To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Let Democracy Do Its Work—Count Every Vote
Date: November 4, 2020
Too close to call. Those are not words we are used to hearing the morning after a presidential election. But that is where we are today after an election that saw record voter turnout. One hundred million U.S. citizens voted early this year—and millions more braved long lines to cast their vote on Election Day. Record-shattering turnout while the country is in the throes of a pandemic shows that democracy is alive and well in the hearts of millions of people across this country.
I am so proud of the many ways our Wellesley community has participated in this election. The Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness did a wonderful job helping to register students to vote throughout this year. In states across the country, Wellesley alumnae are on the ballot—and on the front lines, working on advocacy campaigns and voter education and turnout efforts.
It is going to take some time for election officials to count all the mail-in ballots, especially in key battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. When all the votes are counted, we will have the confidence of knowing that the system worked and the voters have had their say. As Rep. John Lewis wrote just before his death, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”
And while we may have to wait days, perhaps weeks, to learn the results of the election, we don’t have to wait to know our own values of equality, justice, and fairness. We already do—and those will anchor and unite us no matter the outcome.
Today, my advice is to take some time to get outside, go for a walk, and enjoy the beauty of this day. Check in with your sibs, your family, your colleagues, your friends. Feel and take comfort in the bonds of community and humanity that connect us.
I also urge you to consider tuning in at 2:30 p.m. to a panel discussion with Wellesley faculty, who will analyze the election results so far. Also, we will gather on Saturday at noon for a Zoom meeting to share reflections about and celebrate the strength of our community. We will share more information about that gathering soon.
