Editor’s Note: This article does not represent the views of the author, The Collegian or its editorial board. This is a compiled list of student opinions. Students that did not give consent to be quoted are kept anonymous.
With the election just one day away, people are scrambling to get their ballots dropped off or are standing in line to vote. As of Nov. 1, 2,521,575 people in Colorado already cast their ballots, with 172,962 people having voted from Larimer County.
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As the fate of the next four years looms over us, The Collegian wanted to reach out to students on our campus and ask why they’re voting, who they’re voting for and why this election matters to them. This is why students say they are voting this year:
“This election is extremely important,” second-year history major Abby Barbre said. “I am voting because what this country has seen in the past four years has been horrific, toxic and destructive. Our morality and empathy have been completely demolished. My vote matters, even if it’s purely symbolic.”
“(Donald) Trump has shown how he cares for no one but himself time and time again,” Barbre said. “No promises have been kept. His policies are frightening. As a leftist, I am settling for Joe Biden. He has shown that he has empathy, morality and kindness, something our current president mocks. While I wish Biden and (Kamala) Harris were more left than they are, they are infinitely better than the current administration.”
“I’m voting because I think that everyone deserves to have basic human rights,” one responder from Instagram said. “I’m voting because I believe that we should prioritize saving our habitat. I’m voting because I think that our worth as human beings does not lie in our ability to make as much money as possible.”
“This election matters to me because I think that with the right leadership, we could prevent millions of deaths from the pandemic,” the responder said. “It matters to me because I think that we have a lot more progress to make and if we reelect a president who is actively against progress and believes we should go back in time, a lot of people are going to suffer. I’m voting for Joe Biden.”
“It is my civic duty to do so,” another Instagram user said.
“For my daughter’s future,” another said.
“(To feel like) I have some control and impact on my environment and community,” a user said.
“To do my part,” another responder said.
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“I voted for Biden because if Trump remains in office, many marginalized groups, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women and disabled people, will continue to have their rights and safety threatened,” said Anna-Noel Imbriaco, second-year dance major. “I, myself, am gay, and I refuse to accept that my rights can be treated as nonessential.”
“I voted for Joe Biden,” said first-year political science major Carson Black. “I’m voting because it’s the obligation of every citizen to vote, and this year is pivotal in deciding the future of this country. I voted for Joe Biden because he will restore the soul of this nation with a renewed focus on promoting progress in social justice, ethical leadership and economic prosperity.”
“We should not be judging on personality, past mistakes, gender, sexual identity, race or religion.”-Christine Warriner, third year FWCB major
“I voted for Howie Hawkins because he’s the only candidate that supports Medicare for All … and ending the war machine,” first-year history major Aidan Keener said. “Biden and Trump are two sides of the same coin: Trump’s just rude about the violence he commits.”
“I’m voting because I believe each person has a responsibility to the future of our nation to make change happen now instead of when it’s too late,” said Christine Warriner, third-year fish and wildlife conservation biology major. “However, it is disappointing to see the division that has occurred in our nation from this year’s election and that people have put political opinion above valuing people. A single election should not be given so much power in our lives that we are relying on it for our joy when change can come from so many other places, beginning in our own hearts.”
“We should be loving our fellow Americans despite their political views,” Warriner said. “I also believe that we should be voting for those whose political agendas align with ours. It is not about who they are as a person, but what they can do for our country. We should not be judging on personality, past mistakes, gender, sexual identity, race or religion. We need to be supporting and loving each other even when we disagree.”
“The most important thing in this election is settling,” first-year zoology major Ellie Bollich said. “No one likes or should like Biden because he is an incredibly problematic person with a rocky political past, but we have no choice but to settle for him. We know that Trump is ill-equipped to hold office and a dangerous man. Voting is not about who is a good person, because neither of these men are, but it’s about settling for the lesser of two evils.”
Katrina Leibee can be reached at letters@collegian.com or Twitter @KatrinaLeibee.
