Updated 6:48 p.m.
A total of 2,058 people had voted in Stamp as of 6:15 p.m., creeping up on Stamp’s record turnout of 2,321 voters during the 2012 election.
Rachel Bucchino, a freshman civil engineering major, said this election sets itself apart in regard to the number of young people who are involved.
“My cousin in elementary school knows all of the candidates,” she said. “And at that age, I didn’t know anything about politics.”
Updated 6:39 p.m.
As of 6 p.m., 895 voters had cast their ballots at Ritchie, according to an election judge.
Of those votes, about 55 percent went to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and about 22 percent went to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The Green Party had received only three votes.
Sophomore information science major Dorrian Gross said he came out to vote today because, “It’s a right for every American citizen to voice their opinion on who should be in control of the future of the country.”
“I just trust that everyone makes the right decision and that tonight more people are happy with the decision that’s made,” Gross said.
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Updated 3:45 p.m.
There have been 1,466 ballots cast in Stamp Student Union and 624 ballots cast in Ritchie Coliseum as of 3 p.m., according to election judges at the two College Park polling places.
Lindsey Wright, a junior environmental science and technology and government and politics major, said she is nervous about what the election results will be.
“[Last] night I was having a lot of nerves,” Wright said in Stamp at about 3 p.m. “…When Obama was first elected, I didn’t understand what a new president meant, but now that I’m older I’m kind of nervous to see what the results will be tonight and how it will affect our country.”
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Updated 1:10 p.m.
As of 12:30 p.m., 908 people had voted at Stamp in the Grand Ballroom — surpassing the 2014 midterm election turnout.
University president Wallace Loh was greeting students who were in line to vote and handing out turtle pins.
“There’s been an exciting turnout, and just within the past hour about 250 people have voted,” he said.
A volunteer agreed with Loh, stating that, “It has been quite busy here recently. I can tell students are making a priority to come out when they have free time in between classes.”
Ariana Bailey, a freshman animal biotechnology major, was voting to help her preferred candidate make it to the White House.
“I can’t let a crazy man be president,” Bailey said. “[Donald Trump] is not fit to run the country. He is a business man, but not a diplomat. I don’t want someone in office that is so intolerant of certain ideologies that are against my well being as an African American.”
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Updated 12:55 p.m.
There were 351 votes cast in Ritchie Coliseum as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to chief election judge Charisma Wooten. Updated numbers from Ritchie will be released again at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Wooten said.
Senior economics major Patrick Sullivan said he was excited to vote in his first election Tuesday, supporting Donald Trump for president.
“I don’t want to vote for somebody who questionably commits treason and accepts tens of millions of dollars from countries where women can’t show their faces and they stone gays to death,” Sullivan said outside Ritchie at approximately 1:10 p.m. “That’s not acceptable to me.”
College Park resident Ellen Hamilton, 66, said she always votes, but has particularly “strong feelings” about this year’s presidential race.
Hamilton, who lives in Calvert Hills, cast her vote for Hillary Clinton.
“I usually vote for Democrats, but I think in this election in particular, she was really the only choice,” Hamilton said. Hamilton added that she also voted for Chris Van Hollen in Maryland’s U.S. Senate race and Steny Hoyer in the state’s 5th District Congressional election.
Senior Rachael Grant said she thought this presidential election is “history in the making for women.”
“I voted for Hillary Clinton because, well I hate Donald Trump, and I also think that this election is less about the issues and more about just the type of person we want being a role model for our children and our country,” the elementary education major said.
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Updated 11:30 a.m.
As of 11:15 a.m., 625 people had voted in Stamp, with 135 of those votes being provisional ballots, said employee Tonie Johnstone.
Jonathan Allen, a sophomore declaring economics next semester, was in Stamp working with the Residence Hall Association, Student Government Association and Graduate Student Government to hand out snacks to people on line and “make sure everyone is energized.”
“Everyone is just happy to vote,” Allen said. “Most people, it’s their first election, so I know for me I was really excited to vote, and you see that in the room as well.”
Despite the state of Maryland being democratic in makeup, Allen said it’s still important for voters to head to the polls.
“I’m personally really appreciative that our country has the right to vote and we can participate in the democratic process,” Allen said. “Everyone should take advantage of it, whether your state is blue or red.”
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Updated 11 a.m.:
At about 10 a.m. nearly 170 voters had cast ballots at Ritchie Coliseum, a volunteer said.
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As of 9 a.m., 252 students had voted in the University of Maryland’s Stamp Student Union, according to an election judge.
Kelsey Coupe, a junior food science major, was one of the students in line to vote in Stamp’s Grand Ballroom at 9 a.m. this morning. She said she was nervous but also excited to be voting for the first time in a presidential election.
“It’s been a wild ride,” she said. “I’m kind of disappointed that it’s my first election since it’s been so crazy and controversial. I’m glad I came early to vote — I wanted to make sure I went before classes so I had enough time.”
Bobby Ekwunazu, a sophomore enrolled in letters and sciences, also came out to vote at 9 a.m. for his first presidential election.
Even though he wanted to vote, Ekwunazu said he felt that his voice wouldn’t matter in the long run.
“I felt that this election was pretty bad and the winner was predetermined from the beginning of it,” he said. “I don’t have much of a voice and I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon, to be honest.”
This story will be updated.
