The presidential election is in full swing, and it has been a fiery fight to the finish line. With two final nominees, the country will be heading to the voting booths in November to select the next Chief Executive for the following four to eight years.
The Outlook editors weigh in on the madness and discuss the importance of voting in this election.
Overwhelmingly, the Outlook editors are not enthused by either of the candidates in this historical race, and some are even afraid. One editor said, “This election has been pretty scary. Different media outlets are portraying both candidates awfully.”
Another said, “It is frightening how the country is so torn between these two candidates because of how bad we think they are.”
According to an article by Catharine Rampell in the Washington Post, voter turnout of young adults has been low for decades, and the Outlook editors discussed why that might be. “I think that 18-24 year olds vote least in elections because they are the most uninformed group. There are some that do not vote because they don’t know what to make of the candidates and some that are simply just not registered,” said an editor.
A majority of the editors have been registered since they were legal. “I registered when I turned 18 in Oct. 2012 so that I could vote in the 2012 election. I am very excited and look forward to voting this November in what is sure to be one of the most historic elections in history,” said an editor.
Some of the editors encourage their friends to stay up to date in politics, and be prepared to vote in November. One said, “I personally encourage all my friends to vote when they mention that they aren’t voting, and try to help them learn about the candidates, the parties, and the issues at play.”
Yet, others feel less inclined towards educating others on politics. One editor said, “Personally, I like to stay out of politics, so I won’t really encourage others to vote. If they ask me I would say to vote, but otherwise I like to keep my nose out of it.”
There are a number of issues that editor’s hope will be at the forefront of the next presidential agenda. One editor said, “I would like to see a number of things change but most importantly I think something needs to be done about the amount of violence and shootings in America. We need stricter gun laws.”
Another editor said, “I think progress needs to be continued to be made in social rights and equality, and I also think continued improvements need to be made in terms of public healthcare, an improved economy, and better foreign relations. I also think we need to continue to act against ISIS and other terrorist threats, and streamline an immigration process so that legal immigration is a more realistic goal for most, which will hopefully help with both the Syrian refugee crisis and the issue of illegal immigrants.”
Although the election might seem disheartening, the Outlook editors encourage all students to exercise their voting rights. One editor said, “We cannot deny the importance of voting. All over the world, entire countries are deprived of the right to vote, and women in this country didn’t always have the right to vote either. It’s a privilege to live in a country and society where people are allowed to vote freely, and I think that’s something that everyone who is eligible to vote should take advantage of.”
If you need to register to vote, the Outlook would like to remind the University community that the registration deadline for the state of NJ is Oct. 18. A registration form can be found at https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.
