It wouldn’t be UPUA Election Day without an early morning trip to the Waffle Shop.

UPUA’s Elections Commission organizes a breakfast at the Waffle Shop each year with the executive tickets, the Commission, and members of the media. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s especially true when candidates are gearing up to campaign for the 16 hours the polls are open.

This year’s meal kicked off at 6:30 a.m. — slightly later than last year, due to the polls opening an hour later. Like last year, this breakfast was pretty relaxed since there’s only one executive ticket in the race.

Laura McKinney and Jake Griggs, both early risers by nature, were chipper this morning despite the hour, and excited for the long day of campaigning ahead.

McKinney decided to stick with what she knows and ordered nearly the same breakfast as last year, when she was running for vice president: two eggs scrambled, bacon (her favorite), and this time wheat toast instead of home fries (with strawberry jam).

“It’s a nice hearty breakfast to give me fuel for the day,” she said, joking about giving any leftovers to Griggs.

Griggs ordered the Waffle Shop’s mini platter, which our waitress confirmed is “for the lighter appetite.” Even so, this came with bacon, home fries, an english muffin, and scrambled eggs topped with a slice of American cheese.

“This is tasty, but I’ve got to be on the move all day, so I need to be light on my feet,” he said.

But what does it mean? Maybe they’re breakfast purists. Plenty of others in attendance opted for waffles — a fitting order for a joint called the Waffle Shop. No matter how you judge their breakfast foods, McKinney and Griggs are ready to kick off Election Day with a bang, and headed out around 7:15 a.m. to begin campaigning. You can catch them and their supporters around campus today wearing pink and black.

Remember to vote today at vote.psu.edu! The polls are open until 10 p.m. and we’ve endorsed the McKinney-Griggs ticket for president and vice president. After all, you wouldn’t want a gerbil for president. Or maybe you would.