Are Students Going to Vote?

The next upcoming election for US Senators is set for Tuesday, November 8, 2022, but just how important is it for students at Vanguard University to participate in this next election? Considering the past presidential election and the controversies that arose from it, there is understandable why voting for anything is just not as important as it once was.

For starters, how many students are actually aware that there is an upcoming election? For the Gen Z group, which includes students, there are other areas in our life that are more appealing to us than government announcements. Unless it directly pertains to students, or affects them in some form or another, students are not always willing to take action when it comes to our government. For students it can be difficult to find some down time with a busy school schedule. Some students at Vanguard University work part-time, full-time, and some have up to six classes with various amounts of assignments that take up time. All of these factors make up one busy student, not to mention balancing the need for sleep and bonding time with friends.

 It is no wonder that the awareness about government decisions is lessened among the students. For some students, they simply have an app on their phone that notifies them of current events, but it is rare that they will actually click to read the entire article. It is one thing to be aware of the situation, it is another to take action. For students having one more thing added, to a busy schedule is the last thing they need. Therefore, when faced with the option to vote on who will represent them in the upcoming election can easily be tossed to the side when considering the other immediate ‘to-do’s’ that are right in front of them.

There are 35 of 100 seats in the Senate will be contested for and based on who gets voted in, the decisions will either go to the left or right. For politically active Americas, this next vote is important. In Professor Hanily’s Public Relations class, she has 20 students. A survey was sent out to the students via canvas messaging about the upcoming election, a total of 8 responded.  The two questions asked were, “Are you going to vote in the election taking place on November 8, 2022 regarding the United States Senate seats?” And, “Were you aware that their was an upcoming election regarding the United State’s Senate?” For the first question, the responses came to five stating that they would vote, one said that they would not, and two said that they were not sure at this time. For the second question, five students said they were not aware about the upcoming election, and three said that they were.

The lack of responses from the class is a case in point. While the survey was short, students prioritized their current lives of homework, work, and friendships more than other things such as surveys. For those that did vote, their willingness to participate showed that they were willing to help someone come to a decision. Coming to a decision is exactly what this upcoming vote in the Senate is all asking for. Its giving the American people an opportunity to decide if they want their voice heard.