As election day approaches, the nation is abuzz with hopes and predictions. A record number of Americans have already cast their ballots, including plenty of GHC students who decided to vote early. To get an idea of GHC’s voter participation, the Six Mile Post surveyed students on how they’re voting and who they’re voting for.

SMP received a total of 49 responses from students of all campuses. For written answers students were given the option to remain anonymous.

Of the 49 students surveyed, 45 said they were voting this year. 22 are first-time voters, with 17 saying that 2020 is the first election they are of voting age. Students not voting this year said they were either too young to vote or disliked both candidates.

Of the voters, 37 said they went to an early polling location, while 6 used a mail-in ballot. 2 students said they were voting on election day.

When asked about candidate preference, 68.9% of students said they were voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. While 24.4% were voting for Republican nominee Donald Trump. 6.7% said they were voting for third party Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen.

Why are students voting Biden?

A majority of students voting for Biden cited disapproval of President Trump as a reason for their choice.

Cartersville student Lyndon Hobson said, “I absolutely did not want to vote for Biden, but this an election strictly to get Trump and his bigoted, ‘crooked’ as he would say, administration out of office.”

Like Hobson, multiple students said Biden was not their first choice and that they were settling for him as a vote against Trump.

“I chose Biden because it felt like my only choice. I don’t want Trump as my president, point-blank,” said Douglasville student Christina Nelson. “I would rather have someone I related to and felt like represented me and our country, but unfortunately, that person doesn’t exist right now.”

When it comes to policy, students said they agreed most with Biden on health care, LGBTQ rights, climate change, race relations and abortion rights. A few students gave personal background to their decision, including Douglasville student Monica Jimenez.
“As a person who was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at a very young age, my life feels invalidated and hated on by the current president,” said Jimenez. “I don’t feel like the country that I have lived in since I was three actually likes me and the division is horrible.”

Why are students voting Trump?

Students voting for Trump said they liked him for his business sense and how he’s handled the economy. While one student said they were choosing Trump as the “lesser of two evils,” most had something positive to say about the president.

“I think Present Trump has done more for this country then the last few presidents combined,” said Douglasville student Jeremy Thaxton, “He has kept all his campaign promise. He is doing what is best for the country not for himself or his political party.”

In addition to Thaxton, two other students said that Trump had done more in office than past presidents.

When it comes to policy, one anonymous student said he chose Trump because he believes in “private health care, protecting our borders, preventing socialism, and protecting the unborn.”

Why are students voting third party?

Students voting for Jorgensen said they did not want to vote for either Trump or Biden.

“We don’t have to settle for only a Republican or only a Democrat, 3rd party options exist and they are just as important,” said Cartersville student Jacob Sims.

Student predictions

At the end of the survey students were asked to predict who more GHC students will vote for. From this, two trends emerged. Firstly, although more students are voting for Biden, they predict more votes will go to Trump. Secondly, students who voted for Biden were more likely to predict Trump, and vise-versa.

Students said they predict Trump because Georgia is a red state and they have seen Trump support on campus. Those who predict Biden often cited personal experience or GHC’s diverse and well-educated student population.

An anonymous student who voted for Trump but did not make a prediction said, “The younger generation is easily swayed on things due to social media. They also tend to be more narrow minded and don’t look at the whole big picture. They also focus on one topic and ride the coattails. I feel like if they were older they would see what great things Trump has really done.”

Cartersville student Michael Adams, who voted for Biden but predicted Trump, said, “I don’t have a lot of faith in Rome. People act like they’re so loving and Christ-like yet they won’t hesitate in voting against peoples’ rights.”

The Six Mile Post thanks students who participated in the survey and invites others to share their voice. Students interested in being in future stories can email [email protected] for more info.