Fourth Estate will have live election coverage as the polls close until the results are announced.
(Leila Campbell / Fourth Estate)
With Polls Closed at Mason, Democrats at Mason Chief-of Staff Reflects
‘Democracy is meant to be social,’ says Griffin Crouch
BY JOSEPH TRIOLO, STAFF WRITER
9:41 p.m.: After a long day of voting, the polls at Merten Hall officially closed at 7 p.m. The remaining voters finished their ballots, while canvassers took down their equipment.
Among those packing up the tables along the main entrance was Griffin Crouch, the Chief-of-Staff of Democrats at Mason.
“Something that I’ve learned today that is really good no matter how you feel politically…we might have had the highest voter turnout in Mason’s recent history,” Crouch said, who is also Student Government Chair of Government and Community Relations.
Along with the preliminary note of large turnout, Crouch said he saw a significant number of friends voting together.
“Democracy is meant to be social…it’s how you build lifelong habits of being part of your community,” Crouch said.
Speaking on what he has perceived as pressure from the second Trump administration, Crouch said, “a lot of students and faculty are worried about their freedom of speech, and I think it’s a testament …to their will and to our country’s first amendment, that they came out here to vote because they want their speech to be heard.”
“Democracy is about participating, being willing to vote, even if you know you might lose. And the more people participate, the better…the voter turnout we saw today is a good sign that people on campus want young people’s concerns to be heard,” he said.
(Joseph Triolo / Fourth Estate)
Last Minute Canvassing Efforts Conclude Voting at Merten Hall
Republicans, Democrats and the Forward Party converge at Merten Hall to catch voters at the eleventh hour
BY JOSEPH TRIOLO, STAFF WRITER
7:50 p.m.: At 6 p.m., canvassers were afoot outside Merten Hall.
The Fourth Estate spoke with Blake Reed, president of College Republicans at GMU who was canvassing for the Republican Party, Gray Kelley, who was canvassing for the Democratic Party, and Shane Crowe, who was canvassing for the Forward Party.
Both Kelley and Crowe made it clear in their interviews that they were speaking on behalf of their party.
When asked about goals for the 2025 Virginia Gubernatorial Election, Reed said, “We believe that we can continue to limit government. We want to push school choice. We want to continue to make Virginia a safe place for businesses as well.”
When asked about the earlier lack of signage at Merten Hall, Reed said, “That’s a coordinated strategy, because it goes to show that you don’t necessarily need the signs to change people’s minds.”
“I want to make sure that Virginia stays a conservative state, that we put more emphasis into families, more emphasis into God,” Reed said. “We want to make sure that Virginia is a safe place for everybody — no matter Republican, Democrat, Independent — [it] does not matter.”
When asked about goals for the election, Kelley said, “I’d like to see bigger turnout. I’d like to see, you know, young people make their voice heard. That’s a big part of why I’m trying to work with the Democrats here on campus.”
“I think Spanberger is a professional,” Kelley said when asked for a closing remark. “She is a public servant. She has been for essentially her entire professional career, and I think she’s really dedicated to helping Virginians. So I’m really proud to be able to be out here today helping in every little way I can.”
In the interview with Reed, the topic of Jay Jones, candidate for Attorney General of Virginia, and the leaked texts from Jones that have caused controversy came up.
“I was very taken aback by Jay Jones’ message on political violence, and I don’t want to have a party that defends a guy like that in charge of our state,” Reed said.
When asked about Jones’ leaked texts, Kelley said, “I think Jones made a mistake, but I don’t think that he will continue to make mistakes like that … I think he’s hopefully going to take this as a learning experience and move forward.”
Crowe said, “Our goal is to reach as many Virginia voters here in the 11th district, so that we can help build a network of supporters here in Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth … to further build upon in reaching more voters and recruiting more candidates for future elections.”
Crowe shared that, “speaking personally,” he found the issue of electoral reform most important, citing the recent mid-decade redistricting passed by the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.
“I understand where the Democrats in the General Assembly are coming from in passing it and wanting it implemented as soon as possible, but I still disagree with both the process and the potential consequence of passing the redistrict amendment as it is written,” Crowe said.
