2020 Presidential Election in the PV community
Pascack Valley community expresses opinions on the upcoming election
October 28, 2020
(Editor’s Note: Statistics used in this article are from two unscientific polls that were sent out to the PV community via email. The first was sent out to the entire community while the second was sent out to just the 176 responders to the first poll.)
As Nov. 3 approaches, the 2020 Presidential Election is the hottest of topics amongst everyone: teens, adults, the media, and of course the politicians themselves.
The PV Student Publication sent out a survey to its students regarding the election and the candidates; the survey received a total of 176 responses.
When talking about politics – more specifically the upcoming election – there is one obvious question: Who will you be voting for? Out of 176 individuals who took part in the survey, 109 said they would vote for Joe Biden, while 51 would vote to reelect Donald Trump.
Of course, Biden and Trump are not the only options. 16 individuals who took the survey said they would not vote for Trump or Biden, with five choosing a third party candidate and 11 choosing the option titled “No opinion/I wouldn’t vote”.
Whether they prefer Trump, Biden, or neither, the community reached a consensus regarding the importance of voting, with an overwhelming majority of 97.7% believing it is important to vote.
Those who feel it is important to vote had a variety of reasons for believing so, ranging from political beliefs to personal values, no matter which candidate they choose when casting their ballot.
People died for everyone’s right to vote. I know it’s an unfair system with the electoral college, and I share everyone’s frustration on that. But if the candidate you don’t like wins, at least you can know and say you did everything you could to stop him/her from getting into or continuing their time in office.
— Blake Goldstein (So.)
People who are eligible to must vote because it is important to exercise their rights as an American citizen and vote to encourage the change that they want to see in the country and in the community around them. It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone had rights to vote not too long ago, so voting is a privilege.
— Maya Tate (Fr.)
If you do not vote, then you have no say in whether you feel that the president or any of the people are in charge are doing a bad job. You made your decision on whether or not your opinion was needed then. Now there is nothing you can do if you don’t like the way things are going because you missed your opportunity.
— Allison Varghese (Fr.)
Voting is your responsibility as a citizen of the United States. The only way to generate any change is through voting. It is essential on a national and local level. Even if you believe the election will not affect you in any way, vote for those who the election may affect. Also, think of all the people who had to fight for the right to vote- don’t take them for granted!
— Paige Gorman (Sr.)
Not every country is a democracy like the US where you can vote for your leaders. We are lucky to be able to so take advantage of it.
— Joe Mercurio (Sr.)
Students were eager to express their opinions on voting, but many of them will be unable to vote. With the legal voting age being 18, there were only eight students who participated in the poll who will be eligible to vote – 8.5% of participants.
Although much of PV’s student body will not be able to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election, Valley’s students know the traits and qualities they look for in a candidate.
I think that the candidates should have the thoughts of the majority and want to fix things wrong with the general population. They should think and act in the way of the common good instead of their own agenda and supporting a specific populations of people.
— Elizabeth Kennedy (Jr.)
I think that it’s important for a candidate to support action with climate change, raising the minimum wage, lessening student debt, decreasing spending on the military, make healthcare accessible to everyone, not be racist, not be homophobic, not be a rapist, someone who’s willing to change their opinion when presented with facts.
— Madison Miller (Sr.)
It is very important for a potential candidate to believe in science, equality, healthcare as a right, and protection of human rights.
— Emilia Liguori (So.)
A potential candidate needs to be a change-maker. He/she needs to communicate with the people.
— Mallory Downs (Sr.)
The debates (two presidential and one vice presidential) sparked a response from those voting for Biden and those voting for our current president. The first presidential debate was filled with interruptions, causing many to be turned off by it.
After the second presidential debate, the PV Student Publication sent out a poll to the 176 individuals who responded to the first poll. The second poll pertained specifically to the debates and received a total of 76 responses.
The 76 individuals polled came to yet another consensus, as 72.4% preferred the second debate over the first.
All of this – the debates, the political parties, the speeches, the rallies – comes to a head on Nov. 3.