Student Filling Out a Voter Registration Form
Photo: The Bona Venture
BY CHRIS DOODY, STAFF WRITER
With election day approaching on Nov. 5, some students said they’re prepared to vote in this year’s presidential election.
With more than just a presidential election on the line, Tom Buttafarro Jr., director of the office of government and community relations, urged students to vote.
“There is a lot of down-ballot elections [a lower profile election, on the ballot below the presidential election] this year that are very important,” said Buttafarro. “We have both houses of congress up right now. New York has a senate race and every congressperson in New York is up for reelection. And federally people are saying that the house majority could depend on the New York State races.”
Votes in swing states have the power to decide an election, and candidates focus a lot of their time and money campaigning in these states according to Polya’s Election Glossary.
“Voting is important especially if you’re in a swing state, and even if you’re not it’s important to express your views”, said Holden Turek, freshman political science major. “It is especially important today as the younger opinion is not out there as much, that way we get new ideas and a different opinion out there.”
Student voters at Bonaventure said they believe it is important to participate in the election and have their voices heard.
“Get out there and vote,” said Turek. “Do it. You got it. It’s your civic duty.”
There are many different ways to vote including in-person, early voting and mail-in.
“Absentee ballots are not that hard,” said Chloe Wilson, junior public health major. “I can’t understand how some people can’t go the extra mile and put it in the mailbox.”
Students feel that it is easy to match with a political party, by doing background research.
“It’s pretty easy to decide which party you align with most with the right sources,” said Wilson. “Go onto both candidate’s sites or the Democrats or Republicans pages, from there you can see which aligns more with your morals and values.”
However, some students said they feel differently about this.
“I’m too stressed with school to do the research,” said Kristi Crandall, a freshman public health major. “And I don’t even know where to start looking.”
Buttafarro said he feels it is important for students to make their own educated decisions on politics.
“I think that it’s important for students to make their own decision [for a news source] by doing their own wide variety of research,” said Buttafarro. “A lot of these news organizations are more commentary, not facts.”
Buttafaro encouraged students to read the entirety of articles.
“Do not only listen to social media, at least just the headlines,” said Buttafarro. “The headlines themselves are so drastic.”
doodycd24@bonaventure.edu
