A debate that was mocked by the nation. An assassination attempt on a former president. A presidential candidate ending his bid for reelection in July. It’s safe to say, the 2024 presidential race has been rather unprecedented. While the chaos has been unfathomable, however, there is one massive factor that could push this race and our future forward; young voters.
For many young people, this may be their first ever time voting in a presidential election or any election for that matter. The Center For Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement estimates nearly 50% of people between 18-29 years of age voted in the 2020 election. This was a massive turnout by the next generation of voters and the passion hasn’t gone anywhere. Zachary Lochard, the SIU Turning Point Chapter President, says he has been very supportive of Trump from the beginning.
“I started paying attention to politics back in 2008 when Obama started coming into the forefront. But, ever since then my interest has grown more and more and I have been very strict with the fact that I have been supporting Trump since the beginning” Lochard said.
While there are many supporters for Trump, Kamala Harris still has her fair share of younger voters. Kaitlynne Franklin, a member of the SIU College Democrats, believes that Harris was the natural candidate for her party to choose.
“Based on how she has been as VP, I think that she is a good candidate and obviously she has seen what it takes to be in a political position with being senator and being VP. I think that she has a good sense of what it could be especially after seeing Biden be president” Franklin said.
Many like Franklin believe that Kamala was their best choice, however, some are not so happy with how she got chosen. Lochard says the people should have had a say in their new democrat candidate.
“I am extremely upset and angry for my fellow democrat Americans. It was a unilateral decision made by the party's leadership and not the will of the people and it was unbecoming of our electoral system” Lochard said.
Even some of those who are supporting her in the race would have liked a say in who their candidate would be. Emma McConnell, the president of the SIU College Democrats, says she wishes Biden dropped out sooner so Harris could have been apart of the primary election.
“I would have much rather put in a primary vote for her if that had been announced sooner. I guess it was the best solution since the primary was already over but it is disappointing to see” McConnell said.
This sudden switch highlights the unpredictable nature of this year's election. John Shaw, the Director of the SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, says this election has been one of the most astonishing in our nation's history.
“You know, the 60 day period from the Biden/Trump debate, the attempted assassination of Trump, Trump's coronation in Milwaukee, Biden's withdrawal, and Harris's ascendancy; No one could have predicted that. That was a series of events I could have never have pretended to foresee” Shaw said.
This lack of predictability doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. The New York Times national poll on September 6th puts Harris at only three percentage points above Trump, at 49%. Many of the key battleground states even have tied percentages including Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona. McConnell says this election is the definition of a toss up.
“At this point it is anyone's game. Even if Harris took a lead in the polls, I would still say the popular vote doesn’t decide everything. I have no way of telling if she is going to win but I have seen a lot more energy out of the youth vote. Especially people that I know are more willing to vote now but that won’t be the end all be all” McConnell said.
This uncertainty is pushed further with some not wanting to vote for either candidate. Cameron Carlile, the former president of the SIU Turning Point Chapter, says before Robert F Kennedy dropped out, he intended on voting for him.
“Trump healed, for the most part, the financial issues of most Americans. He did this at the cost of the social well being of just as many Americans. Joe Biden has done a great deal in healing the social aspects of society but he’s sacrificed a lot of the financial health of Americans. So, I think RFK has a good balance between the two” Carlile said.
Many voters across the nation feel disappointed with their choices in presidents for multiple elections now. Sometimes, this can even become fear of what will happen if someone is elected. Franklin, with the SIU College of Democrats, says she is worried about what the country could become if Trump is reelected.
“I have heard a lot about project 2025 which makes me a little worried for the future of our country. To see the different policies that could be implemented could take away rights or not leave the country in a good place” Franklin said.
Many have feared a country under Trump since his last stint in office but his supporters are far more optimistic. Jeremiah Hale with the SIU Turning Point Chapter says he hopes Trump can learn from his prior administration.
“People can learn from their mistakes and I hope that President Trump, if he wins the election, learns from his personal mistakes from his previous administration. Even though I’m a Trump guy, I still see him as a politician. Everyone saw him as new and a businessman but at the end of the day, when he became president, he became a typical politician” Hale said.
Young voters from both sides of the political aisle are going to be one of the key factors in this upcoming election but many are frustrated with politics already. Some want to see different candidates and some simply don’t care. However, all of them want change and many are still hopeful in the storm of chaos that is the 2024 election.
