Setting the Stage
“This is the most important election of our lives!” A statement everyone has inevitably heard at one point or another, only to hear it repeated in the next election cycle. While perhaps not life or death, this cycle matters because the governor’s office is up for grabs for the first time in eight years, and with Evers’ retirement, it’s the first time since 2018 that a new Democratic candidate is running.
However, the importance of an election hinges on its voters. With that in mind, let’s look at students’ most prominent concerns here at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and what’s driving them to vote. I went around the UWM campus asking five students about their top concerns heading into November’s election.
Students’ Concerns
“AI technology, gun regulation.” One student told me when I asked about his main concerns heading into November. “We’re kinda getting too divided right now,” he added. The student said he’s looking for someone “who can effectively navigate political polarization.” When asked who he thinks is the better governor option to address those concerns, he told me, “Crowley, if I had to pick.”
“Gas prices are pretty brutal right now,” Gavin Wiess, a student at UWM, said. “AI regulation is up there.” He specified later in the discussion that it’s not just data centers that worry him; AI regulation in general is something he wants to see passed. Wiess hasn’t decided on who to vote for yet, but these factors will undoubtedly play a part in this thought process.
“Housing and job availability/lack thereof,” Oliver Woodford, a first-year at UWM, expressed. “I’m actually right now in the process of getting employed to do canvassing for David Crowley.” When asked if this meant he supports Crowley, he was rather honest, saying, “Yeah, I’m doing it partially, mostly for the money at this point. Because they pay you well.” Oliver even mused, “I would campaign for anybody at that point, at $24 an hour. But no, I can get behind a lot of what he’s trying to make happen with healthcare and everything. At this point, I’m never going to the dentist again because of the cost currently.”
“One of my biggest concerns is the lack of support for endangered species right now.” Holly Nygren, a first-year studying biology at UWM, said. She also expressed concern for “deforestation and climate change.” Nygren said, “Environmental factors are declining.”
“Data centers,” Hayden Alvarado, a first-year at UWM, said when asked about their concerns. “ICE is overpowered, and they don’t follow the Constitution,” Alvarado said. “I’ll probably vote for Crowley.”
Voting Information
Regardless of conviction, one thing is clear: UWM students aren’t satisfied with the status quo. Very soon UWM students and all Wisconsinites will make their voices heard at the polls. Early in-person voting opened on October 20 in Milwaukee. The general election takes place on Tuesday, November 3. Check myvotewi.gov to find your nearest polling place.