On Oct. 16, early voting in Tennessee began for the upcoming presidential election. Students native to the state are starting to cast their ballots and those who are out of state will begin this phase shortly, if not already. Knowing you’re making the right decision on your ballot is an internal struggle the entire country is facing.
Two students at UT who are voting for opposing parties in the upcoming election sat down to talk about why they are making their decision to vote either Republican — Donald Trump — or Democrat — Kamala Harris.
Samuel Smith, a sophomore at UT studying public affairs, is voting for Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
Savannah Jobkar, a second year master’s student at UT studying biosystems engineering, is voting for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.
*These interviews have been edited for clarity.
When did you know you were going to vote for this candidate?
Smith: Probably after the nomination, especially after he got shot and survived. I’ve always been sympathetic to Trump but I wouldn’t say I am a die-hard Trump fan.
Jobkar: As soon as I found out that Trump was the Republican candidate and when they announced Harris as the candidate after Biden dropped out.
What characteristics appeal to you about this candidate?
Smith: Being an outsider is one characteristic. … He doesn’t come from a political background. I also think it is admirable that he has been saying the same things all throughout his career and life. He also seems to be more authentic than most politicians, but it is hard to say from an outside perspective.
Jobkar: I think she’s a good representation of all Americans. She has very good plans for everyone, and she’s a very good role model to look up to. She worked to get where she was with all of her law degrees, she’s very respectable, so I think she’s earned her spot, really.
What characteristics don’t appeal to you about this candidate?
Smith: Yes, I am a conservative Christian and I don’t really know if he stands for those values, but I also think if you look at any politician’s secret lives, they probably all have dirt.
Jobkar: No, not really.
What policies within this candidate’s administration appeal to you?
Smith: I want to see the wars ended in Ukraine and Israel, and Trump has promised to do that — hopefully he will. He has promised a lot about the border situation — he has promised to deport all of the illegal immigrant criminals, I think that would be a good thing. Another big thing is tariffs.
Jobkar: For me, I like that she has a plan. There is the up to $25,000 down payment for first time homebuyers, she has plans for supporting small businesses in the US. … I also think it is very important that she has a plan for helping families with newborns by giving the child tax credit. She also wants to lower taxes for the middle class, and she is looking to restore Roe v. Wade, in which I personally believe that your access to abortion care should not be determined by your coordinate location in the US. Other policies that appeal to me are her policy to erase medical debt, and my favorite one is her policy that ensures nobody is above the law, meaning no immunity for former presidents.
Are there policies within this candidate’s administration don’t appeal to you?
Smith: I wish he had more of a plan to address the size of the government and cutting it down. We spend too much money, and so much of it goes to nothing.
Jobkar: I don’t think so. The only thing that I want to know more about that would affect me is when she says she wants to strengthen social security and Medicare, what does that look like?
Why would you encourage others to vote for this candidate?
Smith: War, number one. We are sending weapons to Ukraine that could strike Russia, this is a serious act of war. Trump has been insistent that there were no wars in his administration, and Harris is in office and the Israel and Ukraine war started. I think nuclear war — a pre-eminent issue that would affect everyone — is less likely to happen under Trump’s administration.
Jobkar: I’m passionate about people knowing who they’re voting for. I am not forceful about it, but I have the facts about both candidates to help others make an educated decision.
Is there anything that this candidate could do that would make you vote for the opposing candidate?
Smith: If Trump were to come out and say that the U.S. was going to war with Iran or Russia, I would consider voting for Harris. I think the Democratic party is the ruling party right now, and I don’t think anybody believes Biden is making decisions every day and I don’t think Harris will either.
Jobkar: It’s hard for me answer this question because there’s no way she could stoop to Trump’s level within the remaining time period of the election. Realistically, yes I would vote for the opposing candidate if she were to go off the deep end, worse than Trump already has, but there is no way she can be a 34-count convicted felon in that time period.
At any point in this election were you thinking about not voting?
Smith: No, I want to vote. If you are a citizen, you have an obligation to vote.
Jobkar: No.