(Joseph Triolo / Fourth Estate)
Beyond the Voters: Organizations Tabling at Merten Hall
NextGen America and Vote for Equality echo the same core message, get out the vote
BY JOSEPH TRIOLO, STAFF WRITER
6:55 p.m.: Along the entrance to Merten Hall are various tables canvassing for specific interests. One table was NextGen America, where Fourth Estate spoke with Gabriella Grabovska, the Virginia Deputy Field Organizer for NextGen America, and shortly after, Muna Seagle, an organizer for Feminist Majority.
“Since 2014 we’ve registered more than 1.4 million young voters,” Grabovska said.
“NextGen America is the leading nationwide organization empowering young people toget civically engaged, to be a part of the conversation, and have a voice in what’s going on in the government.” Grabovska continued saying, “it’s one of the directions of our work…empowerment of young people, and our mission is to fight for issues that young people care about.”
Seagle, associated with Vote for Equality through Feminist Majority, is the “independent expenditure political action committee of the Feminist Majority” according to their website.
“I think our biggest goal is still to just get people informed before they go in and vote,” Seagle said.
“One of the most dangerous things in America, in my opinion, is uninformed voting, or blind voting. So I think, us [Feminist Majority] informing people about who they’re voting for, what they’re actually standing for is really, really important,” she said.
Gabrovska shared the importance of the Virginia races as they occur during the off-year, with no presidential or mid-term elections.
“I feel like the importance of voting can never be emphasized enough,” said Gabrovska, “like we should really encourage people to vote in this election, because this is one of the key races in the whole country this year, and this is an opportunity for us to show push back to the Trump administration.”
Seagle emphasised the broad scope of Feminist Majority through Vote for Equality, “I think that our movement is really important. It’s pretty vital to all people and their rights, not just women. It’s bigger than just feminism at this point. It’s cost of living, it’s health care, it’s a million different things, civil rights, and I think that that’s pretty key in our movement as well.”
Both Vote for Equality and NextGen America endorsed the Democratic candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in Virginia, according to Seagle and Grabovska respectively.
“My biggest message is make sure to go cast your ballots before 7 p.m.,” Grabovska said.
(Leila Campbell / Fourth Estate)
From Treats to Ballots: Mason Students Turn Out to Make an Impact
On campus at Merten Hall, students and community members come to make their voice count
BY AVI TERALI, STAFF WRITER
5:35 p.m.: This morning, various voting organizations set up in front of Merten Hall, offering sweet treats and goodies as a reward for voting.
From non-partisan tables such as Mason Votes to the campaign table for Abigail Spanberger, volunteers were out in full force to ensure a smooth process and raise awareness about today’s election. Students from Mason and community members are streaming in to make their voice count.
A busy crowd was formed around the different tables as voters went into Merten Hall and came out with donuts. One of the organizers of Mason Votes, Jerusalem Mekonnen said, “It is important that we come together and make sure voters are informed about their rights by voting and expressing their voices.”
One first-time voter said her main issues were abortion and the environment.
Delegate from the 11th District David Bulova visited Merten Hall to talk to voters.
“This election is very important because it is going to set the path for Virginia’s future,” he said. “It is really about making sure that we are investing in things like higher education, making sure we are protecting our environment for future generations.”
He was asked about what actions the governor plans to take in response to the attacks on George Mason.
“It really highlights the importance of the attorney general’s office, and having an attorney general that is willing to push back on the Trump Administration, and that is absolutely critical. The other thing is that the governor gets to make nominations to the [Mason] Board of Visitors and that ultimately goes through the general assembly. The governor is responsible for coming up [with] those nominations and so that is really the most important thing for George Mason, is having a board of visitors that reflects the values of students, faculty, and the local community of the commonwealth.”
Voting organizations are still stationed in multiple locations to make sure everyone gets a chance to vote.
(Leila Campbell / Fourth Estate)
Festive Atmosphere Permeates Merten Lawn as Students Cast Votes
DJ and food truck provide entertainment and nourishment for students waiting in line
BY PETER MAHLER, STAFF WRITER
4:58 p.m.: Groovy music blared from a DJ set and a Mexican Grill food truck fills the air with a savory aroma as Mason students shuffled in and out of Merten Hall on Election Day.
