The election process can be intimidating for first time voters, but the satisfaction of casting your first ballot outweighs the steps it took to come by.
With the importance of the upcoming election on Nov. 3, the newcomers of College Station have been more motivated than ever to go out and cast their first ballot. Texas A&M students can enjoy a myriad of information about the election and voting process through resources like brazosvotes.org and university-provided content. Additionally, A&M’s campus had an early voting polling location and will have two Election Day polling locations: Rudder Tower and the A&M College of Medicine.
Community health junior Kandace Blackburn said she felt nervous and excited about her experience voting in her first presidential election.
“I was a little nervous about the process because I didn’t want to accidentally do anything wrong to incorrectly send my vote in,” Blackburn said. “But I was also excited because it’s the first time I can have my voice and opinion heard and recognized to overall make a difference in something I feel strongly about.”
Blackburn said she felt honored to be a part of the generation that will potentially set records in young voter turnout. She said everyone is motivated to get themselves to vote as well as their peers.
“I believe my generation is an extremely educated and opinionated group, which makes this election that much more important,” Blackburn said. “Younger citizens are more involved and more active in getting others involved, which is really cool and I feel special to be a part of that.”
Supply chain management senior Nicholas Hawley, on the other hand, said he was confident and ready to take part in the election process for the first time.
“This is a big year for the United States, there is so much motivation for our generation to vote and for me to do my part and vote is my civic duty, so I didn’t think too much about the extent of the voting process itself,” Hawley said. “I looked forward to voting this year and for the following years to come to represent my voice.”
Hawley said being away from home in college during a person’s first election experience opens up new windows for conversation that may not happen in their hometown.
“I think an important part about forming an opinion in the presidential election is talking about it with your peers and family,” Hawley said. “Being in College Station allowed for more debates and needed conversations with the people of my generation.”
Like Hawley, Lauren Hambley, community health junior, said being away from her hometown helped her to better form her own ideas and opinions.
“Being in college at a time like this allowed me to grow awareness in my individual thoughts and ideas that I want in a president,” Hambley said. “I am proud to have been a part of such an essential election.”
Hambley said regardless of who is voting for who, our generation shares a passion in doing our part for the country and improving it best we can.
“My first time voting was overall a great experience,” Hambley said. “Even just going through the process felt good, and I think the importance of participating in the elections outweighs the little challenges of voting.”