”

Wake Forest students at Precinct 305 enter Harvest Bible/Salem Chapel to vote. (Evan Harris)

5:48 p.m., Skyler Villamar-Jones:

In Precinct 903, at around 2:30 p.m. there were approximately 15 people in line to vote at Salem Chapel, the majority of whom were Wake Forest students. Students living on South Campus were zoned for this precinct. The Old Gold & Black interviewed several students after they voted as they waited for the shuttle services that transported students to and from the voting sites.

Freshmen Jorden Patino and Madeline Basch expressed excitement about voting in their first election.

“I’m feeling very powerful,” Patino said. “I’m very glad that I got to vote for people who don’t have a voice in my community.”

Patino, who is from New Jersey, was enthusiastic about being able to vote in a swing state where it has a greater impact.

Basch said that her main concern regarding which candidate to vote for was their respective positions on women’s rights.

Junior Jack Liddicoat, a North Carolina resident, recognized the social pressure he felt to vote.

“I’ve been reading stuff that says people can see if you voted or not,” Liddicoat said. “I don’t want people thinking that I didn’t vote when I voice my opinion on certain issues.”

5 p.m., Miriam Fabrycky and Nick Costantino:

Around 12:30 p.m., the OGB spoke with ten students about their feelings and plans as they anticipated election results. Each individual said they voted — all but one in North Carolina — but they had differing emotions as they waited for results. Around half of the students described more intense feelings of anxiety.

“I am absolutely going to be on my laptop refreshing the page over and over and over again in my chemistry class,” freshman Lenny Lane said. “I remember four years ago in my freshman year [of high school], I was in class just pressing the refresh page over and over again. I’m nervous. I definitely want a specific outcome for this election.”

Others felt more indifferent to various potential outcomes, including freshman Thomas Naper who said he is “not really too worried about” the election. The students also had differing perspectives on what issues were on the forefront of the election — four said they believed the number one issue is legal access to abortion.

One such student, freshman Jane Hochman, described that as a pre-med student, she cares most about a woman’s right to choose. Junior Nandini Dube agreed that women’s rights are important in this election, but also emphasized the issues of gun control and housing.

Meanwhile, several other students said that they did not have specific issues in mind when voting.

Regardless of their varying emotions surrounding the election, however, each student plans to watch election coverage tonight, if only casually as they work on their homework and spend time with friends.

“I felt really excited to participate in this year’s election,” freshman Max Marino said. “I think it’s one of the biggest elections in recent history. So I was really excited to have my voice heard.”

From Maddie Stopyra, Editor-in-Chief:

The Old Gold & Black is proud to present live coverage of the 2024 Election. We are dedicated to accurately and thoroughly documenting how our community engages in and responds to election day. Beginning at approximately 5 p.m., short “blog posts” will be available on our website from reporters at key locations on campus and in Winston-Salem. Data-focused posts will be published approximately every hour between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m. as results are made public. These updates will also be available on the OGB’s Instagram and X accounts.

The OGB’s 2024 Election reporting team consists of six reporters who will cover on and off-campus locations. Here is the breakdown:

Staff Writers Miriam Fabrycky and Nick Costantino will report from Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus, focusing on speaking to students at watch parties and heavily populated areas such as dining halls.
Features Editor Ella Klein will report from the Democratic Party headquarters in Winston-Salem.
Sports Editor Andrew Braun will report from the Republican Party headquarters in Winston-Salem.
News Editor Skyler Villamar-Jones will report from polling locations in precinct 903, speaking with several voters.
News Editor Maria Silviera will report from polling locations in precinct 905, speaking with several voters.
Senior Writer Isabella Romine will attend campaign events across Winston-Salem and talk to organizers and attendees.

After live coverage concludes, blog posts will be consolidated into a story headlined “Election night, as it happened in Winston-Salem” for our print edition that will be available on Nov. 7. Thank you for following our coverage, and if you have not already done so, please vote.

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About the Contributors

Maddie Stopyra, Editor-in-Chief

Maddie is a junior from Rural Hall, N.C. majoring in English and minoring in journalism and psychology. Outside of the OGB, she is also a member of the campus a cappella group Minor Variation. In her free time, you can find her reading novels and going to coffee shops with friends.

James Watson, City & State Editor

James Watson is a sophomore from Wilmington, N.C. who plans on majoring in politics and international affairs and minoring in classical studies. Outside of OGB, James is heavily involved in state and local politics and the director of Deacs Decide on campus. A host on Wake Radio, James loves the sound of his own voice. He is also a serial tweeter.

Ella Klein, Features Editor

Ella is a sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C. majoring in environmental studies and minoring in anthropology. Outside of the OGB, she is the creative director of The Magnolia, a member of Wake Radio and an intern with the Office of Sustainability. In her free time, you can find her kayaking, gardening, listening to music and drinking celery soda.

Andrew Braun, Sports Editor

Andrew is a freshman from Wrightsville Beach, N.C. intending to major in politics and international affairs and minor in journalism. Outside of the OGB, he is a member of a capella group Innuendo and Model United Nations. In his free time, you can find him playing bass and guitar, watching only the most obscure NBA matchups and paddle surfing at the beach.

Isabella Romine, Features Editor

Isabella Romine is a sophomore from Greensboro, N.C. She is studying politics, linguistics, and Russian, which she began learning during a gap year in Moldova through the NSLI-Y program. Outside of the OGB, she is involved in the Program for Leadership and Character, student radio, and Three to Four Ounces, Wake Forest’s literary magazine.

Skyler Villamar-Jones, News Editor

Maria Silveira, News Editor

Maria is a freshman from Highland Beach, Fla. Outside of the OGB, she is a member of the Kappa Beta Gamma sorority. In her free time, you can find her taking a dance class, going to the beach or listening to music with friends.