The DJ set and food truck were strategically sponsored by Va. candidate for Governor, Abigail Spanberger, which was fitting considering what Mason students had to say after they made their votes.
For senior Trevor Thorp, his decision to vote for Spanberger was based on her track record while working in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I liked that she worked really hard to ban [insider] trading for Congress. I found that respectable,” Thorp said.
Both he and his friend, sophomore and Undergraduate Representative Body rep. Andrew Colasanto, spoke about how Spanberger’s desire to grant Mason more funding played a major role in their decision.
“I think Mason’s a critically underfunded school,” said Colasanto. “Especially compared to UVA and Tech, who get so much state funding.”
Another student, freshman Harris Barker, credited the Department of Education and Department of Justice investigations into Mason and President Gregory Washington for swaying him towards a Democratic candidate.
“The main factor in my vote was basically letting the Trump administration know we’re not complicit with what’s going on in Virginia … and letting him know that we’re not standing for what they’re thinking is okay,” Barker said.
Additionally, Barker attributed his support for Spanberger to the “disrespectful” conduct of Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears. He criticized her for not taking accountability when she has made mistakes, and he had disdain for Earle-Sears’ comments about gay people.
“In the debate, she said discriminating against gay rights is not discrimination, which I think is completely discrimination,” Barker said.
Keely Calloway, the Vice-President of Democrats at Mason, spoke about the difficulties Mason students have had while trying to register to vote. Although she and several students have spoken on how easy it is to take part in the voting process, Calloway said the process of same-day registration has been hampered due to a lack of available stations at Merten Hall.
Calloway also said that college students tend to register on the same day as voting, adding to the congestion seen at the polls.
“It’s a shame because voting takes three minutes, but waiting in line just to vote or to register on the same day is thirty minutes,” Calloway said. She hopes Merten Hall can add more stations for next year’s election.
Outside of these difficulties, the voter turnout appears to be large at Merten Hall and filled with an overwhelmingly pro-Spanberger consensus.
On top of that, the weather is serene, with lots of food being given out to whomever chooses to stay during a momentous day for Va. and Mason.
(Renata Pernegrova / Fourth Estate)
Students at Merten Talk About How and Why They Are Voting
Voters cite social media as their primary educational tool on voting
BY RENATA PERNEGROVA, STAFF WRITER
3:39 p.m.: More voters have been turning out to Merten Hall to cast their ballot.
A long line has formed here since at least an hour ago and doesn’t seem like it will disappear anytime soon. According to the Merten Hall polling place administrator’s data, as many as 370 pre-registered people turned out as of 3:15 p.m..
Just about to join the line are two sophomores, Deja Cooper and Raphael Molmer, who stopped before the voting room to check out leaflets they got from the Democrats at Mason camping in front of Merten Hall.
Their first voting experience was last year at the presidential election — this time, they both were unsure who to vote for and ended up making up their mind on the spot.
“I usually stick to the party line, but…” said Molmer, adding he is mainly informed about the race for the governor position. “For example, I don’t think I’ve heard about the House of Delegates and haven’t done any research into it.”
Cooper, who says she is not really well politically informed, is particularly interested in the new governor’s take on tariffs, one of the flagship policies of the Trump administration.
For Molmer, the main issue is energy.
“I know Spanberger is pushing for more renewable energy and the other side for more oil. I lean more Democrat on that issue,” he said.
Both Cooper and Molmer say their main source of information about the election and the candidates was social media, but both emphasised that it is important to fact-check: “When I saw something on social media, I kind of take time to make sure it is true, not fake.” said Molmer. “I feel like most of what appears on social media is supposed to cause outrage.”
”Especially on Instagram.” added Cooper.
Leaving the voting room with their “I VOTED” stickers on was Zarrar Ali and Nikita Osickova, both sophomores.
Osickova voted on two main issues — the environment and abortion rights.
“Both of these were really big for me during last year’s presidential election too, and I was kind of bound down with the outcome. So I wanted to come here and put another vote forward, hopefully in the direction that I want or that I aspire for America to achieve,” she said.
