Both College Democrats at Pitt and College Republicans at Pitt saw increases in their membership this year, according to Henry Cohen, co-president of College Democrats at Pitt and Jesse Milston, secretary of College Republicans at Pitt. With Republicans winning the presidential election, the Senate and the House majority, College Republicans “don’t see that momentum stopping.”

Almost every candidate who’s come to Pittsburgh as part of the 2020 presidential campaign has made a stop in Oakland.

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia passed decriminalization legislation in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and the University of Pittsburgh was certified for medical marijuana research just last year.

Several student organizations on campus held events in hopes of encouraging voter turnout on election day. According to Adwait Shukla, president of Pitt’s Interfraternity Council and senior adviser of the South Asian Student Association, “If you want candidates who represent your interests, the midterms are where you should vote.”