Jaylei Davis | Nov. 3, 2026
Early voting signage in Gladfelter on the Warren Wilson College campus in Swannanoa, N.C. (The Echo/Sophia Strominger)
With the conclusion of the mid-term elections, students at Warren Wilson College (WWC) may wonder how the political climate will change.
Students had until October 31 to vote early, or could go to the polls on Nov. 3. There have been a bevy of initiatives on campus to encourage voting, from the Community Engagement-hosted “Party to the Polls” on Friday, Oct. 30 to the WWC-operated shuttles provided on Nov. 3.
Rose Pietromonaco, a first-year student at WWC, shared her opinion on why her peers at the college find voting important.
“I think that it's really important for Warren Wilson students to get out and vote,” Pietromonaco said. “I know...that we have a lot of minority groups on campus. Because of that, voting in the election is really important for folks.”
WWC has a reputation for being LGBTQ+ friendly and progressive, acting as a safe space for a variety of students.
Willa Radifera, a first-year student, explained her views of WWC in the current political climate.
“Overall, I'm glad to be in a place like Warren Wilson because I feel like my personal views align a lot with the other people here,” Radifera said.
Two students dressed in Halloween costumes sit outside Gladfelter on the Warren Wilson College campus in Swannanoa, N.C., on Oct. 31, 2026, the final day of early voting in Buncombe County. (The Echo/Sophia Strominger)
WWC students may be particularly invested in the midterms because they are local, rather than national elections that will determine what candidates occupy positions like the state Supreme Court, county commissioners, and bond proposals.
Kara Swanson, a first-year WWC student, explained her opinions of how the political divide between WWC and North Carolina breaks down.
“We're in a little bubble of good people…I feel like it's easy to see your surrounding immediate environment and be like, oh, we have a lot of good people, we'll be fine,” Swanson said. “But it's a minority, just a group of minorities in a bigger group of assholes.”
Mixed feelings regarding democracy are widespread amongst the students at WWC.
Olivia Tiner, a senior WWC student, offered her opinion as to why voting is flawed, yet important in the time we live in.
“I wouldn't say that I have full faith in the system, it’s important to vote, but I definitely don't think it weighs as much as it should,” Tiner said.
In discussions among WWC students of the midterm elections’ outcomes, opinions have all arrived at the same conclusion – hoping that people of good morals and values win the election.
“I hope it's good people. I hope, you know, but North Carolina does not have good people overall. I'm going to be optimistic,” Swanson said.
Many voters on WWC campus are rooting for Democratic candidates, with many backing WWC alum and U.S. House of Representatives candidate Jamie Ager.
Tiner explained her reasons for picking Ager were based on where he is from within Buncombe County and his views on how to help the state.
“Jamie Ager is someone that we all know [because] he's from [the Buncombe County area],” Tiner said. “His family is [from a farming and working class background], so there's a pretty good chance that he will support rural areas that are working class.”
Voting is an important democratic process that everyone should participate in. These midterm elections raise important questions about the political climate, and WWC students are hopeful for a good outcome, including a win for Jamie Ager.