Election 2016 - Vote and follow the results

Election Day 2016 is upon us and Roanoke College will be tracking the results in a variety of ways.

In Virginia, polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. so get out and vote! Need more on your ballot, polling location or other Virginia election questions, visit the Virginia Board of Elections.

Roanoke's own student radio station, WRKE 100.3 FM, will be doing election night analysis with a News Now special, starting at 6 p.m. until the votes are counted. News and Information Director Elijah Wilhelm and Alternative Hour co-host Christa Waterweise and their team of student analysts and advocates will be covering Decision 2016. Tune in to WRKE 100.3 FM for live audio coverage of the election, stream from wrke.org or check out the WRKE Facebook page for live streaming from the studio with maps and analysis. Watch the WRKE team in action!

The Public Affairs Society is hosting an election results watch party Tuesday evening, starting at 8 p.m. in the Colket Center atrium. The campus community, regardless of political party affiliation, is invited to attend.

Fintel Library will have election coverage on the main floor. CUPS coffee shop, located on the main floor of Fintel, will have extended hours as well. 

Dr. Harry Wilson has been quite busy due to the election. In addition to teaching, he's the director of Roanoke's Institute for Policy and Opinion Research (IPOR). The final poll before the election was released Friday, Nov. 4 showing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a seven point lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump. To see this poll and others from earlier in the election season, visit the IPOR page.

Wilson also serves as the senior political analyst for the CBS affiliate in Roanoke WDBJ-7 and will be on air Election Night with WDBJ-7 reporters and anchors throughout the evening. Watch on the air or streaming on wdbj7.com.

Roanoke is also prepared for post-election analysis. Next week, Roanoke hosts two speakers to discuss the election results.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, Dr. Heath Brown will discuss The Transition to Becoming President. Brown, who is a former Roanoke professor, is a scholar of presidential transitions, money and politics, and public policy. He is a professor at the City University of New York, John Jay College His book, "Lobbying the New President: Interests in Transition," focused on the presidential transition of Barack Obama. His most recent book, "Pay-to-Play Politics: How Money Defines the American Democracy," examines the rise of big money in U.S. politics after the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court decision.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, Pultizer Prize winner Bob Woodward visits Roanoke College to speak on The Meaning of the 2016 Elections: What Just Happened? as part of the Henry H. Fowler Program.

Woodward is an associate editor of The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971. He has shared two Pulitzer Prizes, including one with Carl Bernstein for uncovering the Watergate scandal that led to government investigations and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Woodward has authored or co-authored 18 books, all of which were best-sellers. No one is better qualified to evaluate the results of this year's unique election cycle and put it into an historical context. 

Several Roanoke College students are learning to navigate the nation's capital as interns with the Lutheran College Washington Semester Program. Along with challenging internships, these students are gaining a unique perspective on the presidential election by living and working in the country's political epicenter. Some shared their experiences interning in Washington, D.C., in the midst of an important and storied election season. Read about their Washington, D.C. experiences here.