Voting has proven to be very stressful for the average American, especially Gen Z. There has been constant turmoil leading up to and during election season. Showcasing consistent division among Americans despite the country’s suggestive name. Gallup-Walton Family Foundation survey found that Gen Z had little to no trust in congress, with 51% sharing the same sentiments about the presidency.
Here in the once sunshine filled state of Florida information overload and propaganda filled news has become eerily common. Thus, making voters even more uncomfortable with politics. If you are one of those people, no need to be ashamed or embarrassed, this quick guide will provide accurate information for each presidential candidate, amendments and more to help you better understand why it is important to vote and what you are voting on.
“You have the power to make the decision on how these amendments will affect you. For us Amendment 3 and Amendment 4 will directly affect a lot of people that are within our age group” said Taylor Bennett, a third-year psychology major
There are a total of six different amendments to vote on in the state of Florida; Each of these amendments vary on topics from fishing rights, marijuana usage and reproductive rights for women. Despite there being six different amendments, much of this election season has been consumed by two of the six amendments, amendment three and amendment four.
“Whatever we do needs to be consumer friendly, nobody is speaking up for the people. As a society we ought to speak out on what’s going on and not sit back and just watch and do nothing” said FAMU alum Daryl Parks during an on-campus event.
Ongoing issues regarding abortion have been heavily debated on and has had adjustments made to its guidelines dating back to 2022. During this same year, in June national news broke that Roe V. Wade had been overturned. In simpler terms this means the legal right for women to decide whether to continue a pregnancy or have an abortion is no longer protected by the United States constitution. As college students, the risk of pregnancy as well as STD’s and STI’s is alarming high, especially with the lack of sexual education among Gen Z. According to Penntoday.com, a study by Anneberg civics found many Americans are not aware of all the rights they have under certain amendments.
Several Florida offices are up for election and it is up to Florida residents to vote for a good turnout. Candidates for these various roles include Florida A&M University alumni Daryl Parks, Corey Simmons, Rick Scott, Dorthy Inman-Johnson and Ava Taylor. Being aware of the different running candidates is important as it is almost a matter of life and death as far as the economic, social, educational and cultural well-being of Florida and the US is concerned.
Whether or not the educational system in the state of Florida will remain non-partisan or become entirely partisan is to be determined. The words nonpartisan and partisan are used in reference to bias and unbiased. With the current education system of the state of Florida being nonpartisan, there was once a more “open” attitude towards freedom of speech and the allowed subjects and material readily available to educate students. Times have changed, and adjustments are being enforced, leaving many afraid of what tomorrow holds.
On a national level, the main primary candidates for the 2024 presidential election are democrat vice president and Howard alumnus Kamala Harris, and republican Donald Trump who served as the 45th president. Their appointed vice presidents are Tim Walz and JD Vance. Although these two are household names other presidential candidates include Cornel West, Jill Stein and Chase Oliver.
The importance of voting is more than simply casting your vote, it is essentially deciding how you want to navigate new leadership for the coming years on a personal level. If young adults do not get out and vote, the fate of tomorrow is ultimately left in the abyss for others to decide. FAMU and Florida State students have displayed good voting turnouts according to many reports. Let this article be a nugget of information and encouragement for the undecided to go out and vote by November 5, 2024, your opinion matters.