The advent of a new era, the end of an age, salvation, apocalypse, inevitable, unexpected- the 2024 election is all of these things to the American people. While the political atmosphere is always fraught during a national election, this cycle may have been the most dramatic. Rhetoric on both sides has been extreme, with each insisting that the presidency of the other would spell doom for the country. Now, as the dust settles, the nation will have to reckon with that prophecy. It is unclear what the next four years will hold, but one thing is certain: Donald Trump will be America’s 47th president.
In a change of tides from the 2020 election, America will not only see a second Trump administration but also a majority Republican Senate, and likely, a majority Republican House of Representatives, although at the time of this writing, neither party has gained control of the House.
Nationwide, Trump secured the majority of white voters, voters aged 45-65, rural voters, and men, according to U.S. News and World Report. Though Harris won both the Black and Hispanic/Latino majority vote, Trump improved his performance with both groups, garnering 16% of Black votes, up from 8 percent in 2020, and 42% of Latino votes, up from 35%.
Georgia had a record voter turnout this year, with more than four million Georgians voting early and thousands more on Election Day. Among the electorate were some of North Atlanta High School’s very own, including senior Jailyn Boss. “It was exciting to vote for the first time,” she said. “I really wanted a voice.”
According to The New York Times, Trump improved upon his 2020 showing in red and blue states alike, also securing key swing states including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Some were surprised by his definitive win in what was expected to be a tight race. North Atlanta sophomore Lucy Shahan had thought Harris stood a greater chance. “I think it was just the side of social media I was on,” Shahan said. “But I was not expecting Trump to win by the landslide he won by.”
CNN anchor Jake Tapper posited that the Americans who turned out for Trump did so with the economy and inflation, immigration, and foreign policy in mind. According to Tapper, they voted not “for bigotry,” but rather, thinking of their grocery bills, chaos at the southern border, and wars across the globe. It appears that these are the push-button topics that played a decisive role in the results of this year’s election.
Regardless of what they make of the results, Americans can commend themselves on another election carried out and on the continuation of democracy.
