Election day is right around the corner: are voters prepared?

By Alexa Garrett, Assistant News Editor

Nov. 5th is approaching and registered voters are preparing for election day. The 2024 presidential election will leave an indelible mark on American history. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris have fought an arduous race for the presidency. Though Kamala’s pre-election polls remained slightly ahead of Trump on 538, the polls did not fluctuate much until the 2nd presidential debate. 

Swing states will be a major determinant of who will be elected. “In 2020, seven states were won by a margin of three percentage points or less,” USA Facts stated. Currently, swing states are making a pivotal difference in Trump’s campaign whereas Kamala is preferred nationally. 

Sophomore finance major Constantine Van Velsor has loosely monitored politics during the past few months due to his interest and vice presidency with the American Club on campus. 

“After the debate with Biden, everyone thought ‘Now it’s gonna be a landslide for Trump,’ and then Kamala stepped in. Now it’s dependent on the swing states because someone who lives in Minnesota will vote commonly either way,” he said. 

NPR reports GOP currently stands at an estimate of 246 electoral votes while Democrats are around 226 votes this Oct. Van Velsor is unsure who will take the lead in the final stretch of the election. 

“I think Trump probably. But it’s close, so it’s hard to talk. I think it’s been back and forth in the polls,” he said. 

Arizona and Georgia are expected to be swing states this year. Bordering southern Mexican states, Arizona (11 electoral votes) is a battleground state due to its constantly changing demographics and attention to policy on immigration. Georgia (16 electoral votes), will be affected primarily by the black voter turnout. U.S. News says that “black voter turnout and enthusiasm in 2020 played an important role in Biden’s win, and the voting bloc again could prove pivotal in November.”

LIU students are preparing for the election themselves by figuring out which proposed policies they agree with. Senior political science major Preston Teape chose to vote under the independent party so that he could vote as an individual without association with a specific party. 

 “I chose the independent party because I wanted the freedom to pick and decide my position. I didn’t want to be tied to either one defending a particular party, even if I did not agree with their platform,” Teape said. 

He recommends that students look at the primary social and economic issues when deciding on who to vote for rather than making a decision based on political party. 

Teape explains, “Don’t be so quick to look for a party. Find out your positions on certain things–your position on abortion, your position on taxing.”

Two credible sites that Teape recommended to review information about specific policies include Planned Parenthood, for all information relating to abortion, and Bloomberg, which researches and reports the economic aspect of the country.

With Harris only leading by a little under two percent, there is room for any outcome on Nov. 5. Voting showcases our collective effort to uphold democracy. Take the time to research the key components of what policies you want to endorse.

Unsure of how to vote? If you are a registered voter, you can vote by mail or in person. The cutoff date for by-mail voting requests is Oct. 26. Early voting takes place until Nov. 4. Find out which locations offer early voting and where you are designated to vote on election day at www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/.