The 2020 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most important elections of our time. College students represent one of the largest voting blocks this year, making up an estimated 1 in 10 voters. While they are not all registered to vote, college students represent nearly 20 million people in the United States, a voting bloc roughly the size of the Silent Generation (20.9 million).
However, students face significant barriers when it comes to exercising their right to vote. Whether it’s because they register at lower rates than the general population, miss critical voting deadlines, or lack information they need to cast their ballots, studies show that youth turnout is lower than the general population. Black young people in particular report receiving less information about how to vote by mail than their peers. “At least two in five young Black people have never seen information about how to vote by mail or absentee, and the same percentage said they would not know where to get that information if their state’s election were to shift to all-mail in November,” according to a report on 18-29 year olds from The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
Despite significant challenges when it comes to voting in general — let alone during a pandemic — research shows college students overwhelmingly intend to vote this year. A September survey of 4,000 college students conducted by College Pulse and the Knight Foundation revealed that 71% were absolutely certain they would vote this November. But many had concerns about the election, including concerns about fairness and potential foreign intervention.
The Chegg.org/College Pulse My Election College Student Voting Project follows the diverse voices of college students in the week leading up to Election Day, as well as their reactions to the election results. We will follow these students through the process of casting their ballots while getting their predictions about who will win and hearing about their experiences participating in, what is for many, their very first election.
The My Election Project lets students use their own unique voices to explain their experiences, observations, and engagement with politics in their communities. However, it is important to note that not all students feel comfortable expressing their viewpoint openly and honestly. For this reason, we offered students the option to participate anonymously if they worried about how their beliefs would be received on campus or by future employers. One student opted to participate this way.
Now, let’s meet the students.
Daniel V.
School: University of Texas at Dallas
Year: Senior
Political leaning: Very liberal
Who he’s voting for: Biden
I was born in the border town of Laredo, Texas, then my family moved up to Plano when I was 8 in order to access better resources for my autistic twin brother. I am a Visual & Performing Arts major at the University of Texas at Dallas, set to graduate in May 2021.
My identity as a gay Mexican-American man has informed my political leanings and focus on LGBTQ+ rights and anti-racist action. That’s why I’m voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, as well as a straight-Democrat ticket on all regional and local elections I am able to vote in. While I am not thrilled with Biden as our final candidate, at this stage he is the only chance we have of even remotely deterring the slide into demagoguery and fascism that has defined the past four years of U.S. policy. Texas has been a notoriously red state for the past couple of decades, but refusing to vote due to this pattern would be waving a white flag to those who don’t have our best interests at heart.
“Students like us have fought and even died for the right to vote, so it’s important to me that everyone with the ability to vote can and will do so.”
Chase
School: Arizona State University
Year: Senior
Political leaning: Very conservative
Who he’s voting for: Trump
I am a senior at Arizona State University studying Biomedical Sciences and Accounting. My family has lived in Arizona for generations, and I spent most of my life in Prescott, Arizona before going to ASU in Tempe.
I am voting for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. I supported Donald Trump in his 2016 campaign for president and believed in his ideas for where he wanted to take the country. The economy was and still is a major part of why Donald Trump will be getting my vote in this election. Before Covid-19 struck the United States economy, unemployment was at the lowest percentage in over 50 years. Workers’ earnings increased 3.4% each year for his first three years in office, with minorities being the main beneficiaries of all the income groups. Single-parent females had a 7.6% increase in income in 2018. African Americans specifically had the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded, and it’s held that same rate. Despite what I hear as common knowledge about the rich being the only group to gain from Trump’s economy, the numbers actually show that the middle class is growing — that is, those who fall under the income of $50,000 to $150,000 and above $200,000 have increased over 1%, as those who make less than $50,000 have decreased, even with millions of citizens under Trump’s administration moving off of several government aid programs. There are other factors that play into why I am choosing to vote for Donald Trump, but these reasons play a major part in my decision.
“The economy was and still is a major part of why Donald Trump will be getting my vote in this election.”
Kareen
School: Texas A&M University
Year: Senior
Political leaning: Somewhat liberal
Who she’s voting for: Biden
As a current student at Texas A&M University with a major in University Studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and minors in Spanish and Public Health, one could assume that politically charged topics are not typically the focal point within my day-to-day conversations or all-around thoughts. This would be a fair and only slightly accurate remark. Although discussions among my family and friends do not primarily revolve around the political turmoil plaguing our country, it would be untrue to rule them out as completely nonexistent. Furthermore, I do think about political issues often and I have very strong beliefs despite my lack of outward expression of them.
These beliefs are majorly shaped by my Mexican-American heritage and the community I grew up in. I was born and raised in Brownsville, TX — a historically Democratic city along the border — so I imagine that it should come as no surprise that my vote for the upcoming election is going to Joe Biden. Admittedly, however, my vote for Joe Biden is more so a vote against Donald Trump than a true and honest vote for Joe Biden.
