Current Vice President Kamala Harris won the state of Colorado securing 10 electoral votes. Trump leads the election 198-109.

Trump remains in the lead with 178 electoral votes. Harris currently trails behind with 99 electoral votes.

Many news sources are talking about the impact of younger voters and college students on this election and forecasting the potential effects of a Trump presidency for students.

Yash Roy, writing for The Hill, said there was a high student voter turnout at the polls Tuesday.

“Democrats are dismissing optimism about younger men voting for Trump,” Roy wrote.

 Justin Meszler, programming director for Voters of Tomorrow, was hopeful due to the long lines many observe on college campuses.

“Gen Z will elect Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump today,” Meszler said.

Simon Isaacs, a Democratic strategist, thought more young men will show up for Kamala Harris than many sources lead us to believe.

Celebrities may have an impact on this historic young voter turnout, too.

In the Deadline article, “Anne Hathaway Encourages Youth Voters With Election Day Rendition of Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Please, Please, Please,” Katie Campione wrote about some stars motivating youth during this election season.

According to Campione’s article, Sabrina Carpenter is the pop star who encouraged the most new voters to turn out for this presidential election.

“She also had a special plea for anyone currently standing in line: ‘Please, please, please stay on the line,’” Campione wrote.

Some issues at stake involve the Department of Education and how education works in this country, according to an article from EdSource, which listed examples of how a Trump presidency will change education nationally in their article: “Harris or Trump? A lot at stake for California Students.”

“Trump has revived the idea of targeting the department, which he calls a waste of money and an intrusion on states’ authority,” they wrote. “He [Trump] has said they should be taught reading, writing and math, and not about gender, sex and race.”

They also cited Trump’s campaign promises as a concern.

“The Trump campaign in November 2023 proposed ‘taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments’ and using the money to establish a free, online educational institution where ‘there will be no wokeness or jihadism allowed,’” they wrote.

Only the future will tell the ultimate outcome of the youth turnout to the polls, but the importance of students’ votes in this election could not be clearer.

At the Resnick Student Union election watch party, Rey Hoke let me know it’s her first time voting.

She is nervous about her generation not going out and voting but remains hopeful.

“I hope the world works through whoever wins,” Hoke said. 

Professor Brandon Ocegueda teaches publication design, graphic design and advertising design.

Ocegueda casted his ballot earlier this morning and is unsure about the future. 

Walking back to the Collegian office a bright MAGA hat caught my eye, a bold fashion statement.

Jake Miller, business major, loves a good statement piece.

“I’m a proud Trump (Donald) supporter and I don’t care who knows it,” Miller said. 

Grace Moua is a business marketing major who was walking with John Herrera, computer engineering major, on on their way to vote. “I got my ballot 30 minutes ago,” said Moua.

Moua’s feelings for the election are “standing man emoji.”

Herrera also hopes to vote.

Thomas Holyoke is a professor at Fresno State and teaches political science, american government and interest group politics in congress.

Holyoke voted this morning and states that the election is “really close, really competitive, and unpredictable.” 

Media, Communications and Journalism Professor Cheryl Gardner said she dropped her ballots off last night.

She said that she remains neutral with all of her political dealings on campus so nobody knows how she leans.

Gardner said she was not nervous about the outcome of this election. 

“I think whatever happens, the world [will] go on and tomorrow we will be just fine,” Gardner said.

“I do not care,” said Kamaiah Stevens, agriculture communications major. “Our country is doomed regardless, neither candidate is fit so I did not vote and I do not care who wins.”

Andy Flores is a first year viticulture and enology major.

She voted this morning and feels that there wasn’t really a good option and felt like it was hard to make a decision. Flores ended the interview by shouting “women in power.” 

Trump leads the election with 101 electoral votes. Harris has 71 electoral votes.

With the 2024 election underway, many voters fear that the country’s state of democracy is in peril, with the issue being at the top of voter’s priority list. 

In an exit poll by NBC News, they asked participants to choose between five issues that matter most to them: democracy, economy, abortion, immigration and foreign policy. 

Results showed that 34% of voters were most passionate about democracy.

NBC News also reported that a majority of Vice President Kamala Harris’ supporters prioritized the country’s state of democracy. Whereas supporters for former President Donald Trump prioritized the country’s economy, followed by immigration (20%), democracy (12%), abortion (6%) and foreign policy (4%).

In ABC News’ preliminary exit polls, it showed that more voters feel that democracy is threatened (73%) than secure (25%). 

Across the seven swing states, anywhere from 68% to 73% of voters think democracy in the U.S. is threatened. 

Participants in swing states North Carolina and Pennsylvania voted democracy as their most important issue too in their vote for president. 

In Fox News’ Voter Analysis, in partnership with the Associated Press, voters for Harris listed the future of the country’s democracy as their most important factor with a total of 53% of votes, whereas voters for Trump listed it as a minor or not a factor when considering who they’re voting for, with a total of 72%.

Andy Flores is a first year Viticulture and Enology. She voted this morning and feels that there wasn’t really a good option and felt like it was hard to make a decision.

Flores ended the interview shouting “women in power.”

Fresno State student Saria Altamira was wearing a voting sticker and a blue sweater. When asked if she purposefully wore the blue weather she said “yes.” 

“I think it’s stressful,” Altamira said. “I think there’s a lot of things that I’m worried about when it comes to the future.”

Media, Communications and Journalism major Alexander Ammon said he already voted today but is nervous about the outcome.

Ammon said he voted for Kamala Harris and that he saw a few things on social media that influenced him to vote for Harris.

More specifically a video where she did a Q&A with children. He likes the video because she was reaching out to a younger audience.