The 2024 presidential election season is upon us. Even though many Pace high schoolers cannot vote, the magnitude of this election is felt on everyone’s shoulders. Americans feel very strongly about this election, but there are still many undecided voters, particularly in the 18-24 demographic, which contains a majority of Gen Z. The uncertainty in Gen Z’s interest in this election draws the question; how are Pace high school students coming to conclusions about who is the right candidate for the United States in 2024?
Out of fifty Pace high school students polled, 82% of students admitted to never disagreeing with their parents’ political affiliations. This statistic is really telling because it helps explain why voters believe the things they do. It seems that most Pace students follow what their parents believe, rather than forming their own opinions. Still, this percentage seems lower than expected, meaning that a decent amount of students think independently from their parents. Especially in a time of technology and new information, students have access to more and more facts and information which could support a different political opinion.
One anonymous Pace student disagrees with their parents who vote as Democrats. “I realized how the country is going and where it might end up,” said the student. Another Pace student would vote as a Democrat even though their parents are Republicans. This student said that they started disagreeing with their parents in 2024; “[I was] learning the policies for myself and going out of my way to educate myself on every candidate.” These two points of view are exciting for the Pace community because it illustrates that Pace is building a well-informed and educated group of students who care about the issues facing our country.
On the other hand, should kids feel shame for agreeing with their parents’ political beliefs? Absolutely not: it is completely okay to believe in the same values as your parents. However, it is really important to learn all of the factual information regarding an election and then make your decision on who to vote for. Blindly accepting your parents’ opinion as the only correct belief is a mistake because it would limit your perception of the pros and cons of candidates in an election.
So, how do students of undecided parents feel about this election? Out of the twelve students who said their parents are undecided, 75% of students said they would vote Democrat in this election. The other three students were divided with two of them saying they would vote Republican, and the last one remaining undecided. Is the Pace community a reflection of what could come in this election? Is the sample size too small? The only thing that is certain is that if you care about the results of the election, you can do something about it. Get your parents to vote, get your friends to vote, or go out and vote yourself if you are old enough. Finally, make sure that you have researched the candidates and understand the issues.