Tuesday night, Moscow democrats gathered at the Latah County Democrat Headquarters to watch as election results began to be announced. The watch party lasted from 8pm until midnight, but final results had still not been announced by the end of the watch party.
A long table boasted donated food and plenty of caffeine to keep the eager partygoers awake late into the night. Two TVs were set up, broadcasting news from MSNBC, CNN, and unofficial election results from Latah County.
Candidates and citizens alike attended the watch party. BJ Swanson, running for Latah County Treasurer, and David Nelson, running for state Senate, were among those in attendance.
“I always vote early,” Nelson said. “This time, I want Proposition 2 to go through, I want to win the election, and there’s a slew of other candidates that I’m excited to vote for. Elections are when we can change things. Now is the time to move things back to the left a bit.”
This election felt especially important to some partygoers.
“Trump is going after things that are critical,” said Jill Maxwell, a local resident. “He’s going after healthcare, immigrants, and other vulnerable people. It’s not acceptable.”
Maxwell hopes the results of this election will help show a “different face” of the United States of America to the world.
“I believe it’s important to start being civil in government again,” Nelson said. “We need to work together to solve problems, not vilify the other party or whomever we disagree with. Citizens don’t want fights — they want (elected officials) to solve the problems of the state and better their lives.”