US election Boarlletin: Students prepare for the most important vote of their lives

Since 1992, the US state of Connecticut (CT) has consistently voted for Democratic candidates in presidential elections.

The total population of the state in 2022 was 3.6 million, making it the 29th most populous state in the country – yet, as the third smallest, behind Rhode Island and Delaware, this makes it one of the most densely populated states across America. 

The University of Connecticut, the state’s flagship university, boasts a population of over 30,000 students who are mainly sources from intra-state towns and cities. Although Connecticut has become a decidedly blue state in recent history, students there are still keen to get out and vote. The nearest polling station to the university is in Mansfield, Connecticut, approximately 15 minutes away from the central campus. This gives students easy access to the ballot on 5 November. 

Commentators on both sides [have called] the ballot the most important election in US political history

As of 2022, those aged 20-34 make up the largest proportion of the US electorate, comprising 20% of the US population. Far from an orthodox semester, this is one wrapped up in the events of the 2024 presidential election. At the last election in 2020, a total of over 155 million people voted. This marked a record turnout of over 66% of Americans voting – the election’s major-party candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, received the highest and second highest ever number of votes cast for a presidential candidate. There are similar expectations this time round, with commentators on both sides calling the ballot the most important election in US political history. 

Last year, a total of 43% of voters identified as being independent. This makes it consistent as the largest single voting bloc in the United States, adding a significant amount of unpredictability to the contest given these voters could swing either way on polling day. 

With a general mood of uncertainty prevalent across the electorate, there is a level of election-related anxiety present in the state. A Senior majoring in journalism, Jay Allen, expressed his belief that: “The votes of young people will be extremely important in the upcoming election.” He qualified however that, despite the 2024 race being a “decisive election”, “students are not engaging with politics as much as I would have hoped”. He attributed this to what he felt was a tendency by college students to put focus behind “momentary trends” in politics, rather taking a broader view on the state of the country in four years’ time. 

An NPR poll taken in the final week of September suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris currently has a 31-point lead over former President Donald Trump among young voters

An NPR poll taken in the final week of September suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris currently has a 31-point lead over former President Donald Trump among young voters. Both Republicans and Democrats are trying to shift the momentum of their respective campaigns towards this demographic, as one of the most mobile and dynamic voting groups across the US. 

Harris has a definitive lead in CT, and this plays out in the majority of students’ own political viewpoints. Ben, a student from the University of Michigan, suggested: “I view Harris as a little smarter than I used to just because of the Tim Walz pick [for Vice Presidential candidate], especially compared to Trump picking JD Vance, who I really don’t like and have a lot of issues with.” As a swing state, the voice of voters in the 18-25 age bracket will have a decisive impact in Michigan. 

Although Connecticut is a more conclusively blue state, the voices of students will still matter greatly in the electoral outcome. In a race where one of the candidates is still contesting the outcome of the last presidential election in 2020, mass popular participation is of paramount importance to ensure the election’s legitimacy. 

[I am] more optimistic about the fate of the country’s political future […] we need to make a change

Kevin Baffour, University of Connecticut senior

Senior at the university, Kevin Baffour, thinks: “It is important to have first-time voters involved in the process.” Aged 20, and a first-time voter himself, he knows the important role that those within this demographic will play in the election’s result. He also affirmed that he is “more optimistic about the fate of the country’s political future”, adding that “we need to make a change.” He tacitly described himself as an undecided voter. This is the very group that both parties need to reach in order to win the election. 

Student organisations such as the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) are trying to encourage electoral participation among members of the UConn community as much as possible. An early voter registration drive has already been set up at the university bookstore, one of the major student hubs on campus. As well as this, in-line with other recent congressional elections, there will be transportation arrangements to polling stations arranged by the university. 

Speaking on behalf of his fellow students, Kevin predicted the final month of the election would have the highest level of engagement and interest among the student body. With both the presidential and vice-presidential debates concluded within the last month, a mood of anticipation is now beginning to grow. With less than 30 days left until election day, students across the UConn campus will now be thinking about how to cast their ballot.