The 2024 presidential race has been nothing short of dramatic. Initially, everyone assumed that it would be a rematch of Biden versus Trump, but the race now features Vice President Harris and former President Trump. With numerous twists having already transpired, this election’s results will be exceptionally unpredictable.
One of many surprising moments occured when J.D. Vance–author and Ohio senator who once compared Trump to Hitler–joined Trump as his Vice Presidential candidate. JD Vance once claimed Trump was an ‘idiot’, yet is now one of Trump’s biggest supporters. In various interviews, Vance says that there was no particular moment when he suddenly switched to liking Trump, but over time he realized that his aversion towards the former president was due more to Trump’s style rather than his viewpoints. Vance then admitted the alignment between his and Trump’s values.
Presidential Drop-outs
The biggest shock in the presidential race occurred in July. Concerns regarding Joe Biden’s performance in debates and public appearances rose in early summer, causing him to drop out of the race altogether. He will finish his presidential term, but will not return to back in office in the upcoming year. His resignation from the race meant that the Democrats needed a new candidate; Biden announced his endorsement for Kamala Harris along with the news of his departure. Harris, who is the current Vice President, quickly started campaigning after she was endorsed. Harris made appearances at several historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), spoke at the democratic national convention, and launched a campaign on TikTok to engage young voters.
There was high speculation regarding who Kamala would choose as her Vice Presidential nominee. The list of possible candidates included Senator Mark Kelly, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Pennsylvania’s very own Governor Josh Shapiro. Most people speculated that she would pick Josh Shapiro, however, she chose former football coach and teacher Tim Walz to be her running mate.
With both presidential candidates having chosen their Vice President nominee, people thought there would be no more surprises. This was until the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dropped out and endorsed Trump. RFK Jr. resigned from campaigning in August since his campaign was struggling to gain traction. He also stated that he dropped out to avoid splitting the vote amongst the republican party. When the race was between Trump, Biden, and RFK Jr., the polls showed that RFK Jr. had about 6% of supporters backing him by mid-2024. A lot of his supporters were people who were dissatisfied with the two major party candidates, Biden and Trump. When RFK Jr. was contemplating dropping out of the race, Trump assured him that he would have a seat in his cabinet if he endorsed Trump. With a lot of RFK Jr’s supporters being Republican, RFK’s endorsement means that Trump will now have a larger backing of supporters.
So, what’s next and how does one register to vote?
In Pennsylvania, the deadline for voter registration is October 21st, 2024. One can register online, by mail or in person at a local election office/DMV. An absentee ballot can also be requested for those unable to vote in person. Visit your state’s election website or vote.org to request one.
Thanks to the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) and the faculty senate, students can participate in voting without conflict to their academic responsibilities. Though classes are not canceled, election day will be an asynchronous day of learning. This means professors are still able to assign work and hold virtual meetings, but in-person attendance is not mandated. This ensures that students can vote without stress.
As for the date and time of the presidential debate, the Presidential Debate Commission will announce the schedule in late September or early October.
GO VOTE!
Tweet @valleymag if you think there will be any more drastic surprises with this election season!
