Kasey’s Tavern, a sports bar located at 701 S. Dearborn St., had their TV screens tuned into sports and election news.

Calvin Sanders, a graduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, was working on an assignment at the bar. Having already voted in Indianapolis Sanders said despite his anxiety, they try to think more rationally and look towards statistics, like vote count demographics. 

“For example, Democratic voter enthusiasm, particularly among Black populations, some of the key states have a significant Black population,” Sanders said. “That is something that comforts and eases my anxiety, but on the other hand, I think anxiety…you can’t fight anxiety with reason. You can mitigate it a little bit, but it’s going to be hard.”

At 6 p.m., the AP called Indiana as a win for Republican candidate and ex President Donald Trump. Indiana has historically been a red state. 

Sanders said that the outcome of this election, especially in terms of weighing freedoms such as bodily autonomy risks their identity. 

“What I have personally at stake in me and my positionality–I’m a late twenties, perceived as Black male–and so I think there’s a lot of rhetoric on the Trump side, which puts me in the crosshairs of a lot of things too,” Sanders said. “Even if there’s no policy change, at least on the federal level, the zeitgeist, the atmosphere that I live in, I’d rather not live in that atmosphere than what I would hope for under Kamala Harris’ presidency.”

For Andrea Voss, a bartender and Chicago voter, her concerns with election results lie in a repeat of the 2016 presidential election. In the 2016 election, Arizona, Michigan and New Hampshire were close calls between Presidential Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump, resulting in Trump winning. 

“I think I’m just so numb, I’m very, very scared that it’s going to be like the Hilary-Trump election, where we all thought ‘Oh, everything’s fine, there’s no way he could win,’ and then he did,” she said. 

Other patrons, like Mike Ohlmes, who voted in Ohio, expressed concerns that the election might be a sign of more challenging times ahead, especially in terms of issues like women’s rights and workers’ rights, he said.

“It’s the end of the world,” said Ohlmes in reference to if Trump wins.

Additional reporting by Samantha Ho and Morgan Kromer. 

Copy edited by Doreen Abril Albuerne-Rodriguez

Mario Jimenez, a senior photography major and president of Latino Alliance, initially felt at ease as the night began. However, Jimenez anticipated experiencing the same anxiety he felt during the 2016 election as the results began to roll in.

As the first polls closed in six states at 6 p.m, the Associated Press called Kentucky and Indiana for former President Donald Trump. Both are red states he was expected to win. Vermont was called for Vice President Kamala Harris. Both candidates still have a long way to go before they reach the 270 electoral vote requirement for victory.

“Later, I will be feeling it,” he said. “I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it, but I’m just going to continue how I normally live my life. Life has to keep on going.”

Mackenzie Endlich, a sophomore animation major, also felt anxious awaiting election results while on her commute to campus. Despite her anxiety, Endlich, originally from Wisconsin, said her vote is important in a swing state. 

“I believe that voting from a swing state is extremely important,” Endlich said. “People should know that your vote matters and genuinely the election could be tipped by one of these swing states, especially being from one myself and as a first-time voter.”

Similarly, Student Government Association President Jenna Davis said she’s very anxious and “just trying to stay positive because I’ve done all that I can [to] just encourage people to vote on top of my vote.”

Davis voted early at the Supersite a week and a half ago and focused on providing a space for people in the SGA today. 

“I’ve been trying to distract myself all day, but you know, it’s gonna happen eventually,” she said. “Obviously, I’m hoping for the best outcome, which is Kamala Harris becoming president and I’m very hopeful.”

Before the election polls closed, Mae Mendoza, a sophomore animation major, expressed how meaningful it was to participate in this election as a first-time voter.

 “We as women especially had to fight for our right to vote and to have the ability to vote. I want to be able to celebrate the people who worked so hard for my right to vote today,” Mendoza said. “As a first-time voter, it means so much to me, and I feel so grateful to be involved in my country’s decisions.” 

Additional reporting by Kate Larroder and Sofia Oyarzún and Lilly Sundsbak 

Copy edited by Manuel Nocera