Though the actual presidential election doesn’t take place until November, the debates and conversations surrounding the currently occurring primaries are extremely important.
Caucuses held in Iowa and New Hampshire have stoked political fires, from the extremely close race in Iowa between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, to the actuality of Donald Trump winning in New Hampshire. On March 1, Super Tuesday, caucuses will be held in several states, one of which is Colorado. Though the Republican Party will not hold a caucus on the first, the Democratic Party will be in full swing, providing a serious space for students to get involved and gain more knowledge about the Democratic candidates.
A caucus is one of the first steps towards nominating a presidential candidate. On March 1, people will gather at designated locations all over Colorado to discuss issues and throw support behind either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Unfortunately for many students, one can only participate and vote on this day if they are registered as a Democrat within the state of Colorado. If one doesn’t have an official affiliation with the party, they aren’t allowed to vote; however, anyone is welcome to show up and participate in discussions and campaigning.
For students, this day can be taken advantage of in many ways, whether through simply listening to conversations, showing up at one of the locations to contribute to discussion or actually voting if they are properly registered. Since Colorado is a swing state, this caucus won’t necessarily give any information to which party, Republican or Democrat, the state could swing towards. However, the caucus is extremely important in detailing which Democratic candidate is receiving more support, and how displays of support may be changing.
Though this caucus may seem unimportant, especially for those who aren’t allowed to vote, students should still take note and pay attention. Political conversations and displays have been very apparent, through viewing parties for the Democratic debate or painting the wall outside Driscoll in support. Campus organizations including DU College Republicans, DU Democrats and DU Students for Bernie have all been active on campus through meetings, public displays of support and student debates. Plus, the visit of Chelsea Clinton and actress America Ferrara gave students the chance to engage with Clinton’s campaign whether it was through asking questions, gaining information or solidifying political opinions. This engagement needs to remain prominent both in the face of the upcoming caucus and beyond in months to come. Students should recognize that their votes can make an impact and that they should be concerned about voting. After all, the president elected in 2016 will have major influence in the lives of college students attempting to find jobs and pay off student debt, issues on which the Democratic candidates are highly outspoken.
The votes of young people are essential to creating change, but this must start with being knowledgeable and engaged with political conversations and events. Students should be encouraged to participate in Super Tuesday in any way possible; political changes are happening, and students need to be involved and contribute their voices, through club participation, the willingness to have conversations and official voting when the time comes.
