As the presidential election rapidly approaches, young people across the nation weigh the pros and cons of the candidates as they decide who to cast their vote for. The University of Northern Colorado’s campus is especially active politically, with students seeking to have their voices heard before Nov. 5.
On Monday, UNC’s student publication The Mirror, interviewed a range of students at the University Center in an effort to gain insight into what college students are thinking about the upcoming election and its two primary candidates former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. With Trump running for the Republican party and Harris running for the Democratic party, the country is divided heading into the election. For some students, the division the two-party system creates is problematic and makes voting difficult.
“I just don’t believe in a two-party system,” said one UNC student who asked to remain anonymous. “You’re labeling two binaries to a very intricate system.”
Younger students have strong opinions but are having difficulty having their voices heard.
“I do want to vote but I’ve just been struggling to register,” said Kori Braveheart, a first-year psychology major at UNC from Fort Collins. “My 18th birthday is right next to the election.”
Students are concerned about Trump’s presence on the ballot.
“I am really scared,” said Sydney*, a third-year English secondary education major at UNC from Fort Collins. “I am really upset that a criminal has made it this far in the election process and is the primary candidate for a party that did have better options at some point.”
Trump’s success in the political sphere despite his crimes has led to a severe lack of faith in the U.S. political system among students.
“I think it is interesting that one has made it as far as they have considering everything about their person and the fact that they are a criminal and an abuser,” said Molly**, a third-year nursing major at UNC from Arvada.
While UNC students lean toward Harris, some find her policies concerning, even finding Harris to be too right-leaning.
“I guess I’d rather have Kamala than Trump,” said Vidal Lucero, a second-year jazz studies major at UNC from Greeley. “She kind of came out with this more progressive-leaning thing, but now she’s falling back into the typical Democrat way of government. It’s farther left than Republicans but not quite left.”
Other UNC students share Vidal’s concerns, especially regarding Harris’ stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“People are like, ‘Don’t vote for her because of genocide,’ and I’m like, ‘What are we going to do when Trump wins then?’” said a UNC grad student who asked to remain anonymous. “That’d be cool to have the first female president be Black though.”
Others’ opinions on Harris are far from passionate, with many considering her only as an alternative to Trump.
“She’s all right,” Molly said. “But I’ll say what I said before, she’s not an old white man. She’s got that going for her.”
With Election Day right around the corner, students will have to make their choices soon. The presidential election is on Nov. 5. Ballots can be deposited at local ballot boxes any time before 7 p.m. the night of the election. Mail-in ballots must be received before the deadline. Unregistered individuals can go to http://vote.gov/register/colorado to register.
*Sydney asked to omit their last name for privacy.
**Molly asked to omit her last name for privacy.
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