“I suppose the immigration is what I care about the most at the moment,” said Ali.
Both Osickova and Ali agree that the campaigning leading up to the election was fierce.
“I got a knock on my dorm door at like 8 or 9 in the morning and they were sticking campaign pamphlets on the doors. I think they did a really good job in campaigning,” said Osickova.
Ali added: “I didn’t get a knock, but I saw the pamphlet fall off my door when I opened it this morning.”
However, similarly to Cooper and Molmer, Osickova and Ali got most of their information about the election online and from “ads on YouTube, especially from the Spanberger camp.”
(Leila Campbell / Fourth Estate)
Student voters share concerns about education, abortion
Two juniors voting at Merten Hall discuss the issues that matter to them
BY LEILA CAMPBELL, STAFF WRITER
2:28 p.m.: The atmosphere around Merten Hall has become very lively as Mason students and surrounding communities continue to turn out to vote.
Students’ concerns regarding curriculum are present in their minds, with junior Isabel Vertiz highlighting how the Honors College might be impacted by the election.
“The Mason Honors College can be affected by politics because it’s not necessarily just academics, it’s about thinking critically and seeing different viewpoints that can be threatened because not everybody wants you to look at different view points,” she said.
Additionally, Vertiz shared her concerns on access to health care; specifically abortions.
“Abortion could very much directly impact me, and it can be an impact to your life if you need one and can’t get one,” she said.
When commenting on the outcome of the election, one of the key points that junior Leila Howe highlighted was policies that affect the LGBTQ+ community.
“There are a lot of policies threatening my right to love people,” she said.
Howe and Vertiz both voted for Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s governor — their reason for their vote being how they felt aligned with Spanberger policies.
Howe also mentioned she felt Spanberger and her father shared a common history.
“[Spanberger] comes from a service background and my dad comes from a service background,” Howe said.
(Renata Pernegrova / Fourth Estate)
Voters Continue Flocking to Merten Hall to Cast Their Ballots
One student explains what he is voting for
BY RENATA PERNEGROVA, STAFF WRITER
1:12 p.m.: Voting continues at the Merten Hall voting polling place here on campus.
The atmosphere is peaceful and quiet, with people steadily dropping in to cast their vote. There are election officers sitting in front of the voting room, navigating people inside and maintaining a smooth process.
According to the data collected by the check-in administrator, 149 pre-registered people have turned out to vote at this voting station as of 11:30 a.m.
About another 50 voters who were not pre-registered had to provide the administrator with required paperwork in order to cast their ballot. The administrators were not able to provide Fourth Estate with the exact number of voters who registered today on-site.
For Logan Miller, freshman student at the Schar School Democracy Lab, today was his first voting experience, and he said it went well.
“I had to switch my address but that’s fine. Otherwise everything is good,” he said.
Logan said he often reads traditional media and has got information about the election and the candidates from there.
“I have read articles online, mainly the New York Times. I also discussed it with my friends and within the community around me,” he said.
The economy and housing in Virginia were the two most important issues Logan thought of when deciding who to vote for.
When asked whether the new governor will likely have an impact on day-to-day student life at Mason, Logan was not entirely sure.
“I think so,” he paused for a few seconds, then continued. “It is hard to say, kind of depends on the policies. But I hope they can help in a way.”
According to Logan, Va. is a politicized state: “I think it is both a good thing and a bad thing, and we see how it has affected us.”
“The new governor needs to realize that and make important changes.” closed Logan.
Mason Community Makes their Decisions
From AI to activism, students and faculty share their voting influences
BY NATHAN FERRARO, MANAGING EDITOR AND LOUIS VOLKER, STAFF WRITER
10:52 a.m.: As more voters trickle into Merten Hall on Election Day, they cast their votes for different reasons.
For sophomore Robert Cason, artificial intelligence influenced his decision to vote for Abigail Spanberger as governor.
“I lowkey used ChatGPT to give me some information about like all the candidates, and I knew there was some wishy-washy stuff with the Republican going against Spanberger,” he said.
Cason said he favored Democratic candidates but also voted for Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares for reelection.
“He’s been in office since 2022 and it seems like he’s not too lenient on the conservative side,” he said. “I feel like he’s doing well in office so far.”
