by | Gianna DiPasquale
Editor-in-Chief
Four years have passed and the country is now back in the swing of another presidential election. The environment surrounding this election is filled with intensity, as candidates are doubling down on their ideas and policies, and citizens becoming even more divided.
Here are three things that will characterize this election according to journalist Miles Parks.
Ever since 2020 there has been an apparent pattern in candidates insinuating foul play in elections, even when it’s clear they have lost. This was a trademark for Trump and his supporters, and was adopted by many other politicians. To me, this is a dangerous and harmful tactic because it can cause anger about a supposedly rigged election, which can lead to violence. There has already been incidents of this occurring, from fights between people at protests, to an entire insurrection of the capitol building. This should be seen as a cause for concern when people are deciding who to vote for.
Another act that has been seen is violence towards election workers. People at polls have been dealing with verbal and even physical attacks since the series of events caused by the 2020 election. This has resulted in many workers to have quit, leaving the mechanics of the election to be left with new, less experienced people. Two election workers from Georgia even sued Rudy Giuliani in a defamation trial after facing threats against their lives and having their home life disturbed by violent voters. The trial ended with the court deciding that Giuliani needed to pay them $148 million dollars. Situations like what these workers went through could be a concern about how effective voting will be, and how long people will have to wait to select their candidate.
This year will show a difference in the way democrats vote versus republicans. Since the 2020 and 2022, republicans have been very vocal about their disgust with mail-in voting, absentee voting, and early voting. This reluctance to enable these voting styles leads to republican voters having less time, and less opportunities to vote. Learning this leads me to believe that this will have a prominent impact on how voters from the different parties will go about their experience on election day.
These things should be noticed and be made aware of by first time voters. These issues, while they have been ongoing, are going to make this election unique and frustrating for some. Awareness around the behaivors of politicians, treatment of poll workers, and voting procedures is essential in making sure citizens can make an informed vote with less of a hassle. These circumstances should not deter people away from voting, as this election is representative of the growing diversity of opinions in this country.
