The NAACP held a meeting Wednesday to discuss voter anxiety, if Illinois is truly a blue state and threats towards minority students during an election.

Voter anxiety, also known as Election Stress Disorder, is when a voter becomes stressed or overwhelmed over an election. Constant media coverage, uncertainty, volatile election issues, and social media bickering can cause Election Stress Disorder.

NAACP provided tips on how to combat voter anxiety, which included taking care of yourself, surrounding yourself with positivity and good company, cutting back on your daily media consumption, and taking a step back from your daily routine. 

President of NAACP Sihile Mwalongo said the election is a stressful time as people become more vocal about their own opinions.

“It’s definitely important to take care of yourself at that time and limit all that extra noise,” Mwalongo said. 

Members of the NAACP talked about things that give them voter anxiety, such as campaign signage and social media. Some members also mentioned that mail-in voting became intimidating with the uncertainty of it making it on time or getting lost in the mail.

NAACP discussed if Illinois is truly a blue state or if there are just blue cities that make Illinois a blue state.

Danielle Allen, a sophomore elementary education major, said she thinks certain cities are blue and that they make Illinois a blue state. 

“I went home with one of my friends a couple weeks ago and the amount of Trump flags, signs, things that you put in the ground, like, on the way there and again in her town, it blew my mind,” Allen said. “But at the end of the day, this state is supposed to be considered a blue state, so it makes me wonder how much those little areas effect it.”

NAACP’s special event planner Nyla Douglass said she thinks Illinois can be a blue state, but voters who typically go blue don’t vote.

“I know where I’m from and the area around where I’m from and I would say there’s a decent amount of Black people who would consider themselves Democrats, but they just don’t vote and they don’t see a purpose for voting,” Douglass said. 

NAACP also addressed threats to minorities posted on social media websites. A few posts used as examples during the meeting involved the person posting the image holding a gun and threatening the safety of those who support Biden. 

Allen said she finds these images disgusting.

“It just emphasizes the fact that we still have to fight for the fact that our lives matter,” Allen said.

Another post used as example during the meeting asked Trump to go on a “deportation rampage” before he loses his position as president in January. 

Mwalongo said she also found this post disgusting as she is an immigrant herself.

“I know how much it takes for us to be here,” Mwalongo said. “I know how much it takes for our parents to sacrifice for us being here and a lot of times people think immigrants are just here trying to steal jobs. First of all, a lot of these jobs that they’re so called ‘stealing’ aren’t even jobs that a lot of Americans want to take. It’s very disrespectful.” 

NAACP provided suggestions on how minorities can protect themselves during this time, which included watching your surrounding while you’re out, keeping mace or legal protection with you, implementing the buddy system, preparing for anything, and staying positive. 

Heather Vosburgh can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].