The Second Most Important Decision Day for CCNY Students: The Election

With the election on the horizon, students at The City College of New York (CCNY) contemplated who, if anyone, they will mark on their 2024 ballot. Early voting has begun in many areas, with Vice President Kamala Harris maintaining a 14-point lead in New York City, according to ABC News. Many students are less than a month from experiencing their first election day and have an important choice to make.

Surveys released by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at the Harvard Kennedy School showed that among 18-to-29-year-olds nationwide, Harris holds a 31-point lead over former President Donald Trump. Tara Sanchez, a 20-year-old junior studying secondary social studies education at CCNY, belongs to the Pro-Kamala majority. “I’m 100% voting for her, “Sanchez said. She explained why,  “[for the] protection of our democracy and constitutional rights of marginalized groups of people,” she said.

Other students expressed a lack of trust in both candidates. “If I am, I’m gonna [go for] Kamala,” said Natalya, a junior studying psychology and art, who declined to give her surname. “Even though I am a little skeptical I feel like she’s our best option because if Trump gets elected, we’re gonna have a lot of laws that [I] do not want in place.”

Others felt the same uncertainty surrounding the candidates. “I haven’t fully decided,” said Eric Welwin, a sophomore biometric science major. “I’m going to try to be as politically versed as I can in what both of them are for.

Some students have decided against voting entirely. Nemanja Prokic, a sophomore theater major, expressed clear discontent about the views of both candidates about the war in Gaza. “I don’t like either of the candidates,” said Prokic, 19. “I don’t want to ever put my name down for somebody who I know might dig [somebody else’s] grave.”

Others cite a different reason for avoiding the polls: apathy. “I’m staying out of this one,” said Ben, a sophomore studying biochemistry who gave only his first name. “I just don’t want to vote.”