College Students and Voting

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At Mercyhurst University, senior Catherine Segada said she feels students are wanting to cast their ballots and the campus is encouraging students to vote.

"I think a lot of students are excited about voting here on campus and getting ready to vote tomorrow. Hopefully a lot of people from the PA area are able to go to their voting sites and the campus is really trying to be more proactive about getting everyone registered to vote before the day comes,” Segada said.

Segada said though students want to vote, sometimes busy schedules and distance make it harder.      

“So I know a lot of people try to get more active in their local government, but it’s really hard when you're so far away from home. I know that a lot of people will even try to register from western PA, and in PA to then vote in those local elections while they’re here for four years. So, people are trying. I think college students really want to get out and do that, so it’s really important to us,”  Segada said.

While the primaries set the stage for November, some say they're not too sure students are excited for the fall.

“I haven't seen very much enthusiasm. I mean I know a lot of people back home think it’s just the 2020 race again, and I’m a little bit of that sentiment here,” junior Cecilia Harris said. 

Harris said voting has always been significant and that voting does make a difference.

“I live 30 minutes outside of D.C. so you can’t really live there and not get involved in politics. . . I’ve always seen voting as very important to me because I was born in 2000. I’ve seen congressmen and senators come and go, and I’ve seen the impact each of them have on laws. People might think ‘oh, just same-old same-old rotating door of politicians,’ but I’ve seen politicians change the county for the better and for the worse,” Harris said.