Election Day: Millennials Show Up & Shoutout

By, Molly McElwee

It's Election Day and students across the country cast their ballots today, whereas others sent through their absentee ballots weeks ago.

At American University students spoke to us about the issues that drove them to vote, in the most polarising election to date.

The students were very conscious of their responsibility to vote. Nicholas Roszkowski described it as his "civic duty" and "part of the American creed".

"You kind of have to engage in order to be American," he said.

One voter was voting specifically for the state issues she felt were most pressing in her home state of California, including marijuana legalisation. Meriam Salem was confident in her "faith in the American people and in the American election process."

Benjamin Khoshbin was more concerned by national issues, including foreign policy. He noted a huge discomfort with Trump's rhetoric regarding the Middle East, as an American who is also half Iranian. He called Trump's suggestion he would tear up the Iran nuclear deal "unbelievably disastrous."

"I just couldn't stomach voting for him."

Robin Savannah Carver described identifying as transgender as being pivotal to her obligation to vote.

"I don't have the luxury of not voting this election. There's too much at stake for me, for my other friends in the queer community, for my friends who are people of colour or Latino... I cannot risk what would happen if Donald Trump were to be elected."

Meriam's final thoughts were perhaps more optimistic, "Regardless to whichever candidate people feel strongly about, I definitely see people organising, mobilising and pushing forward issues that they know may not be solved by either candidate but will not hinder them going out [to vote]."

Twitter handle: @molly_mcelwee