The election has come to an end. The results are in. Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.
Trump took the lead and beat Harris by 2,000 votes. In Erie County he received 67,399 votes while Vice President Harris received 65,464 votes.
For the entirety of the election Pennsylvania has been a swing state and both candidates made appearances throughout the election trying to secure votes. Erie was one of the most crucial swing counties. Residents of Erie County waited in lines for hours to make their voices heard no matter how long they would have to stay in lines.
In Lawrence Park, the voting line was out the door before the polls opened at 7 a.m. at U.E. LOCAL more than 100 people voted by 8:30 a.m.
There were 115 people who had voted at Trinity Lutheran Church by 9 a.m. which poll workers had been caught off guard as most people voted mid–afternoon. A steady line lasted all morning outside the Summit Township 1st District polls at Perry HI–Way Hose Company which created a 40–minute wait time to vote.
This election was found to be one of the most high–stakes election that the United States has seen in a long time due to the candidates themselves but also the policies they both promised to invoke if elected.
Some think that the tension around the election is what encouraged more people to vote this year, there was potentially more at stake.
Some residents who had requested mail in ballots never received them and so they all made their way to the Erie County Courthouse to make sure that they were still able to vote even though frustrations were high. Kayla Kukowski, Fairview resident, told YourErie that even with the frustrations they should all still vote.
Tuesday’s general election was significant but still lower than the County’s record high. Just over 135,000 ballots out of 183,037 registered voters were cast which resulted in a 73.8 % voter turnout.
Trump had claimed victory in four key swing states, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Each state indicated narrow wins. All the seven swing states had been exceptionally close. Trump had been slightly ahead in Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina. Harris had a narrow lead in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Following the election many voiced their opinions and feelings all over social media. TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have all had increases in attention on the election results. Tears have been shed, anger has been displayed, and victors feeling victorious.
Vice President Kamal Harris appeared with a concession speech addressing the young people who were watching.
“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it’s going to be ok…Don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place.”
Trump gave a victory speech from Florida at 2:30 a.m. ET.
“This is a movement like nobody’s ever seen before and, frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time…we’re going to help our country heal…We have a country that needs help and needs help very badly.”
