By Grace Farrell and Taylor Irwin
With Nov. 7 fast approaching, many Puget Sound students are passionate about exercising their right to vote in the upcoming election. University of Puget Sound students have voted at high rates in the past two elections, with 60.2% of eligible students voting in the 2016 election and a record-breaking 84.9% voting in 2020 according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement from Tufts University. The Trail spoke to students who were excited about continuing trends of high voter engagement.
U.S. Politics and Government Professor Dr. Robin Jacobson explains that the tendency of Puget Sound students to vote in high numbers aligns with a national phenomenon of educated citizens demonstrating higher levels of civic engagement. In addition, she explained that white, college-aged voters (a prominent campus demographic) are predominantly members of the Democratic party. While voting tendencies haven’t been quantified, many Puget Sound students express views that align with Democratic voting and policy concerns associated with the party.
“When we look at the debates, things like immigration and abortion are two of the most salient right now, at least, that candidates are talking about,” explains Jacobson. “World affairs in terms of war in the Middle East and war in Ukraine are playing secondary roles.” Students who spoke to The Trail expressed concern for those topics. When asked which key issues are motivating her to vote, Molly Clement (27’) says “Abortion is big up there, environmental policies, mostly human rights stuff.”
Clement outlines their strong opposition to Trump by citing “Project 2025, his stance on abortion, and just general truth-telling.” Many students cited major concerns about the moral character of Trump as a presidential candidate.
“Trump is just so idiotic and also is a felon and is linked to so much sex crime, and that’s just not who should represent America,” Clement says. “Harris also just seems to be more in her right mind and we share more common beliefs.” In the Sep 10 presidential debate, Harris said “You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I’ll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first,”.
Viewpoints like these align with national tendencies in which highly engaged voters trend less toward supporting Trump, according to Jacobson. In terms of electoral outcomes, though, Jacobson wonders if this may incorrectly skew poll results in favor of Harris.
This election has had surprising moments, from Biden withdrawing to several assassination attempts on Trump. Polls have forecasted varying outcomes for the two candidates. At the beginning of August, their approval ratings were almost split evenly, with Trump’s at 44.0% and Harris’s at 44.9%. As of October, Harris is ahead in the polls at 48.5%, while Trump stands at about 46.1%. This election’s seven swing states are Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The largest swing state, Pennsylvania, has 19 electoral votes and is classified as a toss-up as of last week. In every state, both campaigns agree that it’s paramount for voter engagement to stay high, especially among young voters.
Jacobson explains that some students don’t vote because they don’t expect their voice to matter in non-swing states. Jacobson refutes this. She stresses the importance of demonstrating any disparities between popular votes and electoral college turnout to clarify public opinion about the winning presidential candidate. “I think it’s important to get an accurate read of the popular vote so that the person who takes office has legitimacy. Or the question about the electoral college is pushed further,” she explained.
Alfie Bennett (‘26) says “I think that everyone should vote because everyone’s opinion matters.” As we inch closer to election day, it’s imperative to make sure the voices of our generation and future generations are heard. Molly Clement says, “It’s your right to voice your opinions, and your vote counts. It’s essentially our civic duty and if you care about what happens to our country you should have a say.”