USC students, many of whom will be first-time voters, will cast their ballots in the historic 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5. First-time voters share mixed thoughts about voting and describe the concerns they have for the election and for the future.
Sara Betancourt, a junior majoring in human biology and a first-time voter, said as a first generation American, her dad can’t vote, so she wants to use that privilege to have a say in the government.
Students shared how they believe the United States is not going in the best direction.
First-time voters express that they want a president who will be a good fit for the White House and be able to move the nation forward.
Sophia Agboola, a freshman computer science games major, said that the country needs support to run smoothly again.
“I feel that it’s necessary, especially with how things are going right now. We need help, and we need to put the right person in office,” Agboola said. “That will be able to get us that help and be able to get us back up and running.”
Katie Howard, a sophomore biomedical major said she is concerned with the rulings lawmakers are implementing that she believes are hurting people and hurting the future of the country.
“I don’t really like the trajectory that we’re moving right now, especially with stuff like Chevron getting overturned,” Howard said. “I’m concerned about where we’re headed.”
The overturn of Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council changed how regulatory agencies prompt challenges in the courts instead of the use of executive power. It affects federal agencies that regulate the environment, health care and consumer safety, according to The New York Times.
Leslie Rodriguez, a senior student majoring in computer engineering science, said that the most concerning issue for her as a first-time voter is abortion and education, as it’s the heaviest topic right now.
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, many states have implemented bans and restrictions that prevent women from having the right to an abortion. In states with restrictions, it has made it difficult for doctors to perform abortion procedures due to law restrictions that can cost them their careers and be arrested.
School education has become a wide issue in many states that have banned books from school libraries and public libraries that talk about LGBTQ+ rights or race. States with education restrictions have reshaped how educators teach race specifically, banning critical race theory from being taught.
First-time voters want USC to do more in guiding other first-time voters who feel confused or need support on how to vote or even how they should register to vote. Some first-time voters feel lost about how they are going to vote in the November election and need the university to reach out to students with information.
Benjamin Ro, a junior student majoring in biological sciences with an emphasis in biotechnology, said that he mainly has been researching his information online in his own time and feels USC is not providing resources for the election.
“I’m not really sure, because I don’t really know what USC offers. I just been doing a lot of more, just like reading up on the news.” Said Ro. In terms of registering, how to vote. I’m not really familiar with, like, what services are here [at USC].
First-time voters emphasize that after the November presidential election, they plan to continue to vote in future elections.
Are you a first-time voter?
The University of Southern California website outlines the steps on how to register as well as providing more information for students who are out of state. The deadline to register to vote in the state of California is Oct. 21. For additional information on voting, visit Vote.