Students Discuss Issues They Care About in 2024 Election

This story is published as part of U.S. Democracy Day and the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah, Utah State University and Utah Tech University.

Election Day is just around the corner, and this year’s election cycle has been full of twists and turns. On July 13, Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. A little more than a week later, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Vice President Kamala Harris then stepped up to replace him.

Through it all, several issues have risen to prominence. The economy, abortion rights, immigration, healthcare and crime are just some of the most important issues voters care about, according to a Pew Research Center report.

University of Utah students also have a lot to say about what they want to see in this year’s election and the differences they hope to see in 2025.

Social Media

Corie Paige Miller, a junior studying peace and conflict studies and international studies, said, “I think with this upcoming election, it’s going to be very fascinating, especially since the two candidates are using social media as a platform to promote their campaigns.”

Harris has over 18 million followers on Instagram and over 5 million on TikTok. As Time reports, the Harris campaign has embraced the use of memes and internet references to appeal to young voters.

Trump, too, has used social media to promote his campaign. In August, Trump talked with Elon Musk for over two hours on a live stream on X. Trump has over 90 million followers on X and over 26 million on Instagram.

“It will be interesting to see how each candidate handles the debates since they have used their platforms to discredit each other rather than focus on their own platforms,” Miller said. “I hope people use common sense and consult various news outlets for information, not just social media, to avoid disinformation.”

Half of U.S. adults get news on social media at least sometimes, the Pew Research Center reported in 2023. That same report found that a significant portion of people aged 18-29 who regularly consume news on social media find news on Instagram, TikTok or Reddit.

“Another thing that will be fascinating this election cycle is the large number of 18 to 24-year-olds voting, possibly the highest in history,” Miller said. “It will be interesting to see young adults participating in voting, especially since they grew up during COVID-19 and various political issues over the past 24 years.”

In 2020, roughly half of young people in the U.S., those aged 18-29, voted in the presidential election.

Reproductive and LGBTQ+ Rights 

“Reproductive rights are crucial,” Hailey Sommerfeld-Kapp, a medical student pursuing a doctorate in midwifery, said. “No further information needed.”

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Since then, 14 states have enacted abortion bans. An additional eight have some kind of abortion restrictions. In Utah, abortions after 18 weeks are illegal. An attempt to instate a near total abortion ban was recently put on pause.

Rights of LGBTQ+ community members have also seen significant changes in recent years. In the last legislative session, the Utah Legislature passed a bill requiring Utahns to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth. In 2023, Utah also passed a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

“I want someone who focuses on queer rights and women’s rights,” Anya Gorder, a junior studying film at the U, said.

Economy, Guns and the Middle East

Gun control was also discussed as an issue that is important to students in this election cycle.

“I want bipartisan action on gun reform and control,” Sommerfeld-Kapp said.

Gorder said she also wants to see a candidate who addresses antisemitism in the U.S. After Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic crimes in the U.S. increased. A poll conducted by Harvard found that many young people support finding a permanent ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas war.

“What I would really like to see in this election is a candidate who genuinely cares about the people and prioritizes them over billionaires,” Gorder said.

For more information on voting in Utah students can visit the Vote.Utah.gov site. The U also offers classes to boost confidence in navigating election season. For more details, visit the “Empower Yourself for the 2024 Election” section on the U’s website.

Kate Keith reported and wrote this story as a journalism student with the University of Utah’s The Daily Utah Chronicle. Her article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.