One of Boulder’s 24-hour ballot drop boxes sits outside of the University Memorial Center. (Chloe Fischer/ CU Independent)
The midterms are approaching with just over a week left before the election. Several other developing ballot issues include climate change, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
Some University of Colorado Boulder students said some key issues they care about include immigration enforcement agencies, electing younger representatives, environmental protection policies. One concern that some CU Boulder students have is the lack of transparency from politicians.
Addison Fink, a sophomore at CU Boulder and the events and outreach coordinator for CU Boulder’s Democracy Matters chapter, said she had concerns about government transparency.
“We want to see more transparency – where our tax dollars are going, the money with lobbying efforts,” Fink said. “Ever since these organizations have been able to endorse the president, there has been an increase in this sort of money game in politics. So far during the Trump administration, there has been this fear of an oligarchy situation. With the whole attack on Greenland, they’re now trying to set up all of these oil rigs in Greenland, which is putting money directly in his biggest supporters’ pockets, the ones that are donating the most money to him.”
With younger generations making up a large portion of voters, some students said they want more younger midterm candidates. Junior Addison Noe wants to see more progress in the government.
“From midterm candidates, something that I’m specially concerned with is obviously a sense of youthful energy, but more so actual messages and finalizations of an actual healthcare agenda, abolishing ICE and a general opposition of establishment politics, which are really getting in the way of actual progress,” Noe said.
According to an article by Pew Research Center, “When asked about engaging with climate change content online, those in Gen Z are particularly likely to express anxiety about the future. Among social media users, nearly seven-in ten Gen Zers (69%) say they felt anxious about the future the most recent time they saw content about addressing climate change.”
Another concern among students is climate justice. Raine Khandelwal, a freshman in environmental science had a focus on future effects of climate change.
“I think the climate is probably the most important thing for our future right now,” Khandelwal said. “I feel like a lot of people will say buzzwords around it, if no one is doing stuff about it. I feel like, especially on the democratic side, a lot of people will talk about doing stuff, but no one really advocates for that. And then Republicans don’t even bring it up. So many people think the world is ending – and it could. But it also could, you know, not. It’s not over yet.”
Both the in-person registration deadline to vote in Colorado and the midterm elections are on Nov. 3. Voting drop boxes are stationed at the University Memorial Center and William’s Village. The UMC voting center is open for students to vote in-person, and the William’s Village voting center will open Nov. 2 and 3.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Abigail Vance at Abigail.Vance@colorado.edu.
