In an ever-changing and fluctuating political landscape, voter demographics have shifted, whether across party lines or by age groups. This election saw a new chunk of Gen Z voters enter the playing field, as young adults from 18-21 who were too young to vote in the last election finally got to make their mark in a presidential election cycle. And in this group of new voters, comes an even more niche group: college students.
At Syracuse University, election day was marked by students dressed in red or blue, dozens of “I voted” stickers, and orange “VOTE” signs scattered around campus, listing the closest polling locations. But as students registered in New York made their way to Huntington Hall to cast their vote, hundreds of their peers sat at home, filling out their ballots in their dorms and off-campus apartments before dropping them off at the post office.
Voting signs in Walnut Park, © 2024 Lizzy Calvo
Although a large portion of Syracuse students are from New York, an even larger number makes up out-of-state students. About 64% of the University's students come from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and even California.
For students coming to SU from out-of-state, the decision to vote becomes one with a caveat: to vote by mail, or leave behind their home state, register in New York and vote in person.
For one SU senior, Michela Galego, the choice was a simple one.
“I decided to vote in Massachusetts just to do my part in the general elections,” said Galego.
Galego felt confident in her decision to vote at home, sending her mail-in ballot ahead of the election. But she did raise an issue a lot of Gen Z voters have with voting by mail: FOMO (the fear of missing out).
Voting is something people get excited about. There’s something to be said about the experience of physically going to the poll, speaking with workers, casting your vote in person, and walking out with a sticker. Since mail-in voting has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, a little bit of that polling place magic has been lost. And for a lot of first-time voters, the feeling of not getting to experience it can sting.
“I’m doing a project for a class, and we had to go to the polls today to interview some people, and I asked for a sticker,” Galego said. “The sticker is such a superficial thing, but it's about being prideful in your vote.”
Student wearing an "I Voted" sticker on election day, © 2024 Lizzy Calvo
For some students, that FOMO partially influenced their decision to register to vote in Syracuse.
Abbey Fitzpatrick, a dual Political Science and History major at SU, chose to register to vote in New York, instead of in her hometown of Pacific Grove California.
“I think a lot of people our age feel like they missed out on some things because of Covid. Voting is just one of many things we missed out a little bit on,” Fitzpatrick said.
But her decision to vote in New York was not only impacted by her experience voting. Instead, the choice came down to the ability to make a positive impact in the Syracuse community.
“The main reason I decided to vote here was because the congressional district here is a lot more competitive here than it is back home,” Fitzpatrick said. “For me, this felt like a very important race to be a part of as a college student here.”