With the 2024 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump nearing, Lancers have heard their fair share of political discussion. But how does our student body view the candidates, current issues and the importance of staying up to date?

The Lancer Feed put out an optional form, to which Lancer’s could respond anonymously, from Sept. 27-Oct. 16 asking students questions about their political involvement and opinions. The Lancer Feed shared the poll via social media, posters and in-person during lunches Oct. 16. In total, 393 Lancers responded to the poll.

According to the Tufts Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, compared to the 2020 election, the number of Missouri registered voters between ages 18-19 has decreased by 7%. For voters between the ages of 18-29 there are 2% less registered voters in Missouri. However, data shows this is not an isolated issue. Nationally, only nine states have seen an increase in the number of registered youth voters.

In an attempt to help bridge this gap, LHS invited the League of Women voters to assist eligible students in registering to vote and answering any questions during lunch Sept. 30.

LHS students who certified they were comfortable being interviewed expressed their opinions on each candidates character and policies.

Senior Ava Harkey expressed her favoring of Vice President Harris both due to her overall support of Harris’s policies and disapproval of Trump’s campaign and character.

“I don’t like that a convicted felon is running for president when felons can’t vote. I think that’s kind of messed up,” Harkey said.

Another sticking point for Harkey was her view of Trump’s poor treatment of minorities, women and people in general.

“Women should have autonomy over their bodies. The biggest thing for me, being a woman, is that we can have and maintain our own rights,” Harkey said. “While I don’t necessarily agree with abortion, I do agree that women should have the right to get an abortion, and [Harris] does too. I think women should have the biggest say in the matter.”

Trump’s stances on issues such as the border wall and the environment were also of concern to Harkey, but a greater concern of her’s was how Trump’s actions and character would reflect upon the US.

“He can’t uphold himself. I wouldn’t want someone like that running my country,” she said.

For freshman Cole Dozier, politics are not a big concern; however, he agrees with much of what Harris says, particularly her stance on abortion. His preference for Harris stems from a dislike of Trump’s policies and campaign initiatives.

“[Project 2025] is a big no-no. I do not like that,” he said.

Some LHS students, however, are neutral when it comes to the candidates, not favoring one over the other. One student in particular is junior Lauren Simmons.

“I don’t know a ton about politics, but they both have their pros and cons. I just don’t know which one to side with,” Simmons said.

There are also students who more closely align with Trump’s views. One reason in particular is because of his views on religion.

“I’m a Christian, so I would say he aligns more with my Christian beliefs. Religion is a big part of my life.” junior Zach Toben said.

For senior Piper Dunn, her family is involved in politics since her dad ran for a seat on the Rockwood Board of Education. She said that politics are big conversations her family has as they are dinner table topics, and she feels it is important to stay up to date with them.

Through her research and family’s political involvement, Dunn has been able to form opinions of her own.

“I’m not 100% knowledgeable of everything that’s going on, but I try to keep myself as informed as I can. I find [Trump] to be a little more knowledgeable on border control, especially,” Dunn said.

However, Dunn also said there are things about Harris that she values, such as opinions on the issue of abortion.

“I try to keep myself updated and I try to sympathize with the other side,” she said.

Prior to Harris’s nomination as Democratic party candidate, Trump debated President Joseph Biden June 24. However, after Biden stepped down from his re-election campaign July 21, Harris took over, participating in a presidential debate with Trump Sept. 10. Although Harris proposed another debate, Trump declined.

The Lancer Feed staff also asked students to rank the following issues on a scale of being very unimportant to very important. The issues are as follows: environment, economy, abortion, gun control and immigration.

At the end of the form, Lancers, both anonymous and named, were given an opportunity to share any additional comments regarding the election, candidates and their personal views.

“I was four the last time there was a normal election. I hope Trump loses because he is tearing America apart and trying to take away rights. It makes me sad that people believe his lies,” one student said.

Some students, however, took issue with Kamala Harris.

“Kamala is not good. She is trying to get her votes from trends and looking like she is part of the youngest generation instead of actually addressing problems, and when she does she is wrong about her own information and can easily be fact checked to be false,” an anonymous student said.

Other students, rather than expressing their own political beliefs, simply encouraged peers to do their own research and form their own opinions.

“Before voting you should be very informed on current issues involving both the US, and foreign countries. Make sure to do your own research, most news outlets are very biased and sometimes spread false claims on both sides. Talking about a plan is a lot easier than doing the action, and action is what I look for in a candidate,” one student said.