This story was printed in collaboration with Headway, a brand new initiative at The New York Occasions. Chalkbeat and Headway have been posing questions in regards to the presidential election to educators and highschool college students since February. We now have heard from almost 1,000 college students and 200 academics throughout the nation.
When Chalkbeat teamed up with Headway at The New York Occasions to ask younger folks how they’re fascinated with the upcoming presidential election, we acquired a whole bunch of responses. First-time voters advised us in regards to the points that can be high of thoughts once they solid their ballots. What we heard was all around the map, actually — gun violence and housing affordability of their communities, statewide restrictions on abortion entry and what books they will learn at school, and, on the nationwide stage, immigration coverage and the way forward for democracy. Different respondents prioritized world points, together with local weather change and the continued wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Within the traditionally shut matchup between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump, the youth vote and the extent to which younger folks end up on Nov. 5 may assist decide the election’s consequence. When the Institute of Politics on the Harvard Kennedy College polled eligible voters ages 18 to 29, 56% stated they “undoubtedly” plan to solid their poll. 4 years in the past, in response to a Tufts College evaluation, 50% of People in that age bracket voted, the third-highest turnout because the voting age was lowered to 18, in 1971.
We needed to raised perceive the problems driving younger folks to the polls this yr. So we requested six first-time voters to inform us what points they’ll be fascinated with as they fill out their ballots. Right here’s what they advised us, edited for size and readability.
Will you be a first-time voter this yr? We need to hear from you at group@chalkbeat.org and DearHeadway@nytimes.com. Inform us the difficulty most influencing your poll.
The difficulty driving my vote: Gun violence
Anabelle Sanchez, 18, graduated from Jones School Prep in Chicago and now attends Michigan State College in East Lansing. She plans to review political idea, constitutional democracy, and economics and hopes to pursue a profession in politics, spurred on by her experiences rising up as a Latina. “As a minority, I typically felt I didn’t have management that regarded like me. That’s why I need to go into politics,” Annabelle stated. For now, although, she’s “ grateful to have the ability to vote.”
My junior yr of highschool, I went to a mall. I used to be wanting by means of the clothes racks, and impulsively, I noticed a retailer supervisor rapidly run to the entrance to close the doorways.
I had by no means skilled one thing like this, however I immediately knew what was occurring. As a result of I stay in America. Folks began yelling to only run to the again of the shop. There have been dozens of us packed in a again room, like sardines. It was essentially the most horrific half-hour of my life as a result of we knew somebody on the market had a gun.
Fortunately, nobody was harmed. A SWAT staff evacuated us, however simply the concept of dealing with loss of life was very scary. It hit me much more as a result of not lengthy earlier than, there was a [deadly] capturing at a mall in Allen, Texas.
Now, at Michigan State, I’ve two lessons within the constructing the place the campus capturing occurred final yr, and three college students misplaced their lives. In one in all my lessons, I’ve to stroll proper previous the world of the capturing.
Whether or not you reside in a neighborhood the place listening to gunshots is widespread or, fairly frankly, whether or not you permit your home and simply buy groceries or go to high school, we’re pressured to consider gun violence and the way the difficulty impacts us and others.
The difficulty driving my vote: The financial system
Owen Riesenberg, 18, is a current graduate of Woods Cross Excessive College close to Salt Lake Metropolis and an automotive technician at a Ford dealership. Owen plans to vote in subsequent month’s presidential election “despite the fact that there’s an virtually assured consequence right here,” since Utah has thrown its help behind the Republican candidate for president in each election for greater than 50 years. “I nonetheless need to make my voice heard,” he stated.
Should you watch Fox Information or Newsmax, they’ll discuss how Kamala goes to destroy the financial system. In left-wing media, they discuss how Trump is a monster going to destroy democracy. I believe most of what has America polarized is simply how fervently the media on either side of the aisle are preventing one another.
I like to stay to podcasts and extra long-form information. I normally have one earbud in and take heed to the radio as I’m engaged on my automobiles for the day. My routine, each morning, is to take heed to one thing like Joe Rogan’s podcast, after which, later within the day, to take heed to Ben Shapiro on The Day by day Wire.
The No. 1 problem for me is certainly the financial system. I pay a lot for fuel. I pay a lot for meals. I can’t transfer out of my mother and father’ home as a result of lease here’s a minimal of $1,500, usually.
I’d just like the tax on fuel closely lowered. I’d like laws for small companies simply beginning as much as be much less hefty. I believe that rates of interest ought to be introduced down.
I need the federal government to be as uninvolved in my life as doable. I don’t need any handouts. I don’t need checks for disasters. I don’t desire a widespread authorities well being care plan. I need to have the ability to work for myself and never be taxed a lot to pay for presidency applications that by some means profit me. I’d slightly simply preserve that cash and resolve the place it goes.
The difficulty driving my vote: Ebook bans
Emily Muñoz, 18, graduated from Harry S. Truman Excessive College within the Bronx and is a first-year scholar at Vanderbilt College in Nashville. She’s at all times cherished to learn and, rising up, loved books through which she felt represented and people through which she acquired to find out about completely different cultures, backgrounds, and gender identities. “I genuinely consider that studying is the way you uncover extra in regards to the world and your self,” she stated.
One thing that’s actually private for me as a Black lady is guide banning, the banning of African-American programs, and simply this erasure of Black historical past. AP African-American Research lessons have already been banned in Florida, and that’s deeply regarding.
I’ve it quite a bit simpler as a result of, in New York Metropolis, banned books are celebrated. I’m grateful that I’ve been in a position to develop up like this. However then, I labored as a teen studying ambassador on the New York Public Library. We held a Freedom to Learn contest, and as I used to be scoring the submissions, I heard from a number of college students in conservative states the place they will’t learn sure books of their lessons. A lot of the books have been about race or LGBTQ points. That’s when it actually grew to become clear to me.
