In its inaugural undergraduate campus poll conducted three weeks ago — you can view the full results here — The Daily asked students how likely they are to vote and which presidential candidate they plan to vote for.
The answers: Very likely, and overwhelmingly for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Over 90% of students from the U.S. said they were “very likely” or “likely” to vote. Meanwhile, 91.7% of students with a voting preference said they would vote for Harris, compared to only 5.0% for former President Donald Trump.
But the poll, which consisted of only multiple choice questions, did not provide a full picture of students’ thoughts on the election.
To find out more, The Daily reached out to a group of students who indicated they would be willing to answer more questions but did not know in advance what topics they would be asked about. Twenty students provided written answers to The Daily’s questions about the election. Here are three takeaways.
1. Harris is widely preferred to Trump — but with varying degrees of enthusiasm
If you plan to vote in the November U.S. presidential election, who do you plan to vote for?
Cole Morgan (sophomore, McCormick): “I am voting for Kamala Harris because I agree with her policy goals and her ability to lead. I am also voting for her because I believe that Donald Trump is unfit to lead in numerous ways, including his age, his character, his policy goals, his harmful language and his criminal liability.”
Efren Ponce (senior, Communication): “Kamala, because she’s the only choice. I can’t say I fully support her as a candidate, nor that she’s a lesser of two evils, but she is the best we’ve got right now.”
How would you feel if Vice President Kamala Harris was elected the next U.S. President?
Amber Lueth (junior, Weinberg): “I would feel pretty happy. The president doesn’t need to do an amazing job, they just need to not be 80 and not be a felon who tried to overthrow democracy.”
Jonah Rosenberg (sophomore, Weinberg): “I would be satisfied. I do not think there has ever been a candidate that more represents my views than her. While perhaps not quite as progressive as myself, I do believe Kamala would do a great job in the White House.”
Holly Simon (freshman, Weinberg): “I would feel relieved that it wasn’t Trump, happy and proud that the American people elected a woman of color, worried that she might not stick to the ideals she campaigned on and hopeful that she could bring in a new and more effective era of Democratic Party policy.”
How would you feel if former President Donald Trump was elected the next U.S. President?
Clark Mahoney (junior, Weinberg): “I think Trump would promote a bad image of the U.S. abroad. But I believe that we would still be fine.”
Cooper Stringer (junior, Weinberg): “The damage he would do, legally and culturally, to the political landscape of America might leave a legacy as damning as the Reagan decade.”
2. Abortion, climate, LGBTQ+ rights and the economy are key issues among students
What issues are most important to you?
Zakariah Massoud (sophomore, Communication): “Reproductive health and bodily autonomy, access to education, LGBTQ rights and a free Palestine. Kamala is the only option for all of those save the last one.”
Claudia Johnson (sophomore, Medill): “Climate change has been the most important issue to me for years now, though I feel it has fallen by the wayside this election cycle in favor of abortion rights and immigration.”
Chloe Campbell (junior, Weinberg): “Abortion is incredibly important — it should be fully legal. Banning assault rifles is also important to me.”
Gabrielle Rice (freshman, Weinberg): “The most important issues to me are the economy, health care and immigration. I support policies that benefit working-class citizens, and I believe that Kamala Harris has better policies on these issues for the American people.”
3. Students don’t take the right to vote for granted
Do you plan to vote in the November election?
Clark Mahoney (junior, Weinberg): “I have already voted in this election. I feel that it is my civic duty, some down-ballot races are close in my county, and I would like to hopefully elect our first female president.”
Cooper Stringer (junior, Weinberg): “I do plan to vote. I heard once that your rights are like muscles — you have to exercise them to keep them.”
Amber Lueth (junior, Weinberg): “Yes. Even if my vote makes absolutely no difference, it’s still my civic duty. To not vote is to let down all the people before me who fought and died for the right.”
Clara Shapiro (sophomore, Communication): “I am voting absentee in my home state because I think it’s a small task that can make a big impact. My state is definitely going to go blue for the presidential election, but we have an important Senate race and some other down-ballot things I’m excited to vote for.”
Some responses were lightly edited or condensed for length, grammar, spelling, style or clarity.
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Related Stories:
— NU Votes registers hundreds of students to vote ahead of fall election
— The Daily Explains: A guide to voting in the 2024 presidential election for NU students
