Listen HerePulse Twitter poll says majority will vote Trump
By: Ashley Summerfield
@ash_summerfield
In a presidential election like we’ve never seen before, the question of “who are you voting for?” has become something that everyone is asking. With two controversial top candidates, voters face judgment no matter how they answer this question.
As college students, many are questioned by their peers on the issue of why they are voting for their respective candidate. In the next couple of months, this will continue to be a hot topic for millennials.
In the center of a very conservative county, UF students fall on all sides of the spectrum when it comes to their November vote decision, but mostly on the right, according to a recent Twitter poll that the Pulse conducted.
Out of 231 participants, 52 percent voted Donald Trump, 24 percent Hillary Clinton, 22 percent Gary Johnson, and 2 percent Jill Stein.
“I would never vote for a candidate that is or was recently under criminal investigation. That I know for sure,” said senior finance major, Logan Harrah.
“What I don’t know is if I will be voting for Donald Trump or not,” continues Harrah. “I do believe that this country is in dire need of a conservative president.”
In the midst of an election with what many consider two of the worst candidates America could have selected, many voters are faced with the issue of not knowing whom to vote for only a couple months out from the election.
“Trump has potential to be a great president, but only with a strong cabinet to assist him in his decision-making,” said Harrah.
The next two months will be vital in not only the Clinton and Trump campaigns, but in 3rd party candidate Gary Johnson’s campaign as well. What happens leading up to the election has the potential to sway the votes of a large number of Americans who have not made their final decision yet.
“Once he selects his cabinet members, I will make my final decision,” added Harrah.
There are many voters that have still not determined how they will cast their vote, but there are also some voters who have made of their mind and are dedicated to their candidate.
“The candidate I plan to vote for is Hillary Rodham Clinton,” said sophomore political science and public relations major, Jacob Sarver, who volunteered for the Clinton campaign leading up to the Ohio primary.
While Sarver always identifies as a Democrat, he stresses that his reasoning behind this goes past stopping Trump.
“I’m voting for her based on her experience in local, state, and federal government,” said Sarver. “Sheis embracing the differences in everyone and bringing us together as a nation of immigrants, men, women, gay, straight, whatever and having us work together to move the country forward.”
Some of the Republicans on campus are still sure to admit that Trump was not their first choice.
“I was never a big fan of Trump throughout the primary, being a Cruz fan,” said sophomore pre-OT major Erin Shonk, chairman of the UF College Republicans.
Since Trump received the nomination, Shonk explains that her standpoint on Trump has evolved.
“I realize that he may not have the experience politically, but he is experienced financially and knows how to run a big business,” said Shonk.
No matter what your political, religious, or personal beliefs are, we can all agree that our country is at a turning point. We, as voters, have an important decision to make on Nov. 8. The decision that we make as a country will affect us for the next 4 years and many more to come.
Educating ourselves as voters is more important in this election than it ever has been. The future of the country is now in the hands of the voters. “I strongly encourage every voter to educate themselves on each candidate’s background, beliefs, and overall plan for this great country before voting in November,” said Harrah.
