Over 2,100 members of the Penn community flocked to the polls for yesterday’s election.
Compared to the previous off-cycle election in 2023, voter turnout in this year’s races was more than double. Notably, the number of ballots cast in the 2025 races was nearly half that of last year’s presidential election — an election which witnessed record-high turnout from the Penn community.
Penn political groups have spent the semester emphasizing the importance of civic engagement. Despite the off-year cycle, many clubs reported higher membership numbers and increased engagement across the University community. On Nov. 4, students volunteered at the polls, organized tabling events on Locust Walk, and casted their votes at polling locations across and off campus.
Photographers from The Daily Pennsylvanian captured how the Penn community spent this year’s Election Day.
On campus, polls opened at 7 a.m. at the ARCH, Houston Hall, and Civic House. Students lined up to check in with poll workers before heading to the voting booths. Nearby, Robeson High School and Walnut Street West Library similarly served as primary polling locations for Penn affiliates.
Penn Leads the Vote, a nonpartisan voter organization, tabled on Locust near the LOVE statue. The organization handed out donuts, snacks, and merchandise while helping students find their polling locations or registering others for future elections.
As campus activity increased, so did the lines to vote. Penn President Larry Jameson voted in Houston Hall around 11:30 a.m. and visited the PLTV tabling event, talking to students about civic engagement.
Near the Compass, other groups also worked to mobilize voters. Vote for Equality, the political action committee of the Feminist Majority Foundation, encouraged students to vote for candidates who promoted women’s rights. FMF also brought puppies for students to hold.
Penn students and staff members volunteered outside the on-campus polling locations and hosted political tabling events. Penn Democrats also handed out snacks and other merchandise while encouraging people to vote “yes” on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention vote.
