Viewpoints, Voices and Votes: the LOU Community’s Reaction to Tuesday’s Polls

By Carson McKinney
Hottytoddy.com intern

Lafayette County residents and Ole Miss students voted on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 6 to ensure their voices were heard.

Angie Allen, paralegal to Tannehill, Carmean and McKenzie, says the right to vote is unique in the United States and nobody should take it for granted.

“Not only is it my vote that’s going to make an impact on the world, but if everyone would go out and vote, it would make an impact,” she said.

Mycah Kennedy, an Ole Miss theatre major, believes voting is important because she wishes to get different perspectives and correct representation in Mississippi’s state government.

“For my viewpoints, I think (my vote) is a little drowned out,” Kennedy said. “The people who turn out to vote are not necessarily that representative of the actual population. I think there are a lot of issues with the population in general not coming out because they feel kind of hopeless.”

Similarly, political science and economics major Hailey Henderson believes voting is important, even if her voice is not exactly heard.

“I don’t vote with the majority party in a very majority-run state,” said Henderson. “We’re not really a swing-state, so I feel like my vote gets a little bit lost and I’m not super-represented here.”

Seth Spencer, graduate student and instructor at Ole Miss, believes media exacerbate the feelings of hopelessness and disillusion with the current political system, but he still defends the voting process.

“The system might be old and problematic, but the system works ultimately at the end of the day,” he said. “I think this testament of all of the people here shows that our voices will be heard as long as we show up and participate.”