As the November 5 presidential election approaches, students are preparing to voice their political opinions at the polls. A group of UWO students were asked a few questions about the most important matters that will be reflected in the candidate they vote for, why young peoples’ votes matter and what it means to be a member of their political party. More student responses can be read on the Advance-Titan website.
Female, she/her
Liberal
What issues are most important to you that will be reflected in the candidate(s) you vote for?
For myself, the most important issues that I’m voting for are lowering the cost of housing, protecting people’s freedom to choose what they do with their own bodies and bringing peace to those suffering in Gaza. I plan to vote for Harris in November, and her policies align deeply with the issues I care about. Harris has stated that she plans to protect renters and first-time home buyers by keeping prices low and providing financial aid to those who need it. Obviously, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion laws were left to the states, and while that could be seen as a positive in some eyes, it didn’t work out that way. Many people have lost access to the reproductive healthcare they desperately seek, and Harris’ plans to protect these freedoms as best she can. As for Gaza, I don’t feel that [Harris’] policies will bring the outcomes that many young voters are hoping for, but I feel she will have the best policies between the two main presidential candidates. I don’t agree with her policies towards Gaza and Israel fully, and in an ideal world, things would turn out differently, but hopefully with Harris in office we can work towards a more ideal world.
What difference will young peoples’ votes make in this election?
Young voters have carried elections in our country and in Wisconsin especially. Looking at the midterm election in 2022, young voters certainly played a large part. I think a lot of young voters, or at least the ones I meet and connect with, are fed up with how things have been running in our country and they are ready for change. I see a lot of passion in the young voters I meet, and I can see that they are ready to help make change possible.
From your point of view, what does it mean to be a liberal?
To me, being “liberal” means loving everyone. I grew up in a very conservative, very religious small town. I was always told to “love my neighbor,” but when I started actually applying that logic and asking questions, I was called “radical.” To me, being liberal means actually loving my neighbor and treating people how I would want to be treated. It means standing up for everyone, no matter who they are or what background they come from. It means putting policies in place that protect everyone. It means ensuring that everyone has an equal chance at succeeding in life. It means protecting freedoms that actually make America the “Land of the Free.”
Female, she/her
Conservative
What issues are most important to you that will be reflected in the candidate(s) you vote for?
Some of the key stances on issues I look for when deciding which candidates to vote for are that they are pro-life, defend our Constitution and all of its amendments and have strong economic policies.
I think pro-life policies are critical for protecting the rights of the unborn in our society and that it is our moral duty as humans to protect the lives of the defenseless. I look for a candidate [who] supports Roe v. Wade being overturned, believes life starts at conception and affirms that all humans have the right to life.
I also look for a candidate that strongly defends the Constitution and the amendments, including the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms. I think it is very important that a candidate is committed to protecting all citizens’ fundamental freedoms and rights listed in our Constitution. I do not agree with the government being able to deprive citizens of their rights and look for a candidate that is committed to upholding our Constitution and protecting all of the rights outlined by it.
I think inflation is a really significant issue right now in our country that impacts everyone. The current administration has had weak economic policies that have left Americans watching the costs of groceries, gas and everything else skyrocket. When looking at candidates, I favor individuals who have strong economic policies that will get our country’s economy back on track, support less government involvement in our economy and advocate cutting needless government spending.
What difference will young peoples’ votes make in this election?
I think that this November it will be critical for young people to vote and make their voice heard. There are so many resources and people willing to help educate young people on how they can vote! Even though the process of either registering to vote or casting your ballot at the polls may seem confusing, intimidating, a mixture of both or something else, I think it is so important that each and every American fulfills their civic duty and vote. In other places in the world today people don’t get the same privilege to vote. Even throughout our own country’s history, certain groups had to fight for the right to vote. I think as young Americans we should appreciate being able to participate in elections and having the power to decide who we want to represent us in our government, especially when we have the power to impact this upcoming election significantly.
Young people make up a significant portion of the voting population and will be a decisive factor in the outcome of the election, especially in swing states such as Wisconsin. In these swing states, every single vote matters, which is why young people need to register and vote this fall. Our votes as young Americans matter more now than ever, and the candidates we elect this November will shape the future of our country. The outcome of this election will define our country for the years to come. I think it is so important that young people realize we have the power to vote and shape the future of our country in the way we want to see. The people we elect this November will help shape the future policies we may want to see or address key issues that we care about.
From your point of view, what does it mean to be a conservative?
