When the sun rose at 6:21 a.m. here Tuesday morning revealing an unremarkable and cool autumn day, there was no clear indication in the weather—or anywhere else for that matter—that George W. Bush would be re-elected president of the United States. For a day pre-determined to change the world, a subdued atmosphere prevailed through the early afternoon, with only a smattering of on-campus demonstrations and what seemed like paltry attendance in some classes throughout the University.

At 1:30 p.m., Omer Rosenhand '06 stepped onto the BranVan as an undecided voter.

He was leaning toward voting for President Bush because of his economic plan and stance on Israel but said he wouldn't decide until facing the ballot.

"I'm 49-51, in favor of Bush," he said. "I think Kerry is not going to be good for Israel. But he's not going to be as cowboyish as Bush."

In the driver's seat was Koren Wake '06, who voted for Kerry in her home state of Maine by absentee ballot. As the van left Rabb and cruised past the University's chapels, deserted and covered with yellow leaves, she asked Rosenhand why he hadn't chosen his candidate.

"What I don't understand is how you can be an undecided voter right now on your way to the polling place?" Wake asked her sole passenger.

Rosenhand, an economics major, said without Bush's tax cuts the nation's fiscal health would be dismal.

He doesn't object to abortion as a "last resort" but he said banning it would likely prevent couples from having unprotected sex-a good thing.

"I'm also a big fan of science," he said, referring to the president's efforts to stop medical research that destroys embryonic stem cells. "But I don't think we should play around with something we don't understand."

"If we don't play around with it, how will we ever understand it?" asked Wake, pulling into the basement of the Banks School on Russell Street, where most Brandeis students voting in Massachusetts cast their ballots yesterday.

"Right, right, as you can see, I like to play devil's advocate," Rosenhand said, exiting the van as three students got on.

After he left, Wake said she found Rosenhand's position confusing.

"He agrees with me on so many things and still might vote for Bush," she said.

"The choice seems so obvious to me."

Rosenhand caught up with the van as it was pulling away; he was out of the polling place in less than 10 minutes.

"I voted for Bush," he said with alacrity.


In Waltham

At 6:20 p.m., a man with a handlebar moustache and a skinny black dog named Tasha approached Ken Garber.

Garber, of nearby Quincy, is a union member of the Waltham Firefighter's Local-866, and was holding a sign outside of the elementary school that read, "Firefighters for Kerry."

"You want to change this country?" the man asked. He then shoved Tasha's leash in Garber's hand to enter the Banks school. "Hold this for me."

While Garber said he doesn't consider himself liberal, he has specific qualms with the Bush administration that have influenced his support for Kerry.

"He was going to give all this money to hire police and firefighters and today there are 2,000 less firefighters than before Sept. 11," Garber said. "It's time for a change."

By the time Tasha was reunited with her owner, Ariella Morrow '06 had cast her vote.

"There were tons of addresses from South Street. We did a really good job registering people [to vote]" she said.

Later, at the Victory Supermarket, a few blocks over from the polling place, students rushed to get snacks in anticipation for a long election night.

Krystel Ariel '06, who voted for Bush in her home state of Florida, said the political environment on campus spurns Republicans who voice their views.

"This school is intensely liberal. It's disgusting. And I don't even love Bush," Ariel said.

A shopper, wheeling her cart by Ariel in the dairy aisle, overheard her and nodded, saying, "He's the lesser of two evils."

"It's just like that South Park quote," Ariel said. "'You're always going to have to choose between a douche and a giant turd sandwich.'"

Ariel said, for the time, social issues should take a back seat to the threat of terrorism.

"I believe in a woman's right to an abortion and in stem-cell research, but the war is a big issue," she said.

In the checkout line was Robin Katz '06, a native of Cleveland, which had a decisive role in deciding this election.

Of a possible Kerry administration, she said, "It's got to be better than Bush."

Serving as solace for a possible Bush victory, Katz said, she is spending next semester abroad, at Leeds University in the United Kingdom.