With the start of 2024 comes the start of the second semester. And while the year winds down for US students by the end of May, the presidential race will just be heating up. For some US students, the “election season,” as it’s described, means the first-time voting, or for others, it means volunteering at a local polling location. However, regardless of one’s age, they can at least stay informed. The important dates for Cleveland and more broadly: Ohio, consist of two major voting dates. The first is March 19th, also known as Super Tuesday. By the time this date approaches, the candidates for both parties will likely have already been decided. However, the votes cast by Ohioans contribute to the delegate votes that will be cast by the time the RNC and DNC meet in the summer. The second is the November general election, which is slated for November 5th. Both the Republican and Democrat nominees will be on the ballot, as well as any independent candidates. But for now, the primary races are off to a peculiar start, for both the Republicans and Democrats, but for vastly different reasons.
The Republicans since 2016 have overwhelmingly sided with Trump to be their leader. Trump has been known to bring out many of the most conservative voters in the country, and also to bring out those that may not vote often. The part that makes the 2024 primaries peculiar for the Republicans is that Trump lost reelection in 2020, but is running again. As of late January, Trump’s numbers in the polls confirm that he is virtually an incumbent. Competitors such as Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley have largely failed to put up much of a fight in the polls. And one by one, nearly all of these candidates have suspended their campaigns. While not official, Trump will more than likely be the party’s nominee. Trump’s numbers have been astonishing. He is one of the only candidates in US history to win both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.
The Democrats have played an odd role in the primary season. In New Hampshire, Biden was not officially on the ballot, even as the incumbent. The DNC is sure that he will be the party’s nominee, which is why there hasn’t been much attention to the Democratic primaries. However, many Democrats are not as strongly in support of Biden as they were in 2020. This trend is visible not only in the Democratic party, as Biden currently holds roughly 40% approval rating among all Americans. Many voters cite Biden’s age as a primary concern for supporting him in the polls. And Biden isn’t alone. Over 50% of the country is opposed to a Biden Trump rematch (News Nation). Both Trump and Biden, following a successful election, would be the US’s oldest presidents in history.
In the early months of the election season, both parties are struggling. Both parties are largely in favor of having someone younger on the ballot, but they also are worried about antagonizing part of their core voters if they select different candidates than the two current frontrunners. These are issues that will be settled by the time November approaches, and will surely call for an exciting election season.