Being a conservative for me means supporting traditional values, protecting our individual freedoms and advocating for limited government. I look for candidates who support protecting traditional family values, such as the nuclear family and traditional marriage values, who support protecting individual religious beliefs and practices, as well as those who support individual responsibility in our society. I support candidates who prioritize individual choice, personal freedom and protecting our individual civil liberties like free speech. Lastly, I also support candidates who want limited government, especially candidates who are advocates for federalism and giving powers back to the states. I think that the current federal government has too much power, and I support candidates that want to give that power back to the people in the states where it belongs.
Male, he/him
Liberal
What issues are most important to you that will be reflected in the candidate(s) you vote for?
The most important issues to me are climate change and LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. Climate change is our most pressing issue if we want to have a safe, livable earth. I think Hurricane Helene put into perspective just how severe our climate change crisis is, but we should have never gotten to a point where a hurricane is able to destroy entire communities in North Carolina. If our climate change crisis continues, we will have much bigger issues. Women’s and LGBTQ+ rights are also important to me. I want to vote for a candidate who advocates not just for abortion rights, but also birth control and other healthcare and laws that revolve around women. I also want to vote for someone who will help increase accessibility for gender-affirming care and physical/mental health services for LGBTQ+ people.
What difference will young people’s votes make in this election?
Young people’s votes are the most important thing in this election, if not every election. Young people are the voters who will have to live the longest with the results from an election and have the most on the line. It is every citizen’s right to vote, and I believe that everyone should vote, no matter who they are voting for. However, it is so important that young people get to the polls and cast their vote. This is not only to show support for their candidates of choice, but it also shows the right to vote is a right that people utilize and want.
From your point of view, what does it mean to be a liberal?
From my point of view, being a liberal means that I am open to hearing all perspectives. I am a part of College Democrats, but personally, I do not identify fully with Democrats. I do lean very left, but I don’t have views that 100% align with any political party. I think being open to all ideas and perspectives and at the very least, hearing them out and understanding them, is an important part of being a liberal. Despite often having conflicting beliefs, I enjoy hearing from conservatives and why they have the values they do. Civil discussion is an important part of politics, and I value hearing perspectives from all sides. To me, an openness to listen and discussion is the most important part of being a liberal, and it is the core of liberalism.
Male, he/him
Conservative
What issues are most important to you that will be reflected in the candidate(s) you vote for?
My top priorities for this upcoming election are strengthening our economy, protecting our southern border and fixing our current housing crisis. To start with the economy, I believe that my Republican candidates will do their best to spur the economy by giving tax cuts to incentivize big business into investing and creating more jobs, along with imposing higher tariffs on foreign countries especially China where we have been losing out on billions of dollars for decades. Next, protecting our southern border is not only one of my top priorities, but almost everyone’s top priority or at least on their radar. I believe that my candidates will help fight this crisis by cracking down on illegal immigration and strengthening our border wall by building much more of it and having more agents stationed along side of it. By doing this, Republicans will stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities that have already taken so many innocent lives and limit trafficking that has dehumanized so many innocent women and children. Lastly, we need to fix our current housing crisis, which has skyrocketed tremendously over the last decade, largely out-pacing current inflation rates and ballooning mortgage rates. One of my candidate’s proposals is large-scale construction of affordable living on federal land which will ultimately lower costs even more by decreasing demand.
What difference will young peoples’ votes make in this election?
Viewed as the “leaders of tomorrow,” younger generations are empowering themselves to shape their own community and nation’s future to create a world they want to see through participating in voting. When it comes to this election, it is especially important for us to vote with food, gas and housing prices skyrocketing. Life is becoming unaffordable and unattainable, especially for us college students who already have to juggle trying to pay for schooling and housing. Along with these points, one of the other most important factors we can look at when it comes to youth voting is that it builds voting power. As our generation becomes larger and larger, we make all the difference in the outcomes of an election. When we all do our part, we can all make our voices heard at the polls. In particular, our generation has also brought a wide variety of social issues to the table that were largely ignored for decades, and by casting our ballots for certain representatives, we can ensure that by electing them, they will prioritize our interests and make the change we want to see. In conclusion, voting is not just a right, it is an opportunity for us as the younger generation to influence their future. By participating in elections, we can assert our roles in democracy, ensuring that our voices are heard and that our needs are addressed. Engaging in political activism today lays the foundation for a better tomorrow that we all thrive to see.
From your point of view, what does it mean to be a conservative?
