The voters have spoken. In a decisive victory Tuesday night, former President Donald J. Trump won both the popular vote, a first in 20 years for a Republican, and more than enough electoral votes to return him to office as the 47th president of the United States. Harvard and Massachusetts voted otherwise, but as former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted Wednesday morning, we have a new president-elect and whether we like the outcome or not, are bound by our Constitution to accept the results.
Last week we urged our readers to vote. This week it seems appropriate to recommend we all step away from the clamor of partisan and social media to breathe deeply, and take stock of all the goodness that we share as Americans and members of the Harvard community.
It’s also a moment to thank the officials and volunteers who made sure that Harvard residents and those at Devens living within the town’s historical boundaries had every opportunity to vote, as guaranteed by Massachusetts law, and that their votes were properly recorded and counted. By all accounts the 2024 election in Harvard was conducted fairly and efficiently, praised by many whom the Press interviewed as they exited the Hildreth Elementary School gym.
So as we all begin to reflect on this year’s vote—and what comes next—three cheers for Harvard’s poll workers: Town Clerk Rose Miranda, Assistant Town Clerk Nicole Levay-O’Brien, election warden Dennis Bradley, and the dozens of volunteers who made it all work.