Loyal Evanston Democrats and Republicans gathered at their parties’ headquarters Tuesday night to watch election results come in from throughout the country.
And even though both groups watched the same commentators present the same statistics, the atmosphere at each reception was as different as night and day.
More than 50 people — and one dog — packed the Democratic Party of Evanston’s headquarters, 826 Custer Ave., to cheer for Vice President Al Gore, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 10th District congressional candidate Lauren Beth Gash and other Democratic candidates.
As the Democrats watched a small television in the corner of the room, even their clothes expressed their political stance. Some donned “Nurses for Gore-Lieberman” shirts, and the more passionate Gore supporters sported white and green shirts saying, “I’d never vote for a son of a Bush.” Nearly everyone at the reception wore bright blue Gore-Lieberman buttons
For Gil Gilman, coordinator of the Democratic Victory 2000 campaign, election night came as a capstone for months of intense work and planning. But he said he wasn’t nervous about the election results.
“I’ve been up since 4 a.m. — I don’t feel anything anymore,” Gilman said.
Because Evanston traditionally is a Democratic stronghold, Gilman said his work focused more on increasing voter turnout.
Seven Northwestern students worked this quarter as ward coordinators for the Democratic Party. These volunteers helped the party organize one of the largest Evanston voter turnouts in years, Gilman said.
Jeanne Cleveland, Evanston’s Democratic committeewoman, estimated that more than 75 percent of the city’s registered voters cast ballots Tuesday.
In past elections, when there has not been a hotly contested presidential race, voter turnout has been as low as about 32 percent, she said.
Weinberg sophomore Tina Valkanoff spent most of Fall Quarter working as a ward coordinator for the Democratic Party. She woke up at 5 a.m. Tuesday to supervise eight polling places and 40 volunteers.
Between 80 and 100 NU students volunteered at the city’s 75 polling places Tuesday, said Devin O’Shaughnessy, co-coordinator of the Democratic Victory 2000 campaign.
Valkanoff said that though her work with the party has been rewarding, she’s looking forward to a more normal life once the elections are over.
“It’ll be a relief,” she said. “I’m taking five classes. Now I’ll be able to go back and work on three papers this weekend.”
Weinberg sophomore Aaron Ament also served as a ward coordinator this year. He said he was pleasantly surprised by how well Evanston residents treated him and his student colleagues while they were working on the campaign.
“I think they understand that we’re working for the same thing they are,” Ament said.
On the other side of town, about 10 people mingled in the Republican Party headquarters, 1110 Davis St., to support George W. Bush, Ninth District challenger Dennis Driscoll and other Republican candidates.
Though Bush appeared to hold a slight lead throughout the evening, many of the Republicans said they were still disappointed that there were about four Democratic votes cast in Evanston for every Republican one.
Rita Forker, one of the party’s elections judges, said she thinks the disparity between Democratic and Republican votes could have been caused by an absence of signs promoting Bush and Driscoll.
Republican yard signs often were torn down and destroyed, Forker said, and even if people put up replacements, they were stolen again.
“I had a Bush sign on my car when I went to the polls today, ” Forker said. “When I came out there was mud thrown all over my car. I think it’s just appalling.”
No NU students volunteered with the Evanston Republicans, said party committeewoman Ellen Schrodt.
But Schrodt said she was very happy with the Evanston residents who volunteered for the Republican cause this election season.
“This election brought out more wonderful people who were willing to help,” she said. “They were super great.”
