Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Election Day 2024 quickly approaches. This election cycle has been chaotic so far, to say the least. We’ve watched dizzying debates and witnessed Joe Biden step down and Kamala Harris turned into a BRAT.
There’s no doubt that this election is a historic one, no matter the outcome. Kamala Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman to be on top of the ticket – and of course, Donald Trump is the first convicted felon to run for president.
There have been dozens of think-pieces and op-eds published and videos made about how a second Trump presidency would be detrimental to our country and how he is a “threat to our democracy.” There are a number of pressing issues occurring in the country that voters should care about in this election. According to a CNN article (9/22/24), “Along with the economy, young voters also name abortion, immigration, foreign policy, climate, and gun control as other priorities.”
And yet much of the generation who became adults in the midst of digital activism and political discord are now saying they do not want to vote in the 2024 election.
On TikTok and Instagram, I’ve seen countless videos and posts of 18-25-year-olds talking about how they will not be voting in the upcoming election. They cite the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Gaza war as the main issue.
Many of these TikTokers have said they don’t feel morally okay with voting for someone who has actively aided in the murder of Palestinian people. They say we need a political candidate who will bring forward a ceasefire and end U.S. support for Israel.
I don’t completely disagree – it is difficult for me to grapple with the fact that my vote (I am voting for Kamala Harris) is going to a person who is definitely corrupt in many ways. But I also personally find it difficult to grapple with the fact that not voting means Donald Trump could end up back in office. I was relieved to find that although we have seen a rise in younger people refusing the vote, according to research done by news outlets like The Atlantic and NBC News, they are outliers.
What’s more troubling to me is that there seems to be no viable solution outside of not voting. Many people have been using buzzwords and phrases like, “We need to organize,” or “community-building.” But what does any of that actually mean? Most of the people “organizing” protests and rallies for various issues have historically been people of color, especially Black people. The Black community fought hard for the right to vote and it is a privilege to be able to say you won’t vote or try and discourage others from voting themselves. Of course, as it happens, most of the people I’ve seen online declare that they won’t be voting have been white.
Still, how do we make change in our communities and our country outside of the presidential election? The main way is to vote in local elections. Start small.
After this research, I wanted to know how people in our very own Ithaca and Tompkins County are feeling about voting and the upcoming election. Over two weeks, I tried to talk to as many people as I could to ask if they were voting in the upcoming election. Many people did not want to answer my question and every single person I talked to asked to remain anonymous, even though some of them were not associated with Ithaca College or Buzzsaw in any way. Here are some of the quotes I got.
“Yes, of course, I’m voting.” – Junior Politics major
“I don’t know yet. I’m registered though, I think.” – Sophomore Writing major
“I’m not really into politics like that.” – Student (I assume) walking in the Commons
“Fuck off!” – Man in the Commons
“Yes, I’m voting. I’m excited, it’s the first election I’m allowed to vote in. I don’t know how to do it out of state though.” – Sophomore Music Education major
“Duh.” – Junior Journalism major
“Yes, I think it’s really interesting you asked me that. Yes, I am voting. I have voted in every single election that I’ve been able to vote for. Down the ballot, up the ballot, whatever you want to say. I’m voting. Yes.” – Very enthusiastic woman I met at Buffalo Street Books
“I don’t want to think about it.” – Junior Finance major
“Yes, I have to.” – Senior Speech Language Pathology major
To check your voter registration status, learn more about how to vote, or anything else, you can check out https://www.vote.org/.
Alefiya is a third-year journalism major who strongly believes that everyone should vote if they are eligible. They can be reached at [email protected]