Lehigh students vote in the 2026 midterm election at Vine Street

As voters across Pennsylvania headed to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections, Lehigh students cast their ballots based on concerns including the cost of living, government transparency and gun safety. 

For some students, voting was a civic responsibility. For others, it was an opportunity to make their voices heard in Northampton County, a politically competitive area in one of the nation’s most closely watched swing states. 

The Brown and White spoke with Lehigh students at 472 Vine St., a popular polling location for Lehigh students. 

Q: What motivated you to vote in this election? 

Charlie Littman, ‘28: I think everyone should vote. I want to make sure I’m getting out there and making sure my vote counts. And yeah, it’s kind of an obligation. I feel like everyone should go.

Cullen Mangan, ‘28: Obviously it’s an important election, and also I’m going to grad school, so I need funding for that through (National Institutes of Health).

Chloe Berger, ‘28: I just feel like it’s very important to be civically engaged. I’m a person who cares a lot about politics, but I feel like I would have no right to complain if I don’t actually step up and take the platform that I have to make a difference.

I think especially in these swing states and swing counties, every single vote matters. I think if everybody has the belief that, ‘oh, I’m just one vote, that doesn’t really matter,’ no changes will be made.

Susannah Abell, ‘29: It’s a scary time right now, and I’m from New York, which usually goes one way. So moving to Pennsylvania, it seems like I can make more of a difference, but there’s more of a swing here, obviously so that was exciting for me.

Q: What issues were most important to you?

Charlie Littman, ‘28: “I would say cost of living; that’s probably one of the bigger issues right now. So I’d say focusing on that, especially since a lot of us are going to be entering the workforce soon.”

Chloe Berger, ‘28: I definitely feel very strongly against (anti gun-reform) candidates and stuff like that, especially being at a university and just the way the world is going today. So I feel like that platform is really big for me when I was trying to choose my candidates.

Q: How was your voting experience compared to the 2024 election?

Littman said he waited approximately 30 minutes to vote in this election. He said he expected shorter lines than those seen at the Banana Factory during the 2024 presidential election, which drew national attention. 

Q: Why do you think it’s important to vote? 

Cullen Mangan, ‘28: Just to make your voice heard. It’s obviously one of the only places that you can really do that and fully represent yourself. So I think it’s definitely important.

Riley Altman, ‘29: “I saw a statistic yesterday. I think it was two-thirds of eligible voters don’t even vote. All those people combined, really could have made an impact. If everyone’s like, oh, it doesn’t matter,’ then nothing’s going to change. You have to step up.”

Support from CSO

Lehigh’s Community Service Office was outside this voting location for most of the day supporting voters.

Julia McDougall, assistant director of the CSO, said the office encourages democratic engagement. She said the office has been working to ensure students know how, where and when to vote. 

From 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., when McDougall said the most voters were lining up, CSO hosted a “Party at the Polls” providing voters with food, candy, drinks and support as they waited in a line with an estimated 38 minute wait time in this window. 

McDougall said many voters had to cast provisional ballots today because their registrations weren’t processed in time. As of now, she said the county hasn’t shared how many voters needed to cast provisional ballots because of this issue. 

“I know that the county is definitely aware of the provisional ballots that were cast,” McDougall said.

According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a provisional ballot records a vote while the county board of elections determines whether it can be counted. It also said a provisional ballot is necessary when county election officials need extra time to determine someone’s voter eligibility. 

McDougall said the office is focused on helping support the students who needed to cast provisional ballots and making sure their votes are counted. 

“We’re hoping that it’s another year of a high turnout of voters for Lehigh, and that students felt equipped, aware and able to cast their ballots,” McDougall said.