Processing the U.S. Elections While Abroad

The November 5 election has been on many people’s minds since well before the start of this semester, and this past week has, of course, brought the election to the forefront. Being abroad during this time has been complicated, and has looked different for everyone. Here, I’m going to describe some of my own experiences and takeaways from before, during, and after Election Day. 

BEFORE:

Starting from the very beginning of the program, IES Abroad sent out emails with information and instructions about voting from abroad. With state-specific resources available in the IES Abroad Berlin center, as well, a lot of effort was put in to ensure that every eligible student would be prepared to vote. Coming from Massachusetts, I had a fairly easy process — Massachusetts allows voters living abroad to send in their ballots electronically, so I did not even have to go to a post office. Many others in the program had more involved processes, but ultimately everyone I know of was able to get their ballot in well in advance of the deadlines. 

I was concerned that it might feel isolating to be in a different country during such a consequential moment in the States, but it quickly became clear that many Berliners were occupied with the election, as well. Especially over the past week or two, nearly every time I have talked to someone new who learns that I am from the U.S., they have asked if I have voted, wondered how I’m feeling about things, and told me how important this election is to them, as well. In some ways that has been quite nice; I don’t feel so much like I’m in my own little stressful world. At the same time, though, it can become overwhelming and anxiety-inducing to receive these constant reminders of how important this election is, when I am also feeling a bit far away and powerless. 

DURING: 

It was really weird to be in a different time zone on Election Day. It felt like something significant was happening all day, but for half of the day, most of the United States was not even awake yet. When I went to bed around midnight, there still were no meaningful results and many polling locations were still open. 

AFTER: 

When I woke up on Wednesday morning, it was pretty clear who was going to win the presidential election, and the Senate had already flipped. I hadn’t expected the results to become clear so quickly and definitively, so I was unprepared to emotionally process it all. Not entirely knowing what to do with myself, I got ready for class as usual and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast and journal. While I was in the kitchen, one of my friends walked in and we ended up spending a long time together processing it all, and then just hanging out over cups of tea. This was a moment when I felt really lucky to have my IES Abroad community. 

It’s been strange being so far from home this week, but I’ve also been surprised by how ‘in community’ I have felt here. Many of the faculty and staff at the IES Abroad Berlin Center have checked in with us over the past few days, and have put in a little extra effort to make sure we are getting the support we need. I’ve had a lot of processing time with friends and classmates, but we’ve also made sure to do some things we know bring us joy and calm, like going to an art gallery, cooking dinner together, or taking walks. This is not an easy time, but the community here has made it feel a little lighter.