With the demand of school, work and internships, commuters at Montclair State University are still finding time to vote.
The midterm elections were predicted to have a huge impact on the nation, and students wanted to voice their opinions by voting.
Students commute from all over the state, some near the Montclair area and others from farther away.
Junior communication and media arts major Sheyla Baez is registered to vote in Paterson, New Jersey. She thinks that this election has been very drama-oriented with controversies between the New Jersey Senate candidates, Democrat Bob Menendez and Republican Bob Hugin.
“I’ll just go with the one [candidate] I believe has the right motives and is trying to help our community the best,” Baez said.
The main issues Baez is concerned about are education and health insurance. She believes health insurance should be a right and should not depend on how much money people make.
A question on the ballot asks citizens to vote on the “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.” This act would allow the state to borrow $500 million to provide grants for vocational school districts and county colleges. It would also allow for construction, better equipment and money to improve water infrastructure.
Baez said she would vote “Yes” because she wants to do anything she can to help future generations. She claims that it is better to try to give more funding to our education system than to not try at all.
Another commuter student, junior journalism major Malinda DiPasquale, is registered to vote in Woodland Park, New Jersey.
“I’m voting Democrat because our country needs more Democrats in office,” DiPasquale said. “With the way it’s going right now, it’s just a mess.”
Like Baez, one of the issues DiPasquale is concerned about is healthcare. She believes there should be better healthcare and better access to it for everyone. It is also an issue she thinks should be in the minds of everyone in Congress.
Junior accounting major Jason DaSilva commutes and is registered to vote in Elizabeth, New Jersey. When it came to past elections, he said he saw himself leaning more toward the Democratic side and thinks he will in this election as well. What he heard from the Democratic party appealed to him the most.
DaSilva thinks that the “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act” sounds like a good idea but thinks it may have issues.
“I think it seems good for now. It would increase funding to help students progress,” DaSilva said. “But then when that is all said and done, we have to look back at the debt the state will be in and that can cause more problems in the long run.”
