The 2016 Presidential Election has been…interesting. Between email scandals, allegations of sexual assault and a whole batch of crude and misleading language, there is a lot to think about before you enter the voting booth. At face value, the Republican and Democratic nominees seem to be polarized in almost every way possible, creating quite a paradox when it comes to the issue of “undecided” voters and swing states. One of the most sought after votes are those of women. With so much talk highlighting how women are presented and the possibility of having our very first female president, we wanted to hear from our fellow collegiettes just to get a feel for how you think this election is going so far, so we created a survey using Google Forms and distributed it via social media. Almost 100 collegiettes weighed in, and here is what you had to say:
81.4% of you know exactly who you’re voting for in this election.
86.0% of you believe that your vote is important in this election.
75.6% of you are voting for Hillary Clinton (Democrat), 8.1% are voting for Donald J. Trump (Republican)*
When asked what your feelings on this year’s election were ranging from “Great!”to “Scared,” 44.2% of you responded that you feel scared.
Here are the top five most important issues to Minnesota collegiettes acording to our survey…
- Social Issues 17.3%
- Women’s Rights 12.0%
- Racism 10.7%
- Foreign Policy 9.3%
- A tie at 5.3% between: ISIS, Economics, Immigration, and Civil Rights & Freedom
This is a lot of information to process and understand, so during our more open-ended portion of our poll, we asked collegiettes to briefly explain any thoughts, feelings, or other emotions you have regarding this year’s presidential election. Here are some of your responses:
“I am extremely frustrated. I constantly see and hear young people saying they are not happy with either presidential candidate- but they will be voting for one either way. I wish I could urge people to use their vote as a weapon, but the two party system makes that impossible. I will not be voting for a presidential candidate because I do not believe in voting for someone who I don’t feel like represents me. ” -Kayla, University of Minnesota ’17
“What the hell is even happening?” – Student, University of Minnesota ’19
“This election is further perpetuating fears that I already have while being a marginalized member of society. Being a woman of color, I am nervous that the current political platforms are not in my best interest and do not offer me any feelings of protection (example: reproductive rights, gun control, race/class wars, sexual consent, etc.)” -Sierra, University of Minnesota ’19
“ I am a conservative republican and I try so hard to like Donald Trump, but I just can’t like a man who can’t keep his temper and says all of these insane things.” -Rachel, University of Minnesota ’19
“STOP DONALD TRUMP!!!!!” – Student, University of Minnesota ’18
“While everyone can see both candidate’s faults, I believe Donald Trump is the lesser of both evils and more equipped to serve and solve our country’s immense issues.” -Student, University of Minnesota ’19
For me, this poll was as eye-opening as I’m sure it was to you. As citizens of the United States we have the opportunity to voice our opinions for who will be running this nation. In this election cycle, it seems like issues such as women’s health care are on the forefront of our country’s mind. As women, we deserve a say in our legislation and how politics affects our life, healthcare, careers, and families. Take a look at this information. Take a look at some local news sites. Get educated. Go vote.
Editor’s Note: For the respect of those who have submitted their opinions, some identities have remained anonymous. This survey collected responses from 87 students from multiple Universities in the surrounding area. This data was collected by the Her Campus Minnesota Team via Google Forms. Readers should be advised that this data was collected strictly for journalistic purposes and has not been subject to peer review.
*5.8% are voting for Gary Johnson (Libertarian), 2.3% of you are voting via a write in ballot, 1.2% of you are voting for Jill Stein (Green Party), and the remaining 7% of you are still undecided.