Instructional Assistant Professor Rod Raehsler said he voted for a straight Democratic ticket.
“I have always voted. You know, every election my whole life…” he said. “This is my first time voting in Virginia … and the concept of closing schools and allowing people to vote, I think, is a wonderful idea.”
Raehsler said he has learned about candidates and their stances from television and online advertisements, not AI.
He added that his vote represents a message with the hope that the midterms in Nov. of 2026 will be a time of change.
“Because of where we are in the country right now, I think it’s important to send a message to the current Republican administration that there needs to be some change. And furthermore, the Republican candidates are very weak,” Raehsler said.
Student activist Grace Strassburg is involved in GMU Vote for Equality. She said that has been her primary method of educating herself on the Va. gubernatorial election candidates.
“We stand for voting to protect … abortion rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights specifically. And so those are just really important core values for me. I believe everyone has the right to have equal rights, obviously and so, yeah, that’s why I voted,” she said.
Democrats at Mason Chief of Staff and Student Government Chair of Government and Community Relations, Griffin Crouch, said the most important influences on his vote are the protection of civil rights and the economy.
“I think on every count, for every candidate, the Democrats are going to do better. They’re the ones fighting for a fairer, freer Virginia,” he said. “I think Abigail Spanberger is going to make an incredible governor … and she is someone who makes me feel more optimistic about continuing my future in Virginia.”
Griffin said he met Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi yesterday.
“The way she’s approached being in the legislature has been incredible, the laws that she’s crafted [are] about protecting everyone, and a politician who’s about making laws that protect everyone and everything is, that’s just the kind of humanistic approach that I believe in,” he said.
Crouch said Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones would “be willing to sue the Trump administration to protect Virginia’s jobs, to actually stand up against the violence of ICE raids, which Jason Miyares has been enabling … He’d be there to be an advocate for Virginians.”
Crouch also said he hopes to see new Board of Visitor appointees from Spanberger, should she win.
“It wouldn’t be all partisan hacks from the Heritage Foundation, and hopefully we’d return to trying to pick people who are actually going to fulfill their duties to support a university, not try to attack our president from inside,” he said.
(Louis Volker / Fourth Estate)
Reproductive Rights, Board of Visitors Representation on the Ballot
Democrats at Mason arrive early to begin canvassing on Election Day
BY LOUIS VOLKER, STAFF WRITER
7:50 a.m.: While the sun is still rising, the polls are up and running at Merten Hall here on campus. Accompanying the small trickle of early-morning student and faculty voters are GMU’s Democrats at Mason, who have set up a tent to advocate for Democratic candidates on the ballot, including Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and Jay Jones.
They are also here to advocate for Rachna Sizemore Heizmer, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming Sept. 2026 Braddock District supervisor’s election.
According to Keely Calloway, student representative for Democrats at Mason, issues like reproductive rights and the Governor’s race’s impact on George Mason’s Board of Visitors are of highest importance to the group.
She cited recent controversies surrounding GMU’s BOV as a direct result of what she says is a misrepresentation on the board of student ideals.
“The representatives that we have are not representative, and if they’re not representing, they need to be replaced,” Calloway said.
She says she is up early supporting Abigail Spanberger’s campaign for governor to better represent students’ ideals and also to support Mason President Gregory Washington in “the Department of Justice and the Department of Education’s witch hunt against him.”
“Some of the things that they’re trying to hold against Gregory Washington from his past don’t represent him who he is today, it’s been thirty years since he’s been in college,” Calloway said, referring to Washington’s college activism with the Nubian Message at North Carolina State.
“I think that it’s incredibly important that we kind of look at his policies today and how he’s trying to promote free speech on campus and I’m hoping that Abigail Spanberger will reaffirm that he’s trying to work for free speech.”
“I’m hoping that a shakeup in the gubernatorial leadership will allow us to be better represented as a whole,” Calloway said.
For Democratic students, preventing the Republican nominees from taking office is a motivator.
Discussing her decision to vote for Spanberger, student Alicia Agyemang said “I like her values.”
“Winsome Earle[-Sears], she’s kinda crazy,” Agyemang said.
