Opinion: Ohio University handled Election Day incredibly well

The presidential election has officially come to a close.The votes are in, and Donald J. Trump is officially the next president of the United States. Both excitement and unrest fill the hearts of Americans as the transition of power to our new president-elect is officially underway. Although Election Day is officially over, I would express admiration for how Ohio University handled the stressful event.From early morning until the polls closed at 7:30 p.m., polling locations around campus were bustling with students eager to cast their vote in the name of democracy. The biggest polling location on campus was Baker Center. Initially, concern emerged as I thought of the high number of students voting. Could the university really keep one central location organized with thousands of students entering throughout the day?The answer is yes. Throughout the day, the length of the lines varied. At some points, an average wait time was roughly 30 minutes. However, at one point, the average wait was up to an hour and a half, particularly in the few hours before the polls closed. Despite the inconsistency, lines moved fairly quickly all day.The university also offered helpful resources to those waiting in line, such as staff members explaining to students how the voting process would work and helping with any problems students had.I also want to commend the university for keeping the protesting around Baker Center under control. Orange cones were placed around the polling location, keeping protesters out of the perimeter of voters. This keeps political opinions out of the voting area.Baker Center housed some of the best poll workers I have ever encountered. I have heard a lot of complaints from fellow millennials who attend other colleges about the rudeness of workers at their polling locations. This is typically due to college students being new to the voting process. Experienced poll workers, from what I have heard, tend to get irritated when voters do not know what to do once at the polling location.This was not the case at Baker Center. When I voted, all the workers, both inside the voting room and outside, were very polite and helpful. Their work day began at roughly 6 a.m., and until 7:30 p.m., they were energetic and kept a positive attitude.Overall, Ohio University did an amazing job of keeping Election Day organized and efficient. It was a very long and hectic day, but the positivity and energy the university put forth kept the students excited and the democratic process flowing.