FIU students explain the importance of voting

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POSTED BY: FIUSM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Christopher Downs/Contributing Writer

From President Barack Obama to first-time voters, everyone is discussing the importance of getting to the polls and voting.

With Election Day just around the corner, registered citizens at the University voiced their opinion on the future of their community.

Sophomore Georgina Rayo, studying business management said, “I got to vote in my first election, it was pretty cool … I get to choose who’s the next leader of America.”

Rayo, by experiencing her parents’ process to obtain U.S. citizenship, felt compelled to exercise her right to vote in honor of her mom.

“My mom is an immigrant and I’m able to exercise my right to vote,” she said.

Rayo said her primary concern is the people who have decided not to vote based on the unfavorable opinions of both presidential candidates.

Laniah Harris, a sophomore studying mass communications, said that many young 18 and 19 year olds overlook the impact their vote has during the election.

“Most people are concerned with material things — and voting is a milestone in person’s life and should be exercised to its full extent,” said Harris.

Harris also mentioned how uneducated many people are on the political system.

“They get swayed in the wrong direction due to the influences from people around them instead of decid[ing] on their own,” said Harris.

Eugenia Hallbert, a senior double majoring in psychology and criminal justice, expressed the same sentiment.

“People are not aware of who’s on the ballot and what they stand for,” she said, suggesting it’s as if they’re blindly picking someone for president.

She concludes by demonstrating the importance of voting among students.

“It gives you the right to exercise your freedom of speech as beliefs and values,” said Hallbert. “It allows you to have a voice and make a change that will impact your future.”