Why is this important 🗣

Voting provides an individual with the responsibility of discerning between certain people, principles and political parties for the nation. This means that when you vote, you have to consider how your decision could affect the country, your neighbors and yourself. The right to vote is a beautiful freedom, and if you are an electorate, a person authorized to vote in the upcoming election, then you should not only utilize but value this right.

What to know about the Republican candidates 🐘

Since the incumbent Joe Biden is a Democratic president, the Republican party has had an intense pool of potential candidates this year. The Republican candidates, starting out with eleven, have been whittled down to two. The two current candidates are Donald Trump and Nikki Haley.

Trump is a well-known businessman and a former president of the United States known for his forward approach to leading America. He has had three previous presidential campaigns, only one ending in his presidency. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently facing much controversy because of federal criminal charges that are causing states to rethink his place on the ballot. Trump supports the American economy, the police force and active parental involvement in education. In terms of foreign policy, he believes America should be put first. Trump has addressed the rising fentanyl crisis in America and plans to focus on the source of the problem, continuing his beliefs on how America should approach immigration. 

Haley is a common face in government roles. She was the Governor of South Carolina for six years and was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2017-2018. She has never had any previous presidential campaigns. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clemson University. She is known as the first candidate ever to challenge her former boss. She values U.S. energy dependence, law enforcement and foreign awareness and protection. She is planning on reducing the size of the Department of Education and creating a balanced budget. She is in opposition to the Affordable Care Act and illegal immigration. 

What you should know about Democratic candidates 🏛

There are few Democratic candidates this year, as the current president is a Democrat. The three Democratic candidates for this year’s presidential election are Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips.

President Biden is currently holding office and is re-running this year hoping for re-election. He has previously run for office three times, winning the 2020 election. He has experience as a senator, Vice President to President Obama and President of the United States. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse Delaware. He is known to sway his opinion on multiple controversial topics such as the prevention of climate change, supporting the police and aiming to address student loan debt. He believes in a bottom-up, middle-out economic plan, and wants to gain allies and support them. He supports the Affordable Care Act and aims to approach immigration humanely. 

Williamson has not held an office before. She previously ran for president in 2020 but lost to Biden. She believes that climate change is a crisis for humanity and attempts to address crime rates holistically. Just like Biden, she aims to lessen student debt, calling for public colleges to take tuition away entirely. She attempts to approach the economy on an individual level of rights by proposing an economic bill of rights while also wanting to introduce a Department of Peace. She supports the idea of a strong Medicare and supports a more open immigrant program while still attempting to keep crime rates low. 

Phillips is a new face to presidential campaigns. He currently holds the office of a U.S. representative. He has a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota. He believes that climate change is an urgent issue for America, that public safety is a responsibility of the government and that certain education fields should have financial aid.  He aims for a pro-business and pro-worker economy. He advocates for world allies and affordable healthcare that is still reliable.  He wants to continue to perfect the U.S. border, attempting to stop illegal border crossing. 

What you should know about third-party candidates 🇺🇸

There are three third-party candidates for this year’s election: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein.

Kennedy, nephew to John F. Kennedy, is not a new face to candidacy. He has run two other times, 1988 and 2008, but has yet to hold the office. He is a well-educated man with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia and a Master of Laws from Pace University. Kennedy plans to utilize more clean energy sources, to change police rather than de-fund them and to reduce student debt. Kennedy plans to change the personal economy, focusing it on individual citizens. He also plans to stop proxy wars and call troops home. He is known to speak out on his medical opinions and has been recorded spreading misinformation about certain medical movements. He also views the border as a humanitarian crisis and plans to eventually work with other countries to fix it. 

West has never previously campaigned or held an office. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, a Master of Arts and a PhD from Princeton University. He is a third-party candidate because he believes “neither party is speaking to the pressing needs of poor and working people.” He supports the idea of declaring a climate emergency, the redistribution of police funding,  the lessening of sentences for criminals and the elimination of tuition at state and community colleges. West plans to raise the minimum wage and end the use of a credit score for certain financial decisions. He plans to cut down on military funding and disband NATO. He supports free health care and plans to make a pathway to residency for those seeking refuge in America.  

Stein previously campaigned in 2012 and 2016 and is yet to hold any offices. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Doctor of Medicine degree, both from Harvard University. She plans to address climate change, to call for more police training and to wipe out student debt. Stein supports the idea of an economic bill of rights, opposes violence and has called for a ceasefire in Israel. She advocates for Medicare and supports a ‘wider pathway’ for immigrants to enter America. 

What to remember 👥

When thinking about voting, remember that the person you are voting for will make decisions based on their opinions, beliefs and biases. Though every candidate has their flaws, it is important to remember that this person will put policies into place that will affect you, your neighbor and the world at large. The Blue and Gold is eager to follow along as the presidential election picks up momentum in the coming months!