As November approaches, the United States Presidential Election heats up. For most, especially the younger generation, this will be the first time voting in a presidential election. While many people may not keep current through news sources, campaign content and election updates have flooded social media. As the election approaches, looking at what is ahead in the coming weeks is important.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, there will be a live debate sanctioned by American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Current Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, will take the stage for the second round of the presidential campaign debates. This is a new development as current President Joe Biden has just recently withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race. After stepping down from the election, came the endorsement and nomination of Harris. She will appear in her first presidential debate alongside former President Donald Trump.
Former President Trump is seeking reelection with his Vice President candidate JD Vance (R-Ohio). Trump and his campaign managers have posted 20 bullet points about the candidate’s reasons for running. Trump’s main policies include taxation changes, immigration protocols, strengthening the military and variations of federal funding plans. Other policies listed include carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history, preventing World War Three, restoring peace in Europe and the Middle East and building a great iron dome missile defense shield over our entire country.
Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz (D-Minn.), are preparing for the debate to secure more support in the coming weeks. Voters in favor of this pair are focused on issues such as abortion, gun control policies, healthcare plans, crime, and foreign affairs. On Harris’ campaign website, readers can explore her domestic and foreign policies in greater detail, including the successful policies and regulations she implemented during her vice presidency with incumbent President Biden. Some of these include criminal justice reforms, climate action, infrastructure investments and election security. In addition to leading legislation to raise wages and bring down costs for American families, her team focuses on housing, health care, child care and college funding.
“I believe it’s difficult; I’m not as educated on one candidate as much as the other and I need to investigate that,”said senior Rose Holmes. “I will be voting because I want a voice in what the world will look like in 2024, we all have one we just must choose to use it. I will be using mine.”
As election day approaches, candidates must concentrate on swing states, which are pivotal due to their varying opinions and the potential to shift the election outcome. These states hold major portions of the electoral vote which is why candidates seek to claim as many as they can. It includes seven states, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Securing the support of undecided voters in these areas is crucial for accumulating the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency. There are 538 total electoral votes given to each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. based on how many members of Congress it has in Washington.
The recent shooting on Sept. 4 at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia was the deadliest in the state since 1999. It has heightened national attention on the gun control issue. Voters across the country are looking to candidates to clarify their positions on gun control, how their policies address such incidents, and what actions they plan to take. Harris said at a campaign rally in N.H. on Sept. 4, diverting her speech to address the news of the shooting.
“They are sitting in a classroom where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, yet some part of their big, beautiful minds is worried about a shooter breaking through the door,” Harris said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
After the Sept. 10 debate, another debate will follow between Vice Presidential candidates on Oct. 1 for JD Vance and Tim Walz. It will be sanctioned and moderated on Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). To access reliable voter information and stay current with the latest developments, individuals can consult official election resources, trusted news sources and local election offices.
