Whether or not you identify as a strongly political person, to deny the fact that even the least political people have been keeping up to date on the election would be a blatant lie. Even if it’s out of morbid curiosity, to stay up to date, or whatever other reason there could be, millions of people, even outside of the U.S. itself, have been focusing very prominently on the event. Due to this, thousands of different political views have been developed about every aspect of the election, how the votes were counted, and the effect COVID could have possibly had. To get a rounded out view of the student body’s opinions, The Blue and White asked some pressing questions.

Sykla Abramson, a junior at AHS known best for her extroverted personality and love of knowledge, spoke openly about how important she views this election to be and the impacts of mail in voting. She states, “I believe this is a very important election because the president’s policies will greatly affect America … Modern America has drifted farther from their core values and this election will change that course, [but] whether that be positive or negative is up to interpretation.” She follows up by detailing how proud she is of America’s voter turnout, explaining, “I think that it’s great that more people are exercising their civic obligations … this is an amazing historical moment for America.” Skyla also expressed her views on the current voting systems, “I think popular vote should be the only votes accounted for and I believe the electoral college is unnecessary because the times have changed.” She added, “Many voters use mail in voting because it is a safer method … [However,] from what I’m aware, President Trump urged his supporters to go to the polls instead of mailing them in.” Which directly shares her opinion on the influx of voting for this election. 

We followed up with Connor Rowe, a student at Apopka High who openly prefers DnD sessions over spirit weeks. He discussed his views on the matters of COVID-19, mail in voting, and the election in general. In response to the question of why the election is so important,  Connor stated, “How [the candidates] handle a situation like this is crucial to understanding how they may deal with other crises during their presidency.” He further explains that “… much of the reason that the election is important is probably due to the situation we’re currently in. With the recent pandemic, there is a need for action to protect the country.” When the question of mail in voting as a format was raised, he was swift to respond that, “For many, mail-in voting was seen as more convenient and safe, but many consequences can come from it. Obviously losing it in the mail (although unlikely due to the importance and quantity) can have an effect on the voting numbers, but the process is just as secure as ballot voting. I do believe it to be more convenient for many, especially so in these times.”

Finally Langston Lucas, proud musician of many instruments and marcher in the Apopka marching band replied to interview questions. He starts off by stating that, “It’s good to see people understand how much this election matters, and how important it is for people to participate this year.”  His opinions on mail in voting, all overwhelmingly positive. “Yes, the large turnout of mail in ballots was only to keep voters and others as safe as possible … while COVID-19 stopped some people from voting in person, the urgency of this election made people take initiative and vote in other ways.” Langston didn’t have any strong opinions to name about the election, while reiterating how important it is to stay as safe as possible, even when participating in events as essential as the election itself. When asked exactly how important he viewed the election, he remarks, “I agree with the statement of this is one of the most important elections due to the prior events in the last year, this election is clearly choosing the side of advancement or being stuck in ways that will sooner or later tear our nation apart.”