“Participating in democratic elections is one of the most powerful and direct ways for us as students to be civically engaged and make our voices heard about the issues that matter to us,” sophomore Cate Gutowski said.

To help support democracy on Election Day, students and staff with Brown Votes —  a nonpartisan, University-wide initiative committed to cultivating participation in the nation’s democratic process — set up shop on the College Green to offer resources, answer questions and remind people to cast their ballots. 

For those who wish to vote but weren’t yet registered in Rhode Island, students with Brown Votes led several waves of a “stroll to the poll,” walking community members down College Hill to the Amica Mutual Pavilion — the only designated voting location in Providence where people who missed the state’s registration deadline could both register and vote on Election Day.  

“I find it very encouraging that our generation has high rates of participation in recent elections compared to historical trends of young voters,” said Gutowski, a volunteer with Brown Votes. “I believe that the votes of young people could be a crucial factor of the outcome of the 2024 election, both in swing states and nationally.” 

Gutowski, a Connecticut native who cast her absentee ballot well before Election Day, spent Tuesday with Brown Votes’ partner organization Common Cause Rhode Island as an election protection observer. She was among more than 40 Brown students who signed up to volunteer as poll workers, greeters or observers, and she traveled to several polling locations throughout the state to collect information on each building’s accessibility and answer questions from voters about ID requirements, same-day voter registration and provisional ballots. 

“Protecting the right of all people to vote is an extremely important issue for me,” Gutowski said. 

Celia Stern, a graduate student at Brown pursuing a Ph.D. in religion and critical thought, served as a volunteer election supervisor, checking in voters. Stern said volunteering as a poll worker was an easy way to get involved, beyond casting her own vote. 

“At the most basic level, I’m voting to participate in and help maintain democracy, but I’m also voting to help ensure that we continue to have free and democratic elections in the future,” said Stern, a Providence resident who grew up in Massachusetts. “I also think it’s important to remember that the presidency isn’t the only item on the ballot — there are local offices and questions that will impact our lives in Rhode Island as well.” 

The polls in Providence close at 8 p.m., but students expected the energy to remain high as Election Day evolved into election night. An election night event in the Salomon Center for Teaching invited members of the Brown community to gather for a watch party, remarks from local leaders, food and snacks, resources provided by BWell, live election data analysis by the students who run 24cast.org, and more. The party was a collaboration between Brown Votes, the Brown Political Review, the Brown Political Union and multiple other student organizations, academic departments, institutes and departmental undergraduate groups, with Brown junior and 24cast.org founder Asher Labovich serving as the night's host.

Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Joe Shekarchi was lined up to offer opening remarks, and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley planned to join in conversation with Brown senior Logan Tullai, who is president of the Brown Political Union, as election results begin being called.

This year’s presidential election will make history regardless of the winner, marking either the first woman to be elected president of the United States or the second president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms. That was just one of many reasons young voters like Gutowski were motivated to head to the polls. 

“I’m really excited to experience Election Day firsthand and take part in such an important political moment,” Gutowski said.