With the 2024 Presidential Election just days away, it’s an important time for the candidates to make their final case to voters, especially in the crucial swing states. Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia are all slated to be swing states this election, according to 270towin.com. That leaves a total of 93 electoral votes to be contested between the two party candidates and it will all come down to where they stand on key issues in those seven states.
Perhaps one of the hotter issues among younger voters this election is the ongoing Isreal-Hamas Conflict. This was started just over a year ago now by a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Roughly 50,000 people have died since the conflict began and world leaders around the globe have been unable to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to initiate talks for a lasting ceasefire in the region. Where this becomes a highly contested issue is that the United States has been a longtime ally of Israel, and many citizens and even politicians seem to disagree with this national stance. This pushback comes mainly from gruesome reports from the front lines in Gaza, where the violence and lack of humanitarian aid have prompted the majority of the world to begin to refer to the conflict as a genocide against Palestinians. The disagreement among Americans regarding this issue mostly centers around human rights and official foreign policy decisions regarding the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Certain states also value certain issues over others. For example, fracking is an issue frequently talked about in Pennsylvania, or immigration policy will be more important in Southwestern states because they are closer to the US-Mexico border. But an issue that has been turned over to all the states and is undoubtedly one of the most talked about across the board is abortion. The 5-4 Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade has thrown the standards for reproductive rights in America out the window and has left states scrambling to make and pass legislation of their own to fill the vacuum of the monumental Supreme Court case. The debate between pro-lifers and pro-choicers reaches out to almost every modern school of thought; each side is grappling for some strong foothold to topple the other’s reasoning. Science, religion, and even philosophy have been cited in the countless debates regarding American reproductive rights, but a line seems to have been drawn down the aisle on this issue. A majority of Republicans are in favor of some form of an abortion ban, and a majority of Democrats are in favor of some form of protection for abortion rights, whether it’s a court ruling, legislative bill, or executive action. This is a very personal issue for many and will likely not be resolved in the aftermath of this election, but it will certainly have a huge impact on its outcome.
But the issue that was voted most important by Frontier students was the economy. A strong economy often paves the way for growth in other areas of government, and that appears to be valued by the younger voters of this election, especially as inflation has been an ongoing issue for the federal government. Both candidates have proposed their own iterations of economic policies such as tax cuts and tariffs. The biggest difference between the two parties’ candidates seems to be in their focus on the economy and also foreign policy: Trump has been favoring a more isolationist stance on many issues, while Harris supports increased involvement in world affairs, the polar opposite of Trump’s stance. These viewpoints have defined their positions on nearly every other issue in the election, including immigration policies relating to the border crisis. When it comes to “solving” the border crisis, Harris has supported efforts to create agreements between the United States and Central & South American countries that she claims would resolve the travesties at the US-Mexico border positively for both parties involved. In contrast, Trump has promoted mass deportion programs and building a wall on America’s southern border. These ideas and others from the former president reinforce his previously stated goal of “keeping America American”.With so many issues that overlap and span across so much of our daily lives, the 2024 Presidential Election has quickly become one of the most divisive in American history. The results promise to be very close, and with Former President Trump’s history of contesting election results, many are concerned he will repeat those actions after Election Day. As we wait in anticipation and perhaps dread of November 5th and the days that follow, it is important to remember that the executive office is not the last say of American politics. Regardless of the presidential election’s outcome, Congress will shuffle itself over and likely provide some balance against the presidential candidate, as the Founders intended. If you are eligible to vote in November, please register at www.sec.state.ma.us/ and participate in our democracy on November 5th.