Natassha Chavis filled out her ballot at the King County Department of Elections early election day morning. Chavis said she’s voting to set an example for her children.
Temp workers at King County Elections were counting the absentee ballots early in the day.
Temp workers at the King County Elections headquarters in Renton, WA open ballots (Video by @jovellephoto) pic.twitter.com/ueimTXkbe0
— Seattle Globalist (@SeaGlobalist) November 8, 2016
Immigrant students at the University of Washington held a voting party at the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center organized by the Washington Dream Coalition and other student groups.
Chanting at a watch party for immigrants and their families. #waelex #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/28Cdt4BemR
— venice buhain (@venicebuhain) November 9, 2016
Organizer Carlos Padilla, a cofounder of the Washington Dream Coalition, said the group wanted to create a space to experience the elections for young people and families who are undocumented.
“Today if I cry, I cry with my community,” he said, before all the election results came in. “If I laugh, I will laugh with my community.”
The mood at the Washington State Democrats’ Westin election watch became more somber as the early national results moved in the favor of Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
“I feel like it hasn’t totally set in yet but I’m worried about a lot of my friends who might be affected by this [election] and I’m worried about people who have a lot less privilege than me,” said Melissa Diamond, a student at the University of Washington who was at the Westin.
But there were moments that the Democrats cheered, such as when Lieutenant Governor candidate Cyrus Habib, who led his opponent Marty McClendon in early returns, promised to pass the Voting Rights Act in Washington when the legislature starts.
Additional reporting by Venice Buhain.
