With the 2024 presidential election comes a new generation of voters: many Niles North seniors are 18 and were registered to vote for the first time on Nov. 5.
In a poll from Tufts University, 57% of young adults (aged 18-34) said they’d be voting in the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris also had a 17-point lead over former president Donald Trump with younger voters, according to the Harvard Institute of Politics. Harris especially had leverage when it came to young female voters.
Abortion was one of the main issues on the minds of Niles North voters.
“Well, I would love to see Roe v. Wade reinstated,” senior Emily Yau said. “That’s really my baseline. Thank God we’re in Illinois because women’s reproductive rights and abortion rights are protected, but that’s not universal.”
Yau is referring to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which has allowed each state to decide their respective laws on abortion instead of the federal government allowing abortions in every state.
Gun control was also a key issue.
“Recently, there’s been a shooting at [Illinois State University],” senior Rhea Shin said. “There’s also been a shooting at [Northern Illinois University]. There’s also [been] a shooting by Loyola [University]. It’s just way too common. Students, teachers—we shouldn’t have to live in fear of that. I feel like just having an assault rifle ban would really just benefit all of our school systems.”
“Especially with a bunch of school shootings and stuff like that happening, there should be a harder restriction on guns and how they’re administered,” senior Ayesha Khan said.
Many Niles North students are from families of immigrants, influencing the way many students vote. Yau wants to see policies that make the immigration process easier.
“Making it easier for people who want to immigrate, to actually apply and get citizenship, or at least a green card [is important to me],” Yau said. “Honestly, border control, I don’t think is super important to me, especially with how aggressively we handle it. It feels more inhumane than anything.”
Khan was looking forward to voting and being able to represent her parents with her vote.
“It’s exciting to have that choice, and be able to make my own decision and educate myself,” Khan said. “Also my parents are immigrants and stuff like that, [so also educating] them and [making] sure I’m advocating for them as immigrants and advocating for what they fought for, what they wanted, for my life as they came here.”
This election is closer than ever according to the polls, so even one vote from a Niles North voter can make a difference.
“[The election is] pretty polarizing, supposedly the most polarizing one so far,” senior Will Sterbenc said. “So that’s exciting. We’re in Illinois so we’re almost certainly going blue, but it’s still just overall knowing that my voice matters this year is cool.”
