Last week, the 2024 presidential elections made history as Donald Trump achieved an unprecedented victory, becoming the second president in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms (the first being Grover Cleveland). Despite pre-election polls predicting a tight race, Trump secured all seven swing states: North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. These critical battlegrounds, where voter representation is nearly evenly split between parties, often play a decisive role in presidential elections. Unsurprisingly, they became the focal point of intense campaigning over the past 100 days.
Campaigning on Another Level
I got a front-row seat to some of that intensity a couple of weekends before the election. My family was driving through Philadelphia—right in Pennsylvania, a major swing state—and I couldn’t help but notice the sheer scale of the political billboards. We’d been to Philadelphia before, but this was my first time seeing it during an election year, especially one as polarizing as this. The highway felt like a battlefield of ads, with massive Harris and Trump billboards vying for attention on either side.
Some ads lit up with bold “MAGA” slogans; others had Kamala Harris promising a brighter future. The craziest part was a single billboard that displayed both Trump and Harris ads, depending on the timing. It was a bit surreal (and I mean that in the literal sense of the word) to see the two candidates essentially sharing space, even if unintentionally.
Seeing the results later—after all that campaigning—felt like a wake-up call. It made me think about how different the reality can be from our expectations and reminded me how much I need to brush up on my political literacy.
A Political Wake-Up Call
I’ll be honest: I don’t spend much time thinking about politics outside of election years. I occasionally glance at the news, but let’s be real—it’s usually so heavy that it’s easy to tune out. Presidential elections are the only time I make an effort to follow what’s happening, and maybe that’s fine for now since I’m not old enough to vote yet. But I know it’s not a great habit to stick with.
If you’re anything like me, it’s worth asking yourself the same question: How informed are you, really? No matter who you support, it’s so important to understand what you’re voting for—and not just in the weeks before an election. I’m not saying you need to spend hours poring over the New York Times, but maybe try glancing at the news once in a while. Go beyond just the headlines. Not only does it make you smarter about current events, but it also helps you feel more confident when it’s time to make big decisions, like picking a candidate. For context, this year, 144,745,804 people voted, and only 38% of Americans say they’ve learned how to critically analyze media messaging. That’s not exactly a stat to brag about.
Looking Ahead
If you’re wondering what’s next, the midterm elections are in 2026 (yes, politicians have midterms too—how ironic). But here’s the thing: unlike your average school midterm, this is one test you can start preparing for years in advance. Hopefully, by the time 2026 rolls around, we’ll all be a little more politically informed.