Where Some International Students Stand on the 2024 Presidential Election
With the 2024 presidential election less than a week away, political organizations on campus such as the Andrew Goodman Foundation, or the SLU Democrats are working tirelessly to ensure that students have the knowledge and resources to cast their votes this upcoming Tuesday. With all this chatter about the election it’s easy to forget that some students will not be voting.
At St. Lawrence University, an international student is defined as “a student who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
This definition excludes those who are dual citizens or American citizens who grew up abroad, who despite sometimes falling under the “international” umbrella, are technically eligible to vote in this election. International students make up 11% of St. Lawrence University’s student body.
Even though international students are not eligible to vote, the upcoming election remains at the forefront of their minds. “Either candidate is going to screw us because there are only two parties, either Trump who wants to deport us, or Kamala who is funding Israel,” says an anonymous international student at St. Lawrence. Discontentment with the two-party system was a commonality in students’ comments, many criticizing the presidential candidates and their stances.
Another student directed this discontent towards their peers instead of the candidates. “I am disappointed in my American friends that are only voting for these two parties and not considering other third-party options,” says the international student.
This student explained these feelings further, comparing the rights of U.S. voters to their own experience voting in a country under authoritarian rule. “I was never allowed in my country to vote for the person I really wanted, and I see my friends with the privilege to vote for who they want, and they still don’t,” they say. “They either don’t vote at all, they don’t bother, or they vote for someone who they don’t really support.”
While frustrated with the way the election is going, certain international students still feel that they shouldn’t be eligible to vote. “I don’t think I should vote, I’m not American,” one student voiced, and this sentiment was shared among a number of students. Some, however, said they would love the opportunity, because of how important this election is, not just nationally, but globally.
When discussing the outcome of the election, no one had a candidate they liked, but rather one they didn’t. One student said that “we can expect to see more worldwide conflict if Trump wins”, and everyone I spoke with was in agreement that the results of this election will not just impact the United States, but rather, as one student puts it, “it will dictate the next 4 years of our lives globally”