The COVID-19 election is unlike any other. Millions of voters have cast their ballots early, many doing so by mail and exacerbating Americans’ election stress about votes being counted on time. On top of navigating the logistics of requesting a mail-in ballot, potential mail delays and voter fraud are top of mind for many voters. Students are also concerned that there won’t be a peaceful transition of power if the incumbent loses the election.

A recent Chegg.org/College Pulse #MyElection survey shows that college students have the same concerns. Almost 8 in 10 (76%) students are concerned about civil unrest after the election, and 59% are worried about the transition of power should President Trump lose. Almost half (45%) are concerned about voter fraud, but this concern is more common among students who identify as Republican than those who identify as Democrat (77% vs 33%).

Students participating in the Chegg.org/College Pulse #MyElection series have also voiced their concerns regarding the upcoming election. Kareen is worried about voter suppression and the lack of official drop-off boxes in Harris County, Texas, a county with a population of over 4 million. Similarly, Sydney believes the system of checks and balances have disappeared and we can’t afford another four years of President Trump. 

“Our government was developed with checks and balances in place to deter one person from having too much control.” says Sydney, a liberal PhD student at University of Boulder. “In the past four years these checks and balances have disappeared. Donald Trump has been able to move our country backward and away from the progress that so many in my generation want to see.” 

On the other hand, Tyler is concerned about what he believes is disproportionate media coverage that often leans left, as well as voter fraud that may be caused by an increase in mail-in voting.

“We have voter fraud,” says Tyler, a conservative Doctor of Pharmacy student at Binghamton University, “we saw it in 2016 [when] we had people deceased voting. We had ballots not making it to where they were going if they were being mailed. We had people voting twice. We had people selling their ballots if they were mail in. And we are seeing it again — it’s just not being reported.”

Regardless of their political affiliations, students’ concerns are real, and they understand that the best way to address those concerns is to vote.