Democracy in Action: The 2024 Presidential Election and the Voices of the West Valley Student Body

Just a few weeks ago on November 5th, many of the students at West Valley College came face to face with democracy for the first time. For a lot of students, this recent presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was their first true contact with America’s political systems — systems that are increasingly characterized by anger and division with each passing year. And yet, when speaking to fellow students on campus about their experiences as first time voters, I heard their voices speak with pride about their decisions and hopes for the future of our country. Students at West Valley College care about using their power as citizens to shape our nation. They represent a shining light of hope during these turbulent times, and embody the resilience and strength that has kept the pendulum of democracy swinging in America for centuries. When interviewing students about why they felt it was so vital to cast their votes, several sentiments came up repeatedly: 

1. The repealing of Roe v. Wade in 2022 was a scary awakening for many youth about the real influence of the people in power. 

2. Many were concerned about the fascistic tendencies of President-elect Trump and the ample room he has for abusing his power. 

3. Students felt the need to vote for those who cannot. 

In 2022, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of overturning the right to federal protection of female reproductive rights, many first time voters were around 15-17 years old. For them, this decision may have been the first major political event they paid attention to, and it sounded an alarm bell in the heads of many, as it had many immediate and nationwide consequences. A lot of young women on campus had never thought about living in a nation without access to reproductive care. Young students of all genders were forced to grapple with conversations about reproductive healthcare and their fallout. Overnight, the weight of our political system grew in their minds. Voting went from a distant concept that adults could choose to engage with, to a civic duty that holds people’s lives at stake. Students took their opportunity to act.

Students also voiced their fears on what a second Trump presidency could look like, considering how effective he was during his first term at getting his Supreme Court nominations approved. A frequent opinion amongst the student body is that Trump has set the stage to take the powers of the presidency as far as we have seen in generations. This leaves the door open for further abuses of power on behalf of him and his administration. We have already seen the President-elect attempt to force political figures into overturning the 2020 election and politicize the Justice Department to target his political adversaries. With a favorable Supreme Court in his favor, we could see further attempts at destabilizing democracy, and impeding the rights of marginalized communities such as the LGBTQ+, nationwide. While students can rest assured that we will likely not see dramatic alterations to the Constitution, such as the fall of term limits, the real fear of a second Trump administration was enough to motivate students to cast their ballots.

The sentiment I was most proud to hear my fellow student body express was their desire to vote for those who cannot. Students from different walks of life expressed this idea differently, with first generation Americans wanting to vote for illegal immigrants who cannot, and supporters of Palestine casting their ballots for Palestians who need international voices to help reach a cease-fire in the war. Though several students expressed their lack of faith in the election system, whether because of the confusing role of the electoral college, or the two party system where neither party seems fully representative of their interests, the majority opinion I heard was that it was crucial to vote, simply because it is a privilege many are not granted. 

Now that the election cycle has come to an end and the excitement of casting a ballot for the first time has come and gone, students are left to grapple with what the future of our country may look like moving forward. For those whose top-choice candidate won, this is less of a sour pill to swallow, and the possibilities of what could ensue in the next four years may seem exciting. For the other first time voters who geared up to partake in democracy only to be let down by the results, the disappointment is understandable. And yet, we must all remember that voting, despite the end results, is worth it. Democracy is a continuous battle - and it is a battle worth fighting. It may feel like a ‘one step forward two steps back’ battle at times, but our democracy was designed to be slow. It was designed to swing and to accommodate all opinions, and fighting to maintain democracy and to have your voice heard through all the ruckus is a fight worth engaging with. 

Giving up is not an option. We, the youth, must continue to have faith in our political system, for those who have no choice. Voting to help people like illegal immigrants, who choose to believe in the justice and safety our nation can offer them so they can dream of a better future for their children. It is our duty to be resilient and to show up to the polls for women and their reproductive rights, and for the sanctity of our democratic political institutions. After speaking with many students these past two weeks, in my opinion, West Valley College should take a lot of pride in how invested their student body was in the recent election.