As voters head to the polls Tuesday for the 2026 midterm elections, Penn State students had to decide not only who to vote for, but where to cast their ballots.
Pennsylvania voters are deciding the governor's race and contests for all 203 seats in the state House and half of the 50 seats in the state Senate. The elections determine whether Republicans or Democrats would control the state legislature. Currently, Republicans hold a 27-23 majority in the state Senate, while Democrats hold a narrow 103-100 majority in the state House.
For students attending college away from home, registering to vote meant choosing between their school address and their previous home address. For some, that choice was about what was easier. For others, it was about how much their vote would count.
Lilly Davis, a Penn State student from Mercer, Pennsylvania, chose to register at University Park instead of voting in her hometown. She said concerns about mail-in voting influenced her choice.
“Mail-in ballots aren’t super trustworthy, so I would rather just vote in person,” Davis said.
Davis said several issues influenced her candidate choices in this election.
“The biggest ones are mainly AI, affordability with things like gas, groceries, and rent,” she said.
Some students from outside Pennsylvania said the state’s political divide helped them decide where to register.
Andrew Falcigno, originally from Connecticut, switched his voter registration to Pennsylvania. He said he wanted to vote in a state where he felt his vote would count more.
“Connecticut, politically, is more similar to my own ideals, and Pennsylvania is more of a swing state. So I wanted to vote somewhere where I feel my vote would have more impact,” Falcigno said.
Falcigno said voting felt especially important given the current state of politics.
“Right now the country is in an unstable state, and I think it's important for us to share our views and get out and vote,” he said.
The polls in Pennsylvania are open until 8 p.m.