Political organizations on Grounds are gearing up for a busy campaign season as the November election approaches.
Virginia, long considered a swing state in presidential elections, will be contested ground in the race between third party candidates, the Republican nominee Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
According to University Democrats President Sam Tobin, 2016 presents a unique opportunity for voters to help shape the future of the United States.
“It’s about deciding what kind of country we’re going to be over the next four to eight years,” Tobin said. “Whether we embrace a model of diversity and acceptance and unity or whether we embrace Donald Trump’s model of division, of racism, quite frankly.”
In addition to knocking on doors in the local area, Tobin says University Democrats will be making an effort to get students to register to vote in Charlottesville, both because their votes could make a difference in a close race, and because they should be civically engaged in the place they spend the majority of the year.
“They live in Charlottesville; they are part of the community now,” Tobin said. “I live in Charlottesville more than I live at home, and I’m sure it’s the same for most U.Va. students, and you should have a voice in the local community of Charlottesville.”
Ali Hiestand, Vice Chairman of Events for College Republicans, said some in her organization have misgivings about campaigning for Trump.
“I don't want to speak for the entire organization, but I do think that many of us are genuinely worried about true conservative principles being confounded with the rhetoric of Donald Trump,” Hiestand said in an email statement. “I believe he says things that attract and have, in the past, mistakenly attracted people to the Republican message for xenophobic and prejudiced reasons.”
There is a student organization at the University, Students for Trump, for those who endorse the Republican nominee.
Hiestand said College Republicans will continue to campaign for local candidates, including Barbara Comstock — the U.S. representative from Virginia’s 10th congressional district — and state Senator Tom Garrett, who is campaigning to replace outgoing Republican Representative Robert Hurt for Virginia’s 5th district.
Hiestand said congressional and local elections are “ultimately where we see the biggest impact on the average citizen, despite the much greater excitement surrounding a presidential election.”
Lucila Figueroa, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Politics, said in an email statement that she has encouraged her students to take part in elections in the past, and will do so again this year.
“[I offered] my students extra credit last year if they voted in the primaries,” Figueroa said. “Out of 17 students, only four voted even with added incentives!”
Figueroa, whose class falls on election day this year, said she will excuse an absence that day for any student who votes, in addition to offering extra credit.
“We'll see if the added excused class absence, or maybe just the general election itself, incentivizes more students to vote,” Figueroa added.
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