Alcorn State University’s (ASU) Student Engagement hosted an Election Watch Party on Tuesday, November 6th at 7:00 pm in the Campus Union TV Room. During the event, ASU students, faculty and staff were entertained with games and food while watching the election results unfold.
The students, some first time voters, realized the importance of voting and how casting their vote could have a profound impact on their future. Tobias Conerly, ASU’s 1st Vice President stated, “The goal of the party was to reshape the narrative around voting by fostering a fun and inclusive environment. I think seeing the results up on the screen was really powerful for the students and it helped them see their impact on the election as a campus.”
Some key races that the group was interested in was the U.S. Senate (Special Election) race which saw Mike Espy and Cindy Hyde-Smith challenge for the position. Mike Espy (Democrat) had 294,874 votes which was 41% of the vote while Hyde-Smith (Republican) had 293,834 votes which was 40.9% of the vote. With neither candidate receiving 50% of the vote there will be a run off on November 27th to decide the winner.
Another pivotal competition that concerned students was the Mississippi 2nd Congressional District race. The election saw Bennie Thompson (Democrat) win yet another term in a landslide by receiving 122,782 votes which was 72.9% 0f the vote. His closest competitor was Troy Ray (Independent) who received 35,046 votes which was only 20.8% of the vote. Thompson has represented the District in the House since 1993.
ASU’s own Toni Walker Terret, Assistant Professor of Mass Communications, ran for the 9th Circuit Court District Judge position which covers Warren, Sharkey, and Issaquena Counties. Terret won by the slimmest of margins with 3,011 which was 50.1% while her competitor Angela Carpenter had 2,858 votes which was 49.8%.
The watch party was not only entertaining but informative. Patrick Mason, ASU’s Sophomore Class President stated, “This was a good way to allow students to view what’s occurring around their state. Communication was also important during this event because students talked about their different views on issues and how their vote could make an immediate change.”