This story was revealed 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 excited about the upcoming presidential election, we acquired a whole bunch of responses. First-time voters advised us in regards to the points that will likely be prime of thoughts once they solid their ballots. What we heard was everywhere in the map, actually — gun violence and housing affordability of their communities, statewide restrictions on abortion entry and what books they will learn in class, and, on the nationwide degree, 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 might assist decide the election’s final result. When the Institute of Politics on the Harvard Kennedy Faculty polled eligible voters ages 18 to 29, 56% mentioned they “positively” plan to solid their poll. 4 years in the past, based on a Tufts College evaluation, 50% of People in that age bracket voted, the third-highest turnout for the reason that voting age was lowered to 18, in 1971.
We needed to raised perceive the problems driving younger folks to the polls this 12 months. So we requested six first-time voters to inform us what points they’ll be excited about 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 12 months? We need to hear from you at neighborhood@chalkbeat.org and DearHeadway@nytimes.com. Inform us the problem most influencing your poll.
The problem driving my vote: Gun violence
Anabelle Sanchez, 18, graduated from Jones Faculty Prep in Chicago and now attends Michigan State College in East Lansing. She plans to check political concept, 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 seemed like me. That’s why I need to go into politics,” Annabelle mentioned. For now, although, she’s “ grateful to have the ability to vote.”
My junior 12 months of highschool, I went to a mall. I used to be trying by way of the clothes racks, and rapidly, 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 taking place. As a result of I stay in America. Individuals 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 probably 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 workforce evacuated us, however simply the concept of dealing with dying was very horrifying. 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 courses within the constructing the place the campus capturing occurred final 12 months, and three college students misplaced their lives. In certainly one of my courses, 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 allow your own home and simply buy groceries or go to high school, we’re compelled to consider gun violence and the way the problem impacts us and others.
The problem driving my vote: The financial system
Owen Riesenberg, 18, is a current graduate of Woods Cross Excessive Faculty 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 nearly assured final result 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 mentioned.
For those who 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 each side of the aisle are combating one another.
I like to stay to podcasts and extra long-form information. I normally have one earbud in and hearken to the radio as I’m engaged on my automobiles for the day. My routine, each morning, is to hearken to one thing like Joe Rogan’s podcast, after which, later within the day, to hearken to Ben Shapiro on The Each day Wire.
The No. 1 difficulty for me is unquestionably 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 diminished. I’d like rules for small companies simply beginning as much as be much less hefty. I believe that rates of interest needs to be introduced down.
I need the federal government to be as uninvolved in my life as potential. 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 in some way profit me. I’d reasonably simply preserve that cash and resolve the place it goes.
The problem driving my vote: E-book bans
Emily Muñoz, 18, graduated from Harry S. Truman Excessive Faculty within the Bronx and is a first-year scholar at Vanderbilt College in Nashville. She’s all the time cherished to learn and, rising up, loved books wherein she felt represented and people wherein she received 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 mentioned.
One thing that’s actually private for me as a Black girl is e-book banning, the banning of African-American programs, and simply this erasure of Black historical past. AP African-American Research courses have already been banned in Florida, and that’s deeply regarding.
I’ve it so much 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 loads of college students in conservative states the place they will’t learn sure books of their courses. 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 e-book 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 attitude of a white boy who [witnesses the beating]. Studying it, I used to be questioning: Why would somebody need to ban this e-book? It’s a genuinely good e-book.
Actually, academics don’t receives a commission sufficient to cope with all of this. I believe they need to have the chance to show freely and with out as a lot restriction.
The problem driving my vote: the Israel-Hamas Struggle
Samantha Sandhaus, 18, graduated from Central Excessive Faculty 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 necessary in making malnutrition an important difficulty to me.”
In highschool, I received to assist with work addressing meals insecurity in Philadelphia. I’ve seen the impact of malnutrition, particularly on younger youngsters, and it made me need to do all I can to get entangled civically and ensure we have now insurance policies that heart on social justice.
This previous 12 months, I’ve seen so much on social media on world well being inequities, particularly round vitamin, and the photographs of kids in Gaza who’re hungry and hurting as a result of Israel-Hamas battle 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 would truly assist carry the battle to an finish and supply for households within the horrors of battle.
I do know this can be a very contentious difficulty for People to talk about, however I’ve been to a good quantity of various peaceable protests and marches, and loads of younger folks I hear converse 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 may prioritize, that they’ve a path towards ending this battle, saving lives, and aiding the humanitarian disaster that’s taking place proper now.
The problem driving my vote: Abortion entry
Torrance Johnson, 18, graduated from Clarenceville Excessive Faculty 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 change into president of the US. Today, he’s extra interested by pursuing a profession in music manufacturing. He’s casting his first vote partially to affirm his perception in abortion rights. “I all the time inform folks: If that’s what you’re towards, you don’t need to do it,” Torrance mentioned. “The selection needs to be left as much as the individual it immediately impacts.”
When the Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade, it received me considering: If that is what our authorities is doing, do I need new folks in authorities or not?
I’m very pro-choice, nevertheless it’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 immediately with my incapacity and never all the time having choices.
I’ve been utilizing a wheelchair for 14 or 15 years. And all through my life, I’ve discovered struggles stepping into some locations as a result of they solely have stairs. If it’s on the second flooring, I can’t go. One time, my faculty had a area journey, and since I couldn’t take part within the actions they have been doing, they excluded me — reasonably than saying, you possibly can be part of, however since you possibly can’t do that, perhaps you are able to do that as an alternative.
The factor about America that folks attempt to copy or mimic is the concept it’s the land of alternative. Do we would like 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 might vote. My American authorities professor not too long ago took a ballot, and in a category of about 50 folks, almost everybody mentioned they have been voting within the upcoming election. If that’s any signal of what 18-24-year-olds will likely be doing, it is going to be a very good turnout. We now have to be the change we want to see, and we do this by voting.
The problem driving my vote: U.S. international coverage
Alexander Cisneros, 18, a Colorado native, graduated from Denver East Excessive Faculty 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 mentioned that folks typically assume that youthful folks like him “solely care in regards to the points at house that clearly influence our every day lives,” nevertheless it’s international coverage that “I’ll most bear in mind in November.”
I’ve household everywhere in the world — in Greece, Mexico, and Canada. I grew up experiencing these completely different cultures, and once I was at house so much throughout COVID, I received actually into watching historical past documentaries.
That led me to like studying about World Struggle II and the Chilly Struggle. One of many huge issues with World Struggle II was that the US 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 forestall one other battle or finish conflicts extra rapidly whereas ensuring that autocratic nations don’t proceed to develop is one thing fairly necessary to me.
I need to see the U.S. keep part of the United Nations and NATO. I believe it’s actually necessary that the US continues to help Ukraine. If we have been to desert Ukraine, then that may ship a sign to the world that, sure, autocratic powers can develop, which might be notably worrying relating to 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.