With the 2024 presidential election closing on Nov. 5, Richland Campus students and staff were polled on certain questions regarding the election. Those included choice of candidate and party identification. The anecdotal poll received 151 responses; 130 students and 21 staff members. Forty-nine percent (74) of respondees were male, 47.6% (72) being Female and 2.6% (4) being other.
The race demographics of the poll were Latino 35.7% (54), and white being second at 24.5% (37). Blacks were third with 19.8% (30). Fourth was Asian 7.9% (12) Arab/Middle Eastern 5.2% (8) and other tied at 5.2% (8)
The party identification numbers showed that 45% (68) were Democrats. Second being independents 35.0% (53). Last being Republicans at 16.5% (25).
Thirty-nine percent (59) of the respondees chose Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president, while g 36.4% (55) responded as undecided. Former President Donald Trump came in third with 24% (37).
These results might not be a surprise to some. Seventy-six percent of people in the precinct that Richland Campus resides in voted for President Joe Biden while only 20% of those voters chose Donald Trump for president in 2020.
Richland student Jericho Enoy said he would select Donald Trump as president. “Think I’m gonna go with Trump,” he said, adding, “I mean, like, they both got their pros and cons. Yeah, I don’t feel like Harris is fit to be a president, right? Yeah, so I think Trump would be the better.” Enoy said, “It’s the lesser of two evils with Trump.”
The most important issues, according to the poll, were immigration at 17.8% (27), inflation at 15.2% (23) and third being the issue of the economy at 14.5% (22). Health care came in fourth with 11.2% (17). Guns and Other tied for at 9.9% (15). The abortion issue was seventh with 7.9% (12), justice reform was eighth with 6.6% (10), while the issue of the environment ranked ninth with 3.9% (6) and foreign policy came in last with 1.9% (3).
Mark Alvarez, a Richland Campus student, said the issue of immigration is very important to him “Immigration is the biggest factor. There are a lot of people lying, coming into the country, seeking asylum, and it needs to be regulated. It needs to be fair. It needs to be fair for not just the people coming in but for the American people. It needs to be regulated. I feel like the only people that should be coming in are (sic) people that are doing productive things,” Alvarez said.
For Richland student Eric Jimeiz, the issue dear to him is inflation. “Inflation is an issue with me like with prices are going up and stuff, he said, adding, “It’s a big issue and Harris can’t solve it.”
Ashley Ortega, a Richland is student, said abortion is very important to her. “In my opinion, overturning Roe was kinda (sic) of a step back for us and women deserve to choose, which is why Harris gets my pick over Donald.”
