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| Texas native Virginia Houk sends in her absentee ballot. (Danny Abriel Photo) |
Virginia Houk is an English and creative writing student who calls the state of Texas home. She holds in her hand a completed absentee ballot for this year鈥檚 election. The moment she finds a mailbox, she鈥檚 sending it to be counted.
鈥淚 was three months shy of being able to vote last time,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited.鈥�
She鈥檚 not alone. Across campus, Americans and Canadians alike鈥攏ot to mention students from other countries鈥攁re eagerly following the U.S. presidential race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.
AV俱乐部 political scientist Jennifer Smith says they have good reason to. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more important than some elections have been in the past, for sure,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are two big reasons why. The candidates are one reason鈥攖here鈥檚 no question that Obama鈥檚 campaign in particular is an historic one. Secondly, there鈥檚 truly a big difference between their policy positions.鈥�
Although John McCain is likely to carry Texas, Ms. Houk is voting for Barack Obama, whose campaign is inspiring many younger voters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard not to get excited by him,鈥� says Aaron Heiss, a PhD candidate in Biology from Oregon. 鈥淚 do not agree with him on everything, but for once I feel like I am not voting for the lesser of two evils.鈥�
Surgery postdoc Jennifer Devitt hails from Colorado, a key battleground state this election. She鈥檚 also voting for Obama. 鈥淚鈥檝e come to realize being here in Canada what the world鈥檚 perception of America is, what a bad reputation we have,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want that to change, and I think that while McCain could do that, Obama could change it for the better.鈥�
Not all younger voters are convinced by Obama鈥檚 message of change. Mazie Pierce is a costume studies student from Maine. She鈥檚 still not certain who she鈥檚 voting for, but she鈥檚 leaning towards McCain. 鈥淥bama鈥檚 always talking about change, but I just don鈥檛 see where he鈥檚 got the proof or what exactly he鈥檚 going to do,鈥� she says.
Others remain genuinely undecided. 鈥淣either one of them has won me over yet,鈥� says Erica Averill, a health promotion student from Maine who鈥檚 watching the debates closely to help make up her mind. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking for directness. Politicians have a tendency to beat around the bush a bit, but it鈥檚 really important for them to have clear views on the issues that they鈥檙e going to be voting on.鈥�
While they may differ on their candidate of choice, AV俱乐部鈥檚 American students mostly agree that it鈥檚 worth the effort to vote from abroad.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important for citizens in a democracy to vote,鈥� says David Blanchard, a biology student from Maine. 鈥淧articipation is so low in elections these days. So many people don鈥檛 know or don鈥檛 care. And that鈥檚 a very bad thing.鈥