Millennials, unimpressed by the major presidential candidates, can make a difference this election, but it is unclear how many will plug their votes into the polls.
Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump are the two most major candidates in this election. Both candidates are surrounded by controversy and speculation while their parties’ political preferences differ greatly. This has caused a divide between voters. Research shows that young voters are basing much of their choices on issues of character.
Lucas Deisangro, communications major, expressed his “extreme disappointment” towards this election. “It’s a joke, because both candidates are extremely flawed,” he said. He disliked the heaping insults in the debates because it made it feel more like a “school yard fight” than an election.
Communications major James Ptirth expressed similar views. He agreed that the election feels like a “school yard fight.” “Both parties don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said. This seems to be common theme in the voter attitude this year.
Pew Research Center ran a poll in May that said supporters of Trump and Clinton will feel little relief if their preferred candidate wins. 57 percent of voters said they were optimistic, 55 percent disgusted, 31 percent interested, 15 percent optimistic, and just 10 percent excited.
Bill Pezza, a political science teacher at Bucks, was concerned for young voters in this election. He said that it is the most tumultuous election in his lifetime. “One goal as teachers of government is to convince students that they should have a sense of political efficacy, belief that their participation in the political process matters, that regardless of political persuasion they should be active participants and voters. And I hope that what they’re experiencing right now doesn’t discourage them from voting,” Pezza said.
Another Pew Research Center poll from May stated that millennials, who “have already surpassed Baby Boomers as the United States’ largest living generation, now have caught up to the Boomers when it comes to their share of the American electorate.” The millennial generation is generally defined as people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, or adults up to age 35. In this poll, they questioned if the millennials will vote?
The lingering question is not only will millennials vote, but who will they chose? Will they think that their choice is right for our country, or, will many young voters continue to believe that neither candidate will be the better in the long run?
Will this election be the major disappointment that many voters are already believing it to be? There is no question that this year’s election is drastically different than those of the past. However, exercising your right to vote can ensure that you did your part in choosing who we elect.