By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
A little over a month out, the 2024 presidential election is quickly becoming a reality for many first-time voters on Baylor campus. The question is, will these students be ready to make a confident, informed vote by the time Nov. 5 rolls around?
Baylor political science professors are here to help prepare students to vote. Dr. Sergiy Kudelia, who teaches courses on comparative politics and international relations, said it can be hard for any voter to distinguish truth from lies in today’s chaotic political climate.
“The way the elections are run in the United States are oftentimes run and won on emotions,” Kudelia said. “And in this election campaign, we’ve heard a lot of emotional appeals, oftentimes not factually based from the candidates, from both candidates.”
However, young, first-time voters can often find truth in what is important to them, Kudelia said. In regard to foreign policy, he said he encourages students to take a step back and look at what will best serve their country, as well as themselves.
“Before we make our political choice, we should make our personal choice about the issues that affect our lives that are most important to us and how we want these issues to be tackled,” Kudelia said.
Dr. Dave Bridge, a professor of political science who teaches courses on the Consitution and campaigns and elections, said researching to vote can be a daunting task for students, but in reality, it’s simpler than one might assume.
“I recommend taking five minutes with your morning coffee looking at the Apple news app,” Bridge said. “You’re getting it from multiple sources. Some of them lean liberal, some lean conservative, but even that’s okay if you’re reading from different sources. And I think five minutes goes a long way.”
Bridge also said the act of voting on Election Day can deter students from doing their part. In response, Bridge said students shouldn’t worry about long lines leading into polling offices, often a dramatized version of the day.
“Sometimes people feel like voting is very costly [and] takes a long time,” Bridge said. “My experience in this county has been that it’s usually pretty streamlined – okay, usually pretty fast.”
Early voting takes place in person from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Bridge said for early voting, usually the lines are non-existent, so the time it takes to park your car and return from voting is less than five minutes.
Students sometimes have the misconception that their vote doesn’t truly matter, especially if they are voting from a state that’s likely going to lean one way or the other despite their vote, Bridge said. Bridge disagrees and encourages students to register and show up on Election Day.
“Democracy works best when more people are involved,” Bridge said. “Baylor is committed to civic engagement, and I’m not going to tell students what exactly what they should do. But in the same way that we are called to act upon our faith, I think that we should be called to act for our community and our country.”
On Thursday, Baylor’s Alexander Hamilton Society will be hosting a lecture on “The 2024 Election and Transitions of Power” in the Beckham Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center. Given by Dr. Paul Lettow, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, the lecture will help to further prepare students to make the best vote they can when Election Day comes.
The last day to register to vote in Texas is Oct. 7, and students will be able to register on campus that day on Fountain Mall, in the SUB, in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, the Baylor Science Building and Moody Memorial Library.