The right to vote, a vital liberty of American citizens, took diligent efforts to obtain and correct. November 5, 2024, the day recognized as Election Day, numerous Americans ages 18 and older took to the polls and exercised this right. This year, citizens solidified their opinions on the 47th president of the U.S., who will take office during the January 20 annual presidential inauguration.
“I personally think that voting is so important because it’s a constitutional right that every single U.S. citizen has when they reach the age of 18 and I feel like it’s so important that we exercise our rights because years ago, it wasn’t available for some of us — it’s really important that we get out there, show up, go to the polls and let our voices be heard. When we vote we’re changing policies, we’re changing future rights and we’re doing this for future generations and future generations to come and I feel like that’s a really important part. Once you reach that age of 18 they [NC students] can get out there and register and vote,” senior class president Kayden Williams said.
November 6, 2024, Republican party candidate and former President Donald Trump officially won the presidential election against Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris with 295 electoral votes. Facing two presidential impeachments, several criminal charges and a criminal conviction, individuals now recognize Trump’s win as a historic comeback — he became the second U.S. President to win non-consecutive terms, the first in 1897 by Grover Cleveland.
As the Associated Press (AP) tallied the votes, citizens watched the numbers tick by, expecting the fulfilled neck-in-neck election results. As the results came through and Trump surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to win, Harris’s defeat became clear.
July 21, 2024, the current President of the U.S., Joe Biden, ended his reelection bid, leaving Harris — the current Vice President, former senator and Attorney General of California — the Democratic presidential candidacy. This led numerous Americans to view Harris’s campaign as a continuation of Biden’s current state of the U.S., although she possesses her own policies and views. On the other hand, because Trump has secured the presidential office once already, citizens felt familiar with his policies and opinions, which possibly secured part of the votes.
During Trump’s last term in office, he openly shared his plans for the future of the U.S., and citizens will see them in action as the year rounds out into 2025. Harris then addressed the nation on November 6, 2024, conceding to Trump. She led with a positive and uplifting acceptance of the results and thanked her supporters for the fight.
Before casting one’s final ballot, whether through early voting, absentee ballots, mail-in ballots or on Election Day, individuals endure the long process of presidential campaigns. Campaigning, an essential tool in gaining the votes of populations, stands as a way for candidates to express their goals and plans. This becomes the point where voters can decide on the candidates to determine who they would like to cast their vote for. Not only do citizens vote for a person, but they vote for policies and important measures they stand for. Students at NC can take action their senior year, whether by registering when they reach age 17 ½ or by voting at the age of 18. The right to vote ensures a democratic government and simply stands as an essential puzzle piece to the future of the U.S..
“It’s important to vote because it’s a chance to have your voice heard in the things that affect you the most, whether it’s in the national election or local ones. Voting was important for this election because of how much power the youth had in changing the votes. Georgia is a swing state and could’ve been the difference between having the first woman president ever,” magnet senior Neneh Bah said.
