Story by: Meg Wallace
MONTEVALLO, Ala. – With presidential campaign season coming to a close, voters are expected to make a decision at the polls on Nov. 5. The candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have been campaigning with a series of rallies and one presidential debate. Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance have been working alongside them and held their own debate on Oct. 1. Voters will use the information from these events to inform their choice for the next president of the United States.
I conducted a survey of nearly 100 female students at the University of Montevallo regarding the 2024 presidential election to gauge their opinions and concerns. The survey was called Women Voters of Montevallo and was available for any female students with access to the internet through Instagram and other social platforms. It was designed to be representative of the female population of students at UM.
Respondents were asked to select the current issues that have influenced them to vote. The order of topics in this list has been determined by the frequency in which topics were selected, with reason five being the least selected and reason one being the most selected.
Reason 5: Race
Among those surveyed, almost half listed racial issues as being one of the reasons they are choosing to vote in November.
One student writes, “As a woman of color I have to be involved and aware of politics because my identity is political.”
Another shares why they are voting for Harris: “I’m scared of what would happen to me as a young POC homosexual woman.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, three-fourths of the U.S. population is white. People of color report being more likely to receive discrimination at work, having a harder time receiving proper healthcare, and being targeted by police, according to a study conducted by Harvard Public Health Magazine.
Reason 4: Economy
Just over half of respondents listed the economy as one of their reasons for voting.
While several reports list the current state of the economy as being strong, many people, especially in younger generations, are expressing their struggle to survive. With the cost of living going up and minimum wage staying relatively the same, Generation Z and millennials report having a difficult time finding homes and affording rent. Many have taken to social media to discuss having little savings due to the majority of their income going towards expenses.
According to the U.S. Inflation Calculator, the inflation rate in 2014 was 0.8%, whereas the inflation rate in 2021 had grown to 7%. It is important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economy not only in the U.S. but worldwide.
One student writes, “We must first be united in economy before other issues such as abortion, gun laws, etc. can be touched on.”
Another shares their thoughts on Trump regarding the economy, “Trump will be our guiding hope. He has done a lot and things were more affordable during his presidency.”
Reason 3: Gender and Sexuality
Nearly 70% of respondents listed gender and sexuality issues as reasons for choosing to vote. Among these responses, some cited specifically issues regarding women and their rights, while other responses regarded the LGBTQ community.
One student writes, “I feel like as a woman in this country, the space we are allowed to take up keeps shrinking. It is vital to the future generation of women that I use my voice to advocate not only for myself but for them as well.”
Another writes, “As a queer, disabled woman, this election scares me but I will not let it deter me from fighting for my rights.”
Reason 2: Gun Violence
Almost 80% of women cited gun violence as one of the reasons they have decided to vote. According to Pew Research Center, gun-related injuries were the cause of death for nearly 49,000 people in 2021. This number excludes deaths where gun injuries were present but not the main cause of death. Of these deaths, 54% were determined to be suicides and 43% were murders.
One student writes, “There’s just so much gun violence in this country that I’m genuinely scared for siblings and family members to be at school.”
While the Republican Party is known for the protection of the Second Amendment, Democratic candidate Harris and Walz have both spoken about being gun owners. The Democratic Party typically supports gun laws and regulations, not necessarily the erasure of guns.
Reason 1: Abortion
Almost 90% of women listed abortion as a reason they are choosing to vote. The majority of these women reported siding with a pro-choice candidate.
In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, as they decided that a woman’s right to reproductive health care is not preserved in the Constitution. This has left each state to determine their own abortion laws, leading women to travel for life saving healthcare or break the law, risking a jail sentence. While many argue whether abortions should be legal for non-life-saving reasons, women have died from being denied access to abortions in extreme cases. One such case of this is Amber Nicole Therman, a Georgia woman who died while doctors debated how to get around the new abortion laws. She left behind a 6-year-old son.
A common reason that an abortion would be necessary to save the mother’s life is an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus where it cannot survive, leading to terminal amounts of blood-loss for the mother.
I feel like as a woman in this country, the space we are allowed to take up keeps shrinking… It is vital to the future generation of women that I use my voice to advocate not only for myself but for them as well.
anonymous UM student
One student writes, “I’m terrified of how the Trump Administration would further restrict reproductive healthcare access for women in our country. I’ve heard horror stories of women not able to receive lifesaving operations during miscarriages and other medical complications because of abortion bans, and it makes me terrified to even consider starting a family.”
Another shared their experience regarding sexual violence, and how it influenced their decision to vote: “I promised myself that a man would never make a decision about my body again. I stand by that statement.”
One left a suggestion for other students: “This is my first time voting in an election and I am doing absentee mail-in voting. It is a fairly simple process that other college students far away from their permanent address should look into!” Information on absentee ballots can be found on USA.gov. The deadline to request an absentee ballot in Alabama is Oct. 29, but certain deadlines may vary depending on the city. The election is Nov. 5.
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