No matter which side of the aisle you fall on politically, it’s agreed upon across the nation that the 2024 Presidential Election is an intense one. Not only has it been unprecedented and historic, but it shows how divided the United States is by party. Polling numbers have been closer than ever, and all eyes are on the seven swing states, Michigan being one of them.
“Knowing what was going on in the election it was kind of like life or death to me,” senior Theo Thomson said. Thomson mentioned that human rights are a major issue to him, something that both candidates have polar opposite stances on. “I knew that I was either going to have to change some things about myself or I was going to have to find ways to protect my friends,” said Thomson.
The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is running for presidential office for the fourth time. He ran as a third-party in 2000, but ran as a Republican in 2016, 2020, and now 2024. Trump’s win in 2016 was rather unconventional since he was one of just five presidents in American history to have lost the popular vote but won the electoral college. In 2020, he fell short with only 232 electoral votes, just 38 votes short of the required number to secure the presidency (CNN). Trump’s only prior government position to this election was as president.
The Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, is running for presidential office for the second time. She ran as a Democrat both times but did not make it past the primary election in 2020 due to a shortage of donations. Her nomination as the candidate for 2024 was decided on August 5th of this year, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Biden was the fifth presidential candidate in American history to step down from reelection mid-campaign (Poynter). Harris has held government positions as district attorney of San Francisco, attorney general of California, senator from California, and vice president to President Joe Biden prior to this election.
“I don’t think we put the two best candidates up,” teacher Edward Wessel said. “So, it’s hard to root for anybody.” Finding politicians who fulfill bipartisan demands feels rare to voters nowadays due to the modern divide between the left and the right sides.
The 2020 presidential election had a record number for voter turnout with nearly 160 million eligible Americans showing up to cast their ballot (U.S. Census). Many people in the country are hoping for similar numbers this year. Early voting has helped many voters get their choice counted for as over 8.3 million Americans have utilized this resource as of November 4th (NCSBE).
The anticipation for a winner stays high as hard-hitting issues like abortion, international trade, taxation on the middle class, climate change, and working unions are at stake, with both sides of the race wanting different things. Most voters’ decisions come down to which candidate is the most like-minded to them.
“I think I was checking on the election every single hour,” junior Nolan Darga said. “I was, excited, you know, I was hoping that Trump would win. And, well, that happened.”
It was announced at 5:22am on November 6th, 2024, that Donald Trump is the projected winner of this election. This will serve as his second and final term in the executive office. This time around, he won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. At this point in time, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, and Alaska have not submitted all votes, however, Trump sits at a solid 276 votes from the electoral college. This is the first time since George H.W. Bush’s election in 1988 that every swing state has gone red. Trump will be inaugurated into the White House on January 20, 2025. The 2028 presidential election will officially be the first time in twelve years that Donald Trump will not be on the ballot.
