Making Change: Informed Voting
Disclaimer: This post is intended to be nonpartisan. Any resources or links below that allude to or imply support for a particular candidate are unintentional and do not reflect the views of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development or Worcester State University.
Understanding the 2024 Election
2024 is an election year for the president of the United States. For many college students across the country, this is their first or second time voting in the presidential election. While politics can seem overwhelming or a negative conversation for many, it is important to participate in voting to ensure your voice is heard in policymakers’ decisions. This post provides information and resources to help students feel informed about their decisions in this election.
The 2024 election is on Tuesday, November 5th. The winner will serve four years as president of the United States, starting in January 2025. The president has the power to pass some laws on their own but mostly he or she must work with Congress to pass legislation.
The Republican and Democrat parties each have their own candidate chosen to represent them in this election. The Republican nominee is former president Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee is current Vice President Kamala Harris. Other parties have candidates on the ballot such as the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Green Party nominee Jill Stein. While all candidates have a chance to be represented on the ballot and get elected, the larger majority of the United States is a member of the democratic or republican party. This post will dive into information regarding Republican and Democratic nominees and how to register to vote in the upcoming election.
Additional information on the Election can be found here: US election 2024: A really simple guide to the presidential vote.
Kamala Haris
Current Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee after current President Joe Biden announced he would not run in the 2024 election. Her running mate is the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.
Below are resources to learn about Kamala Harris and understand her policies and stances on different issues she is focusing on in her campaign:
Where Kamala Harris stands on policy issues
Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump is running as the Republican nominee for the third time. His running mate is Senator for Ohio, J.D. Vance.
Below are resources to learn about Donald Trump and understand his policies and stances on different issues he is focusing on in his campaign:
Where Donald Trump stands on policy issues
How to register to vote in Massachusetts?
You can register to vote in Massachusetts if you are a U.S. citizen, a resident of Massachusetts 18 years or older, not currently incarcerated because of a felony conviction. You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person. The deadline to register to vote, update your registration, or change your party is 10 days before any election or town meeting. If you have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can register online. You can also pre-register, update your address, update your name, and change your political party designation.
Visit https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ for more information
Additional Resources
To increase your knowledge of the 2024 election below are some podcasts that provide user-friendly and accessible information.
The NPR Politics Podcast
Every weekday, NPR’s best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don’t just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.
Vox Today, Explained Podcast
Vox audio helps you understand the world. From catching up on the most important news stories of the day to grappling with important discussions between deep thinkers to sparking curiosity about scientific mysteries, our podcasts offer an array of entry points to deeper understanding.
FiveThirtyEight
The FiveThirtyEight team covers the latest in politics, tracking the issues and “game-changers” every week.