“I have an Ec 10 midterm tomorrow I haven’t studied for one bit, but I consider the election more important,” he said.

While in the clear minority, some Bush boosters came to the rally. South Boston native Donald E. Woznick held a sign reading, “Don’t forget to vote for Bush/Cheney. Kerry who? He doesn’t show support for his own state.” He said he has gotten a good reaction from the Kerry supporters and has shaken hands with several of them.

But even though Bush supporters at the rally were scarce, the crowd could not ignore the tightness of the national race when TV screens announced a Bush victory in Ohio.

“It’s over,” said one Kerry supporter, as many others left.

“It’s disappointing how it reflects on the American people,” said Brockton resident C. Michael Everett as he departed from the rally.

Several Bush supporters, seemingly heartened by the news, ran around the edge of the rally waving signs and yelling, “Four more years!”

But as TV news indicated the election was not over, Harvard students who had come out to show their support for Kerry said they were frustrated by the uncertain result. They pledged not to give up.

“It seems like there’s going to be a recount, so I should probably go to bed, but I’ll have trouble doing that,” said Nicholas F. B. Smyth ’05-’06, who took off the semester to work for the Kerry campaign.

“I will stay as long as I need to,” said Smyth, who is also a Crimson editor.

—Staff writer Jessica R. Rubin-Wills can be reached at rubinwil@fas.harvard.edu

—Staff writer Faryl W. Ury can be reached at ury@fas.harvard.edu.