By Gabe Silverman

Name – Philliamina Williams – “Doer”
Age – 18
Hometown – Elk Grove, Calif.
Occupation – Full-time college student Barry University, Miami Shores,

On Nov. 6, 2012, Philliamina Williams followed her typical Tuesday class schedule: Introduction to Psychology and then ballet. She did not deviate to go to a polling place on Election Day.

The freshman at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla., is busy trying to get the degree that will prepare her for a career as a marriage counselor. But, she admits, it wasn’t Williams’ academic obligations that kept her from casting a ballot in her first presidential election as an eligible voter.

She didn’t vote because of her skepticism about the election process.

“I’m not there when they count the votes,” Williams said. “At the end of the day I don’t really know if my vote was counted.”

A native of predictably Democratic California, Williams hadn’t experienced the onslaught of political energy that comes with a presidential race in a battleground state. But living through the fall election frenzy in one of the most contested swing states has given her a new perspective. “It’s kind of opened my eyes to the intensity and severity of the elections,” Williams said.

Although she doesn’t identify herself with either of the major parties and didn’t choose to vote, Williams did care about the outcome of the presidential race. In the early part of Election Day, when news reports were indicating Republican Mitt Romney had momentum, Williams was nervous. She aligns herself with President Barack Obama’s social views and said she didn’t trust Romney on the issues of women’s rights or funding for education.

She’s optimistic about the future of the U.S. despite the struggling economy.

Improvement will happen, Williams said, “maybe not tomorrow but it definitely will.”