After four years in the Biden-Harris administration, the United States of America has reached yet another important crossroad. It was expected that Biden might run against Trump again, but now that Kamala Harris has chosen to run in Biden’s place, the presidential election is set to be closer than ever. Ultimately, it is up to young voters to steer the election itself, and the pressure of a coin-toss election is mounting up. Three BIC students share their opinions on the event and how they view this important period.
With so many seniors registering to vote, it is important to understand what kind of pressure they are experiencing as new voters. Their very first time voting will be during one of the closest presidential elections in decades. Senior Nikki Jones states, “I feel like it’s very stressful to choose. Since I am in the military, it’s like I’m choosing who I want to work for.” Jones enlisted for the Army National Guard on October 10th of this year. Originally, she was not going to vote, but since joining the military, she decided that it was important to exercise her right to vote.
However, not only new voters are affected by the elections. Younger students following the various debates and progressions have big opinions as well. “I think voting is a pretty mandatory thing,” Says Senior Makenzie White, “and we’ll go through more elections in the future. I just hope if either of the candidates win they’ll respect all of the American people.” Although White is a Senior, she is too young to register to vote for the upcoming election.
When it comes to voting for the “best” candidate, there is a seemingly endless list of issues to consider. These issues and how the candidates state they plan to deal with them is the biggest reason why this election is going to be so close. Most ballots, as of the writing of this article, show Americans divided on topics such as immigration, abortion, and the cost of living. It can be hard for new voters, especially those that have only just turned eighteen, to make such a crucial decision.
Senior Georgia Truex stated that the biggest issue for her in this election is inflation. “My parents have to pay so much just for basic groceries. It causes a lot of families to struggle, and I hope whoever the next president is will make a plan to solve this problem” said Truex.
The stress of living through yet another important national event will affect mainly the younger generations of America, as it so commonly does. Young nonvoters must watch and anxiously wait to see how the course of their adult lives will be affected, and new voters must make the decision along with their peers. In the end, it seems the young people of America will get to witness history yet again.
