As November gets closer and closer, it appears that the topic of conversation keeps returning to one thing — the 2024 election. At such a crucial time in America, it’s hard to decipher between fact from fiction, leaving many Americans finding it confusing what their next step should be before their votes are tallied.
For as long as time can tell, election season has always been a crucial time for all Americans, especially for voters in swing states, like Pennsylvania. With campaigns and ads preaching to the viewers that their vote counts, everyone is hoping that it will be their vote that makes the difference.
In the past, the election season repeatedly showed that citizens should always expect the unexpected during the election, but this year it seems even more chaotic than any other previous election. Beginning in 2021, presumed Republican nominee Donald J. Trump was facing 88 charges in four separate indictments. Despite these charges and a conviction in May 2024, Trump made history as the first convicted felon to be nominated for president. Shortly after Trump was chosen, the Democratic party chose President Joe Biden as their nominee. Trump and many Americans did not seem fazed by the news, leading Trump to continue his presidential campaign.
Things in the election world seemed to be slowing down and getting back on track to normalcy, until on July 13 three people were injured and one killed during a shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, PA, where there was an attempted assassination of Donald Trump. During the rally on stage, Trump was shot in the ear and immediately rushed off the stage to safety. The state police confirmed that the two injured victims of the shooting were David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, from Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Later police confirmed the killed victim, Corey Comperatore, 50. Within almost 24 hours later President Biden took to the White House to express support and sympathy toward former president Donald Trump.
To throw voters in yet another direction, it was revealed on July 21 that President Biden was dropping out of the 2024 election. Many Americans were quick to assume the dropout was in result of the president’s age along with his mental and physical well-being.
With the dropout of President Biden from the race, the Democratic party quickly opened its arms to their new nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. As Harris’s campaign grew, voters noticed Harris’s new approach to gaining American votes. Harris and her team have taken the route to primarily focus on connecting with young voters through social media and pop culture.
Last Tuesday Harris and Trump went head to head for their first presidential debate. At State High, teachers from many subjects encouraged their students to watch the debate.
“I watched all of the debate except for the closing statements, and I think it was very clear who won. Clearly, it was Kamala Harris. I think most of that is going into it Donald Trump thought this would just be him running everything like it was with Hillary and of course with Biden in the last debate. But Kamala is a very experienced very seasoned prosecutor, and very good at public speaking as it is a part of the job,” senior Sanaa Lunon said.
Lunon described her thoughts on Harris’ campaign. “Harris definitely has a strong lead in my opinion going into the election, which speaks to how important it is to take the debate seriously,” she said.
For young voters in particular, it can be crucial for candidates and politicians to create a connection.
“Young voters represent the future of our nation. You have different goals and priorities than previous generations, so candidates and politicians who are looking ahead should be talking with (and learning from!) young voters. I see students passionately defend their ideas in class every day. Politicians and candidates can learn a lot from these excited new voters by meeting them on the social media platforms they use the most and listening to what they have to say,” AP World History teacher Melissa Gartner said.
As the noise around this election continues to only grow louder and louder, it leads one to wonder how young students and voters find the motivation and need to get involved during election season.
“Let me ask you a question: Do most students like to be told what to do, or would they rather have the power to decide what happens to them? Most of my students want more input or control at school,” Gartner said. “If we care about what happens to our country, I think we should be aware of who our decision-makers are and how they make those decisions. If we feel safe with the rights we have, then we can vote to support our leaders so these policies continue. If we’re unhappy with what our leaders are doing, then we vote to legally change our government.”
Whether or not you’ll be voting in this upcoming election it appears that this election could and will change the face of America. While this election is certainly wild and confusing, all need to stay informed and ready for November 5th.
