The 2020 presidential election was unlike no other. On November 3, when counting stopped, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden were at a very close tie, and many Americans were left to wonder who would reach an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes first. Both Trump and Biden were determined to win states that did not swing strongly as red or blue, such as Georgia and Pennsylvania. After days of waiting, Democrat Joe Biden was announced the 46th president of the United States, alongside Vice-President elect Kamala Harris. 

Sophomore Jai Kasera shared his thoughts stating, “This election has been crazy. I’m just happy that we had such a high voter turnout.” The 2020 election provided the highest voter turnout in a century, with approximately 160 million Americans casting their ballots and exercising their right to vote. Junior Genesis Rivera said, “I think that this election was extremely important for the next four years and [I] feel relieved that people who had the power to vote used it wisely.” This sentiment underscores the fact that many Americans had their voices heard in the political sphere.

Kasera noted, “I hope that Joe Biden acts on his promises and helps improve our nation.”  Sophomore Elaine Wu added, “ I think the coronavirus pandemic will be handled a lot better with [Joe Biden] in charge, which is the most important thing at the moment for me.” Biden has put forth a thorough plan to combat COVID-19. Specifically, he plans to increase the availability of testing and offer paid work leave for those who have been affected by the pandemic. According to the Biden Harris website, the team plans to “eliminate cost barriers for prevention of and care for COVID-19,” “mount an effective national emergency response that saves lives and protects frontline-workers,” and “pursue decisive economic measures to help hard-hit workers, families, and small business.” Though time can only tell how effective this plan will be, it is obvious that the Biden Harris team has thought through numerous comprehensive measures. 

An anonymous member of the PDS community shared that his “main hope was that the senate and the presidency would be split, making sure that the president couldn’t make any lasting changes without bipartisan approval. So, for now, I really have no opinion on the election since the senate still has not been declared.” The nomination of the senate is still up in the air. The BBC News notes that the US senate will be decided sometime in January of 2020. 

Acting Head of Upper School Chris Rhodes mentioned that “the goal of [Upper School Gathering on] Monday was to learn how the electoral college works and learn that the [election] process takes time.” Mr. Rhodes added, “while we are waiting for the [final] results, we are making sure we are being thoughtful about what’s going on… Not all states have certified their election results; the process is still playing out.” 

Overall, members of the PDS community have both shared and differing views about the results of the 2020 presidential election. Regardless of political opinion though, it is important that the Biden Harris team lead our country with good intention. We congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory and wish them the best of luck for the next four years.