One banned guide that involves thoughts is “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. It’s this story a couple of younger Black boy who will get assaulted by the police. It’s advised from the boy’s perspective and likewise from the angle of a white boy who [witnesses the beating]. Studying it, I used to be questioning: Why would somebody need to ban this guide? It’s a genuinely good guide.
Actually, academics don’t receives a commission sufficient to take care of all of this. I believe they need to have the chance to show freely and with out as a lot restriction.
The difficulty driving my vote: the Israel-Hamas Warfare
Samantha Sandhaus, 18, graduated from Central Excessive College in Philadelphia and attends Lehigh College, the place she is pursuing an built-in diploma in engineering, arts, and sciences. In highschool, she led a nonprofit referred to as Feeding Philly that fights meals insecurity, an expertise that “was essential in making malnutrition an important problem to me.”
In highschool, I acquired to assist with work addressing meals insecurity in Philadelphia. I’ve seen the impact of malnutrition, particularly on younger kids, and it made me need to do all I can to become involved civically and ensure we now have insurance policies that middle on social justice.
This previous yr, I’ve seen quite a bit on social media on world well being inequities, particularly round diet, and the photographs of kids in Gaza who’re hungry and hurting because of the Israel-Hamas struggle have actually affected me. That’s motivating me to analysis the presidential candidates’ stances on the problems and whether or not or not they’re placing forth concepts that might truly assist deliver the battle to an finish and supply for households within the horrors of struggle.
I do know this can be a very contentious problem for People to talk about, however I’ve been to a good quantity of various peaceable protests and marches, and a number of younger folks I hear communicate are saying that this is a matter that weighs closely on their minds and can have an effect on their votes.
In a swing state just like the one I’m in, I understand how a lot my vote issues. And I really feel like America’s position within the Center East goes to proceed to be essential. I actually need to hear the candidates discuss this as one thing they’ll prioritize, that they’ve a path towards ending this battle, saving lives, and aiding the humanitarian disaster that’s occurring proper now.
The difficulty driving my vote: Abortion entry
Torrance Johnson, 18, graduated from Clarenceville Excessive College in Livonia, Michigan, and is a first-year scholar at Wayne State College in Detroit. As a baby, he dreamed of rising as much as turn into president of america. As of late, he’s extra concerned about pursuing a profession in music manufacturing. He’s casting his first vote partially to affirm his perception in abortion rights. “I at all times inform folks: If that’s what you’re in opposition to, you don’t must do it,” Torrance stated. “The selection ought to be left as much as the individual it instantly impacts.”
When the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade, it acquired me pondering: If that is what our authorities is doing, do I need new folks in authorities or not?
I’m very pro-choice, but it surely’s not nearly pro-life, pro-choice, or about abortion, no abortion. It’s about having choices. I’m professional having choices. It has to do instantly with my incapacity and never at all times having choices.
I’ve been utilizing a wheelchair for 14 or 15 years. And all through my life, I’ve discovered struggles moving into some locations as a result of they solely have stairs. If it’s on the second ground, I can’t go. One time, my college had a area journey, and since I couldn’t take part within the actions they have been doing, they excluded me — slightly than saying, you may be a part of, however since you may’t do that, perhaps you are able to do that as an alternative.
The factor about America that individuals attempt to copy or mimic is the concept it’s the land of alternative. Do we wish extra alternatives or much less alternatives, extra choices or much less choices? All of it begins with Roe v. Wade.
Let the folks have their selections — it’s none of my enterprise.
Ever since I used to be a baby, I couldn’t wait to show 18 so I may vote. My American authorities professor not too long ago took a ballot, and in a category of about 50 folks, almost everybody stated they have been voting within the upcoming election. If that’s any signal of what 18-24-year-olds can be doing, it will likely be an excellent turnout. We now have to be the change we want to see, and we do this by voting.
The difficulty driving my vote: U.S. international coverage
Alexander Cisneros, 18, a Colorado native, graduated from Denver East Excessive College and attends the College of Colorado Boulder, the place he’s finding out historical past. His household would typically spend time visiting family overseas when he was rising up, and he credit that journey with widening his view of the world and his place in it. Alexander stated that individuals typically assume that youthful folks like him “solely care in regards to the points at dwelling that clearly affect our every day lives,” but it surely’s international coverage that “I’ll most take into account in November.”
I’ve household all around the world — in Greece, Mexico, and Canada. I grew up experiencing these completely different cultures, and once I was at dwelling quite a bit throughout COVID, I acquired actually into watching historical past documentaries.
That led me to like studying about World Warfare II and the Chilly Warfare. One of many massive issues with World Warfare II was that america wasn’t concerned in worldwide affairs as a lot because it ought to have been. If it had been extra concerned, then maybe we wouldn’t have had as devastating a battle throughout that point. So, I believe something to attempt to stop one other battle or finish conflicts extra rapidly whereas ensuring that autocratic international locations don’t proceed to increase is one thing fairly essential to me.
I need to see the U.S. keep part of the United Nations and NATO. I believe it’s actually essential that america continues to help Ukraine. If we have been to desert Ukraine, then that might ship a sign to the world that, sure, autocratic powers can increase, which might be significantly worrying in terms of China and Iran.
Caroline Bauman is the deputy managing editor for engagement at Chalkbeat. Attain her at cbauman@chalkbeat.org.
Gabrielle Birkner is Chalkbeat’s options editor and fellowship director. Attain her at gbirkner@chalkbeat.org.
