Election Day 2020 is officially upon us!
….and it’s safe to say that we are a huge mix of emotions.
Today, Nov. 3, will forever go down in history as one of America’s largest (not to mention, controversial) elections up to date. At least as far as this generation has yet to witness.
Aside from the fact that this election fell on the same year as an ongoing pandemic and causing much ado over an increase in mail-in votes, the tension between the leading candidates — and their respective parties — is at an all-time high. As a result, many states across the nation have already begun prepping for the backlash of a possible post-election pandemonium, with a number of New York stores already boarding up their shops.
So whether you’re a MAGA-haggler or ridin’ with Biden, it’s safe to say that this “Hurricane Election,” impacts you some way or another. With that said, our team weighed in how we plan to spend this nerve-wrecking Tuesday. From on-the-group assist to self-care tips, check out how Team TFD is doing the elections this year!
Chelsea
Lauren
I voted early, so I planned a bunch of self-care activities for tomorrow. I’ll be going for a long run in the AM to clear some of the anxiety and stress out of my system. Then, in the afternoon, I scheduled a super long hair appointment (that I typically dread because it takes about 3.5 hours, but I figured tomorrow is the perfect day for it) where I’ll read a book while sitting there. And then in the evening, we are having dinner over at our friends apartment nearby and are going to watch ‘Citizen Kane’ while enjoying some takeout and beers. I plan to check the news only very sporadically!
Annie
On election day I’ll be tabling at my local polling station for the Democratic candidate for New York Assembly (Pharra Souffrant-Forrest). Will also be doing some completely unpolitical things like a virtual art class with a friend and a couple of scheduled catchup phone calls. I’m bracing myself for the distinct possibility that we won’t know the outcome of this race for a while after the polls close, so want to keep my mind on other things for now!
Holly
I’ve been volunteering this election cycle with the DNC’s National Voter Assistance Hotline, so I’ll be doing that for about 6 hours on election day. It feels good to do something useful but I also wanted a distraction to take away the option of doom-scrolling Twitter all day, since we have the day off work. I’m also going to try not to watch the news or social media in the evening as results come in, because I know there’s nothing I can personally do to change what happens at that point, and it just makes my anxiety worse. So I’ll either be indulging in old episodes of Gilmore Girls, cleaning out my mess of a closet (to my credit it is usually in great shape but my shelving unit recently fell apart!), or reading a decidedly frivolous, in-no-way-election-related book.
Rachel
I’ll be going early to vote in-person and then obsessively watching the news the rest of the day to be perfectly honest. I’m definitely feeling anxious, but for me personally watching the news and staying totally informed all day long is what will help me get through the day. Will also be self-soothing with plenty of coffee and takeout!
Soraya
Ironically, Tuesday evenings (if not every Tuesday, at least every other Tuesday), are made for meetups with my old man. With that said, my dad and I actually plan to have an early dinner in the city, and watch the elections back at my place with adult-bevs and cross-generational convos. While I learn a lot from my dad, he humbly admits he enjoys learning from me too. So it’s a jolly old time of mutual respect and exchange.
Image via Unsplash
Like this story? Follow The Financial Diet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily tips and inspiration, and sign up for our email newsletter here.
