To all members of the IU community,
Tuesday was Election Day — a day when citizens all over our country exercised their right to vote for president, members of Congress, governors, state representatives, local political offices, judges and other positions. In excess of 140 million people voted on or by Election Day in a peaceful and dutiful way.
To all who exercised this right, congratulations on your participation in one of the most fundamental elements of our democratic system of government, especially in the midst of a pandemic that presented unprecedented challenges. But we must never forget that this is a precious right that the majority of the world's population does not have in any meaningful way.
As of my writing this message, there is still no clear victor in the presidential election. This may be decided very soon or take somewhat longer. This is to be expected with close elections, especially with the added complication of a pandemic. I am sure we are all extremely grateful for the countless dedicated people across the country who are working day and night to finish the process of vote counting to help the nation arrive at a clear result as soon as possible. As we approach Thanksgiving, we should all be thankful to them for their commitment and professionalism.
The delay in arriving at a final result is frustrating and unsettling for some. Though we all want to see a presidential election winner declared as soon as possible, we need to remain patient, calm and understanding while the democratic process plays itself out. Much of the media is covering this process very well and continuously, and details of it may be followed in it.
Of course, whether we have a new or continuing federal administration, we will continue to work with them, as we have done with all administrations. Federal policies and funding are vital to numerous areas of the university, so we also look forward to a rapid resolution of the presidential election so we can continue the important work of the university.
Once a clear result is known, I will write again.
With best regards,
Michael A. McRobbie
President
Indiana University