I have to make a confession: I didn’t vote in the 2024 presidential election. (I know, I know!) At the time, I was living in Florida, a state where the political outcome felt almost predetermined to me. I was convinced that my individual vote wouldn’t make a difference, especially when so many of the decisions being made seemed far removed from my everyday life. I also was not nearly as politically involved or informed as I am today. While I tried paying attention to the headlines, I hadn’t yet realized just how much local elections, state legislatures, and the people elected to represent us could impact my future.
But a lot has changed since then. Over the past two years, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly more involved in politics through my work as the news and politics editorial intern at Her Campus. I also took a position as a calltime assistant, where I help state legislature candidates raise money and get their names out there. With these opportunities, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the issues shaping our political landscape, speak directly with candidates, and help make complicated political conversations more accessible to younger audiences. The more involved I’ve become, the more I’ve realized that having a voice in our political world isn’t just my right — it’s my responsibility.
So, as a Gen Zer who was tired of watching decisions about my future being made without having a say, I knew that I wanted this Election Day to be different — and here’s everything I did on Election Day 2026 to make sure that happened.
9:05 A.M.: Driving Back To My Hometown
Since I’m not registered to vote in my college town of Orlando, I needed to make the hour-long drive back to my hometown of Deland, Florida, to vote at my designated polling location. Naturally, I needed the perfect soundtrack for the occasion, so I put on the Hamilton soundtrack. Is there really a better way to get yourself excited about exercising your civic duty?
10:15 A.M.: Arriving Back Home & Ready to Vote
Once I arrived back home, I picked up my grandmother, who wanted to vote alongside me. Our polling location was only five minutes away at the local church, so we headed out immediately so that I could cast my vote and get back to campus in time to make it to class. Before leaving, though, I needed to fill out my sample ballot to make sure I knew exactly where I stood on each race and ballot measure. I wanted to be prepared and make sure my time at the polls went smoothly!
10:20 A.M.: Making My Voice Heard
After expecting a potentially hours-long wait, I was surprised to find that my grandmother and I were the only people waiting to vote. After checking in with the poll workers and having my ID scanned, I received my ballot and found a seat to make my choices.
Once I finished, I handed my ballot to a poll worker, who fed it into the counting machine. And just like that, I had officially voted for the first time ever! Of course, I couldn’t leave without grabbing my “I voted” sticker and taking a quick selfie outside to commemorate the moment. I also made sure to post a quick Instagram Story to encourage my friends to go out and vote as well. It’s not every day you get to participate in democracy!
10:30 A.M.: Back To Orlando
Now feeling empowered after casting my ballot, I dropped off my grandmother and hopped back in the car for my drive back to Orlando. To keep the Election Day energy going, I played Beyoncé’s “Freedom” on repeat for practically the entire drive. I also made a quick Target stop to pick up the new Murdle Heist book as a little reward for the long drive to make my voice heard. Voting and a new puzzle book? Sounds like a pretty productive morning to me! After arriving home, I also made sure to snap a quick photo of my cat Tonka to further encourage others to go vote!
2:30 P.M.: Walking To Class
After making it back to Orlando and taking a quick schoolwork break, it was time to switch gears and head to my creative nonfiction workshop class. I made sure to change into one of my campaign T-shirts for Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet who ended up winning his seat for Florida House District 42. Campus was surprisingly quiet, especially considering how politically active it had been in the weeks leading up to Election Day. I’m used to seeing the local Orange County candidates out canvassing around campus, but today, they had traded their clipboards and campaign literature for a day cheering on voters at the polls. It was definitely a strange feeling knowing that so much was happening politically while I was heading to class like it was an ordinary Tuesday.
4:30 P.M.: Back From Class & Getting Ready For Election Night
After class, I finally managed to get my work shift swapped so I could attend a couple of local election watch parties with my best friend. With a long night ahead, I wanted to take my time getting ready. I did my hair and makeup and picked out an outfit that was both cute and comfortable because I knew I would be running around for most of the night. There was a mix of both excitement and anxiety as the countdown to the first election results went on.
6:20 P.M.: Heading To My Best Friend’s Apartment
Before leaving for the first watch party, I stopped by my best friend’s apartment to help him get ready for the night. We spent some time talking about the races we were following, the candidates we were rooting for, and what we wanted the results to look like. Between the two of us, there was plenty of excitement, but also a fair amount of nervousness about what the night might bring.
7:00 P.M. Arriving at Jane Aman’s Watch Party
Our first stop was a local Mexican restaurant where Jane Aman’s campaign watch party was being hosted. Aman is a University of Central Florida English professor who ran for Florida House District 37, and it was exciting to connect with members of her campaign team and watch the first election results begin rolling in. When Jane’s race was finally called and she was declared the winner, the excitement in the room was contagious. Getting to be there in person and celebrate a victory that was much deserved made the entire experience that much more meaningful.
9:00 P.M.: Arriving at the Orange County Democrats Watch Party
Our next stop was the Orange County Democrats watch party, where the energy was just as exciting, if not more overwhelming. Between the celebrations, conversations, and election results coming in, there was so much happening that it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement. One of the most rewarding parts of the night, though, was finally getting to meet some of the candidates in person who I had spent time supporting and working with during my time as a call time assistant. After making countless calls, helping candidates connect with supporters, and following their races throughout the election cycle, getting to celebrate alongside them and see their hard work pay off was an experience I’ll never forget.
I even ran into one of my former residents from my time as a resident assistant on campus, which was a fun surprise! We got to catch up and talk about what she’s been involved in politically since we last saw each other. Moments like that remind me how interconnected these communities can be and how exciting it is to see other young people like me finding their own ways to get involved.
12:30 A.M.: Arriving Back Home
After a quick pit stop at McDonald’s, my best friend and I made it back to his place to continue watching the results. Together, we watched Michigan finally turn blue while I started updating my election results tracker, making sure that I had everything organized ahead of my Her Campus internship shift the following morning. Even after a long night of watching the results, I wasn’t quite ready to call it a night. There was still so much celebrating happening across the country, and I wanted to take in as much as I could.
3:00 A.M.: Time For Bed
I finally made it back to my apartment and started getting ready for bed. As I scrolled on TikTok, I loved seeing everyone across the country celebrating their states’ results; however, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that Florida hadn’t turned blue and that it would likely be another two years with no change. Despite the disappointment, I went to bed still feeling hopeful about what the next two years could bring as there was still so much work to be done, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Looking back, this was easily the most politically active I’ve ever been during an election cycle, and I couldn’t be proud of how far I’ve come. Two years ago, I was convinced that my vote didn’t matter and now I’ve spent months learning about candidates and issues on the ballot, spent time supporting local campaigns, and spent Election Night surrounded by people who share my passion for making a change. Whether I end up staying in Florida for graduate school or taking my next steps in another state, I know that I want to continue finding ways to be involved and advocate for the issues that matter to my generation. One election cycle might be over, but my involvement in politics is only getting started.