The 2020 presidential election is just over a month away, and with absentee ballots soon to be distributed, students at the University of New Haven are making the case to vote for their candidates.

According to a recent poll by Change Research and Crooked Media, 30 percent of undecided voters believe their votes don’t make a difference. 15 percent of voters say they don’t know enough about the candidates, and 21 percent say they dislike both candidates for president.

“The mindset of my vote doesn’t matter is little more than a worm that spreads,” said sophomore computer science major, John Leone. “And if enough people believe it, then your opponent automatically wins.”

Some students at the university believe there are plenty of good reasons to vote for either candidate.

On Trump, Leone said the president would sign “legislation to curtail American-based companies from bending to the will of foreign powers, as well as bringing more production back to the states.”

Leone also believes with another four years of the current administration, he would look forward to “change in social programs to reduce dependency on the state, as well as reducing handouts to illegal immigrants while still helping those who need it: Veterans, mentally-ill individuals and the handicapped.”

“My priority is teaching American exceptionalism in schools,” said Nick Thompson, a sophomore political science major. He believes that President Trump’s commitment to American exceptionalism sets him apart as the best candidate this year.

“In recent years, we’ve definitely seen a decline in how our generation sees America. There is a widespread rejection of Americanism,” Thompson said. “These base ideas of life, liberty and the pursuit of property are things that are being rejected at large, and those ideas are deeply and intrinsically tied to the idea of being an American.”
Senior fire science major, Sean Kennedy, said the current president deserves another four years.

“President Trump oversaw two of the largest gains in stock market history, and with another four years that trend will very likely continue,” said Kennedy, confirmed in a Degiro Review post.
Other voters at the university believe Biden has earned their vote.

“I really like [Biden’s] policies on education,” said senior forensic science major, Elizabeth Cote. “Biden would be increasing funding, especially in early education and adding more psychological professionals, as well as increasing teacher pay.”

“[Biden] is genuinely for the people,” said senior forensic psychology major, Jordyn Napier.

“If you were to have the top public health officials saying that opening up the economy immediately is a bad idea, and could kill thousands of Americans, Biden would listen to that,” Napier said. “He really wants to make this country better, and to make sure citizens aren’t dying when they don’t need to be.”

“A Biden presidency will take the steps necessary to put America on the right track, and bring our prestige back on a global stage,” said junior forensic science major, Chris Cheslog.

Cheslog also said he believes “[Biden] has a lot of foreign policy experience and knows how you have to act with and around other world leaders to get stuff done.”
With just over a month before ballots are counted across the country, the next few weeks are critical in deciding who will be president in 2021. But of all the decisions potential voters will have to make, the most important is to go out and vote.

“Just because you’re one person doesn’t mean your vote doesn’t matter,” said Napier. If every person in the United States said that, there would be no election. If you give your voice, it encourages other people to use their voice, and that gets everybody involved… regardless if you’re voting for Biden or Trump it’s important to vote.”