“The divisiveness this country has had to endure in the last four years can be overturned with the right candidates in office.”
Tyler
School: Binghamton University
Year: Doctor of Pharmacy student
Political leaning: Very conservative
Who he’s voting for: Trump
I am from Upstate New York. I spent four years at Utica College earning a B.S. in Biochemistry. After finishing that, I started working on my Doctorate of Pharmacy at Binghamton University. I am currently in my second year at Binghamton University as a pharmacy student. This year I will be voting for mostly a Republican ticket, namely Donald Trump at the top. I feel that this is the most important and meaningful way to vote for the 2020 election cycle because of the divide that has been created in our country. Donald J. Trump continuously fights for the rights of every American, especially those who are minorities. The news is controlled by Democratic bias that advocates for closing the divide, yet by their faulty and mercilessly bad news reporting, [they] have widened the gap and continuously misinform its viewers. Trump 2020: for the Constitution, for our freedoms, and for equal opportunity.
“I feel that this is the most important and meaningful way to vote for the 2020 election cycle because of the divide that has been created in our country.”
Daniel A.
School: American University
Year: Senior
Political leaning: Moderate
Who he’s voting for: Biden
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where I lived until I was about 9 years old. I then moved to the United States, where I became a naturalized citizen at 15. I am currently a senior at American University in Washington D.C., where I am completing a dual degree in Economics and Political Science, with a minor in Communications.
My permanent residence is in Florida (where I am registered to vote), but I live part of the year in D.C. for school. This election, it has been particularly difficult to choose who to vote for. As someone who ideologically considers themselves a classical liberal and is rather fiscally conservative, I have found myself more closely aligned with the Republican Party. However, I feel like under Trump, the Republican Party has aligned itself less and less with the values that attracted me, and I do not feel comfortable supporting Trump’s populism and demagoguery. As a result, I feel compelled to vote for Joe Biden.
“I feel like under Trump, the Republican Party will just continue to stray from its path as the small government, pro-free-market party.”
Kathryn
School: Arizona State University
Year: Senior
Political leaning: Somewhat liberal
Who she’s voting for: Biden
I was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho. For those who are unfamiliar, this is where stuntman Evel Knievel tried (and failed) to jump his bike across the Snake River Canyon. I am now a senior with Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, where I study Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership under the flagship school by the same name. I am passionate about public policy and foreign affairs, and aspire to a career as a policy analyst or diplomat. This will be the first presidential election for which I am eligible to vote, and I am casting my vote for Joe Biden. Biden was not my first choice as the Democratic candidate, but I have faith in his integrity as a statesman and am excited about his policies and solutions for the issues that matter most to me.
“I became politically conscious around the time Donald Trump was elected, and my entire ‘adult’ life, I have lived in the political climate defined by his presidency.”
Sydney
School: University of Colorado, Boulder
Year: Ph.D student
Political leaning: Very liberal
Who she’s voting for: Biden
I was originally born and raised in northern New Jersey. I graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in Meteorology and Applied Mathematics in May 2020. I have been participating in climate change research for the past four years and am continuing this research in my graduate studies. I am now a full-time Ph.D. student and research assistant studying Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
I am voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for many issues that I feel strongly about, but especially for this ticket’s consideration and commitment to act on the issue of climate change. The incumbent administration’s efforts to undercut and overlook the scientific community in many STEM fields is disappointing, frustrating, and dangerous. The Biden-Harris ticket has proposed a climate plan that acknowledges and addresses vulnerable communities that need urgent attention for the growing risk of life and property loss at the hands of climate crisis, including sea-level rise, strengthening hurricanes, and rampant wildfires. Biden and Harris understand that the U.S. should be an example and a leader on the world stage for impactful transitions to renewable energy, respecting our planet and the people who inhabit it, and investing now for an unavoidable problem that will in time affect everyone.
“This election is important to me because I feel the United States is tumbling down a slippery slope.”
Anonymous
School: University of Michigan
Year: Junior
Political leaning: Very conservative
Who they’re voting for: Trump
I’m a junior studying Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I have decided to stay anonymous for this project, so I can’t give too many details about myself, but I will mention a little about my upbringing. I grew up in a rural area, but near a larger city. This means I was exposed to a diverse community of friends from both the more educated and well-off community and the more traditional rural community, and I think this has given me an important perspective.
I think this election and this political climate are unique. The country is in a state of division, and people on both sides are eager to point fingers at who is to blame. In my opinion, it is important to see this election not just as a decision of who will lead the country for the next four years, but also as a decision about the cultural direction of American life for many years to come. This is why I think it is abundantly important to vote in this election.
“The country is in a state of division, and people on both sides are eager to point fingers.”
