(Photo courtesy of NBC News)
Students at St Ambrose university began early voting this week, some for the very first time. National polls show a virtual dead heat. Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, are campaigning non-stop in the days leading up to the election.
Many say the country is divided, and this election may play a crucial role in uniting the electorate. The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets say supporters of each candidate are tending to fall along gender lines. While many young men say they are voting for Trump, young women say they want to support Harris, who may be the country’s first female president. The Buzz student newspaper asked St. Ambrose students about their choices, and we discovered most responses followed national trends. Males we interviewed at St Ambrose say they heavily lean towards voting for Trump, whereas SAU females tend to lean towards Harris.
St. Ambrose marketing senior Jaxson Mcguire states, “I’ll be voting for Trump, and I’d highly suggest others to do the same if they want things to get better.”
Several other males interviewed were also very passionate about their answers. “Trump train baby…he’s getting the whole family’s vote!” said senior marketing major John K (who asked to keep his last name anonymous).
Biology major Mike L said, “Trump… because I feel things were more safe under his administration vs. the one we have now.”
Others interviewed said they were unsure or just not voting in general. “I’m not voting at all because look at our two candidates: one is worse than the other, “ states senior Kaden King.
On the other hand, we also interviewed several women who favored Harris. A large number asked to remain anonymous and said they’re voting for Kamala Harris, and were very strong in their stance.
One student said that “life won’t be the same if Trump gets back in office.” Junior biology major Annika Baus says, “ It’s very exciting for me since it’s my first time voting… of course I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris.”
We asked SAU females why they support Harris, and most replied with a strong statement against Trump’s abortion stance. Senior social work major Kaitlyn S. says, “He doesn’t give two ‘you-know-what’s’ about anyone other than himself, much less women…Kamala Harris will inspire millions of women across the United States to pursue their dreams.”
Another anonymous SAU female mentioned, “Trump doesn’t care what happens to me, or any other girl on this campus, I’ll never allow a man to tell me what I can and can’t do with my own body.”
Not all were as passionate as others. Said one female, “I could care less…Kamela as of right now… if I even vote.”
However, we did talk to one female student who said she would vote for Trump. Junior business major, Nataile J,. says, “I truly believe he cares about our country.” Overall we found that more females than males refused to be interviewed or said they would not be voting at all.
With males all across our nation leaning towards Trump and females leaning towards Harris, the race is expected to be closer than ever.
Jeffrey Speer is a staff writer for the Buzz.