Being a conservative means a lot to me, and some of what that [means] to me is to uphold strong moral values and taking accountability for your own actions along with limited and checked government. One of the biggest reasons I am conservative is the fact that I strongly dislike big government, although it seems like these days, we can’t get away from the expansion of government. To me, limited government emphasizes the right for families and individuals to take more control over their lives and live how the founders intended us too. What limited government then also does is lower taxes because of the government’s restrained ability to act or overreach on to us and businesses, which is another fundamental value of being a conservative. Keeping on the track of fiscal conservatism, another moving part to this is free markets, which is a concept that drives innovation and success of businesses. Fiscal conservatism typically opposes excessive regulation, viewing it as an obstruction to economic growth. Because of this, businesses can grow and create new and better products, which can also be made cheaper, benefiting us as citizens. On top of fiscal values, conservatives emphasize the importance of the rule of law. We believe that a strong legal foundation is critical for preserving order and protecting individual rights. Our dedication to law enforcement often converts into support for our judicial system that upholds justice. Moving to social values, we hold many traditional views, prioritizing family and community as fundamental building blocks of society. As conservatives, we often advocate for moral standards that stem from cultural or religious beliefs, reflecting a desire to preserve societal norms.
Male, he/him
Independent/Undecided
What issues are most important to you that will be reflected in the candidate(s) you vote for?
Reasons I Want to Vote for Kamala Harris:
- [She advocates for a] more fair tax scheme, making billionaires “pay their fair share.”
- [She] believes in addressing the climate crisis.
- [She] acknowledges that healthcare costs are an issue and supports national healthcare, though I am not sure of her current stance.
Reasons I Do Not Want to Vote for Kamala Harris:
- [Her] support for Israel and the genocide of Palestinians. [A vote for Trump would be a protest vote, even though Trump has similar support for Israel.]
- I don’t believe her plan for housing affordability will be effective. Her campaign website stated that she wanted to give first-time homebuyers $25,000 for a down payment, which I don’t see as a solution to the supply and demand issue. If anything, it would likely increase demand and lower supply, making housing more expensive.
- [I] disagree with how she handled many cases as the prosecutor of San Francisco, where she prosecuted innocent individuals and perpetuated the war on drugs, giving people a criminal record over cannabis.
- [I have] hack of trust [toward her]; it’s extremely difficult to find media discussing the cons of Harris. I feel that the American media is largely biased toward supporting her, making it hard to know if she is genuinely committed or simply playing politics as a bad faith actor backed by corporate interests.
Reasons I Want to Vote for Trump:
- I originally wanted to vote for [Robert F. Kennedy], and [I] agree with many of his policies. It’s unclear what role he would play in a Trump administration, but at the end of the day, he supports Trump over Harris.
- As controversial as it is, I support the deportation of illegal migrants. I believe illegal immigration has disastrous consequences for both Americans and the immigrants themselves. Migrants are more likely to be exploited because they have no legal rights. There are countless examples of migrants being trafficked into neo-slavery situations, where they are paid very little and abused under the threat of deportation. I also believe that entering America or any country is a privilege, not a right, and a large number of migrants receive more support than many Americans, such as homeless individuals. Additionally, illegal migrants place a burden on tax and social services and, in my opinion, undermine American pay increases, as migrants are more willing to accept lower wages than Americans.
- “Fair Trade for the American Worker.” Many manufacturing and middle-income jobs have been offshored to countries with poor human rights records, like China and Vietnam. I don’t believe it is fair or ethical to outsource U.S. jobs to such countries, and I believe it is bad policy for middle- and low-income Americans.
Reasons I Don’t Want to Vote for Trump:
- [He] seems unstable and unpredictable at times.
- [He] often did not follow up on campaign promises that he made.
- [He] is quite old and seems out of touch with the struggles that the younger generation faces.
What difference will young people’s votes make in this election?
If I am correct, the last presidential election in Wisconsin was won by about 20,000 votes. Furthermore, Wisconsin being a swing state means that your vote matters that much more. Each candidate realizes they need literally every vote they can get in swing/purple states.
Why are you an independent/undecided voter? What role do you feel you play in this election?
I used to identify as a full Democrat. I slowly started to realize that Republicans and Democrats are often two wings of the same bird, both highly supporting corporate interests to the detriment of the American people. Both parties have supported countless wars in far-off places, like Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, to name a few. I am an independent because I do not believe either of the two major parties truly supports the average American. If it were my choice, I would vote third party and still might, but I realize that it is a fleeting effort since corporate media presents Americans with a false dichotomy of choosing between a Democrat or a Republican.
The role I play in this election is to make it known that minds can be changed, and candidates must earn your vote rather than expect it. I believe it is important to be a pragmatic voter, not just voting for one party consistently. If one routinely votes for the same party, what incentive do candidates have to focus on the issues you find important if they know you will vote for them regardless?
