With Election Day approaching on Nov. 5, The Scribe went out to get the scoop on how students feel about voting and what decisions they’re making on the big day.
The Scribe held a tabling event at the University Center on Oct. 14 to collect students’ opinions on voting and what matters to them this election. While opinions on who students are voting for varied, there was a general consensus on the policies students valued, the importance of voting in this election and a dissatisfaction with party divide in the country.
Students say they’re voting for Harris or Trump based on abortion and immigration
This election will be junior Adara Ceja-Albarran’s first time voting, and she’s voting for Kamala Harris because she thinks Trump is immoral. “My values align the most closely with hers, and I like that she’s trying to protect the rights of women. Specifically, abortion rights are something that’s very important to me,” she said.
Abortion was a topic that many students felt was pivotal in deciding who they vote for. According to a 2024 poll from Pew Research, 63% of U.S. adults say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The percentage increases for younger adults with 76% of people ages 18-29 supporting abortion.
But some students, like junior Isabelle Smith, said they didn’t support abortion, so they’re voting for Trump.
“I’m definitely pro-life. As far as being a Christian, my values definitely line up more with how he’s going to run the country way better,” she said.
Other students said they were prioritizing immigration, border security and foreign policy when deciding who to vote for.
Graduate student Cade Guidera doesn’t like Trump but said he will also be casting his vote for the former president. As a registered Republican of five years, Guidera said Trump is too pompous and not a good representation of the party. He doesn’t think either candidate could address border security and illegal immigration, but he said Trump won’t make them worse, unlike Harris.
“I’m honestly in favor of xenophobia a little bit. I think we have a lot of issues in our country, and worrying about other countries is to our detriment,” Guidera said. “We have problems to fix, and it’s good that we want to help the rest of the world, but I feel like if we don’t address our own issues, then there won’t be anything left to pick up in a few years.”
On the other side, sophomore Tre Garcia is voting for Kamala Harris because of her stance on immigration. Since he has immigrant parents, he thinks it would be hypocritical of him to not support the side that he said is more supportive of immigration.
Immigration is the fifth most important issue to American voters, according to a Gallup article written in October. Their polling showed that 72% of registered voters thought immigration was either extremely or very important. Four spots down, abortion was ranked the ninth most important issue with 66% of voters saying it was extremely or very important.
Students say party division needs to stop
A common idea that students could agree upon was a push for getting back to a sense of bipartisanship in the country. Many students said division within the country is tearing people apart, making it difficult to hold relationships with people on the other side and causing voter apathy.
“In the past, we’ve all been against each other, but especially now, we’re all just fighting about everything,” said freshman Theresa Barenberg. “I feel like the government is kind of trying to tear us apart in a way.”
Garcia and Guidera pointed to the two-party system contributing to the division.
“As an independent voter, it’s kind of hard to vote independent when, really, it’s just a two-party system. I would say, because of the two-party system, people are less tolerant of the other side,” Garcia said.
The system and political state have made Garcia feel like he has to constantly choose the “lesser evil” between the two parties.
But the division hasn’t been a problem for some students. Smith feels that you can still be friends with someone even if you have different political views. “I don’t care what someone’s political view is, but I know what mine is. I’m going to stay true to myself, but as long as you don’t push your ideas and ideologies on me, I respect the hell out of you,” Smith said.
Importance of voting to students
Despite the division making it harder to vote, most students said it’s important to vote, regardless of party preference.
Ceja-Albarran feels that the division between parties is all the more reason to vote in this election, adding that a lot of people’s rights are on the line this election.
In Colorado, voters will be able to vote to determine if abortion is a right through Amendment 79, which will be on the ballot. On top of codifying the right to an abortion in the Colorado constitution, it will also allow the use of public funds for an abortion if the amendment passes. The amendment needs a supermajority, or 55% of the vote, to pass, according to Ballotpedia.
One student did say he wasn’t voting in this election. As someone not interested in politics, junior De’Markion Ferguson said he doesn’t take politics seriously enough to do his research. “I just let everybody else vote that has an opinion on something like that. I just let them do it, and I just live with the results,” he said.
Students can vote at UCCS by dropping off ballots at a ballot box or by visiting the Voter Service Polling Center at Kettle Creek in Room 108. Online voter registration must be completed by Oct. 28 to receive a mail-in ballot if you are a Colorado resident.