Election Day 11:15 a.m.

Elena Siekman is a registered Oregon voter, but voted from Germany this election due to her study abroad program. Siekmann followed the steps for military and overseas voters, and she received her ballot 45 days before the election. She sent her ballot to the Berlin Embassy, which was shipped to the U.S. to be counted from there. She was confused when she received a second ballot in the mail closer to the election, which she did not fill out, she said via a phone call.  

Discussing American politics with her European colleagues can often be frustrating, she said. “They just don’t fully grasp the Electoral College,” said Siekmann. “They tend to just dumb Americans down, and it can be really difficult to have a genuine political conversation.”