The 2024 presidential election is going to see a large batch of new voters from all over the country, as many more Generation-Z voters cast their ballots for the first time. As these voters prepare to make a difference in the outcome, many have differing priorities that shape how they approach the election and the candidates that they support.
As election season draws to a close, here are key issues several randomly selected UB students across campus told The Spectrum influenced their votes:
Reproductive rights
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have made their stances on abortion clear, and the issue has proved to be a big motivating factor for many UB students. Freshman criminology major Aniya Woody said, “I feel like my rights are going to be taken from me if one particular candidate wins as a woman and being black.”
“Right now I’m very concerned about reproductive rights. It’s very clear where the two major parties stand on the issue and that’s why I voted democrat,” Angelica Faustino Restrepo, junior pre-law major said.
Sophomore international trade major Phoebe Amirault said, “Personally for me LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights are extremely important while choosing who to vote for… Roe v. Wade being overturned two years ago marked a turning in our legislation and country. Women should not fear legislation harming them. That’s why I voted democrat.”
“I’m voting for women’s rights and for the future of America. Women’s reproductive rights are being infringed upon and are at risk due to one candidate,” junior exercise science major Rion Dugan said.
Maddie Roth, freshman geological sciences major, said, “I’m a queer, non-binary person, with a uterus, so my main drive for voting this year is to help ensure my rights, and the rights of other women and queer people, are protected. The right to choose, the right to access certain healthcare, and my right to exist equally alongside everyone else.”
Foreign policy and immigration
Looking outside of the U.S., the new president will have to deal with issues from all over the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East. Sophomore biomedical engineering major Edie Krefiels, like many other UB students, cited foreign policy as another important reason why they voted the way they did.
Freshman computer science major Vir Gupta said, it’s mainly about the “major ongoing wars” and ending them. “With China threatening the Philippines and Taiwan, as well as Iran constantly threatening Israel, I believe that we need a leader with a tough foreign policy, but one that doesn’t actually involve American troops on the ground,” Gupta said.
Faustino Restrepo added that alongside reproductive rights, immigration was also a big concern for her. “The immigration system in this country is failing people that need help and are seeking asylum,” she said.
“In 2024, it is undeniable that we live in a globally interdependent world, which necessitates a leader with enough diplomatic skill to navigate delicate foreign relationships,” Keilai Angeldekao, senior philosophy, politics and economics major said. He said it’s “time for someone who can guide us in action towards progress.”
The economy
The economy was another big issue for UB students. Despite many Americans being unhappy with the current state of the economy, experts contrastingly say that the economy is doing good. Even so, Americans are unhappy with the prices of groceries, to the point of it affecting how they plan to vote in the election.
“It’s mainly who can bring the cost of living down and prices, houses, loans, etc.,” Gupta said. According to a CBS News article earlier this year, statistics show that more and more Americans are struggling to pay their bills and housing is approaching unaffordable levels.
Both candidates have proposed economic plans to address the many issues Americans are facing; centering taxes, housing and the middle class.
“I don't come from a very rich family, and I feel that the candidate I'm voting for is more towards helping the middle class and helping actual working families,” Dugan said.
Distrust of the other candidate
Other UB students said that they chose one candidate because of a disliking for the other candidate. Dugan said that this election is very important to American history, because a result could mean “not having a democracy anymore.”
“It’s like there are two evils, but I’m picking the lesser evil,” Giovanni Caruso, sophomore environmental science major, said. “I’m choosing what I think is better for my country, for myself, for my family and for my community in general.”
“I am a United States citizen so it is important that I vote because it is going to affect me. I don't want to deal with the consequences if the opposite party to my candidate wins,” Sophia Phu, freshman pharmacy student said.
Other motivating factors for students
Some students voted for the candidate that aligned with their own personal values. “I think religion played a big factor in voting, in terms of the tenants that I believe in. Social work and welfare programs on local elections was more of my priority, and in higher elections, abortion was more of my priority,” Maximus Wunderlich, sophomore aerospace and mechanical engineering major, said.
Freshman linguistics major Adrian Mohr said, “My main reason for pushing for voting in this election is how essentially it is protecting our rights as people. There’s too many human rights issues that are up for debate and some of those debates affect me and my rights.” Mohr said that it is a “scary election for so many.”
One student comes from a swing state and says that the impact of the national and local elections pushes them to vote. “I'm a voter from Pennsylvania, which means our races are of interest,” sophomore public health major Lily Proulx-Scandone said. “Having worked two elections before starting college, ensuring people can vote and have free and fair elections is really important to me.”
Ricardo Castillo is the editor-in-chief and can be reached at ricardo.castillo@ubspectrum.com
The features desk can be reached at features@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
