Attendees go to vote at the Polls on October 20, 2018, in Nashville, Tennessee. Erika Goldring/WME IMG/Getty Images for WME

With the 2024 Presidential Election on the horizon, the political landscape has proven hard to understand for people who don’t follow politics. In hopes of making it easier for first-time voters at Eleanor Roosevelt and those who would like to know more about the 2024 Election on November 5, this multi-part story covers the important things to know about the upcoming election from the voting guide to a brief biography about each presidential candidate and the political parties involved.

The voter registration process can be overwhelming for first-time voters but it’s pretty simple. The basic criteria for voting are (1) a U.S. citizen (2) A Maryland resident (3) At least 16 years old if voting for the Local election, 17 years old if voting for Primary Elections [May 14th], or 18 years of age if voting for the General Election [November 5th], and (4) registered to vote 21 days before the election date. Though you might have already registered to vote when you got your MD driver’s license or permit, you can double-check your voter registration status by visiting the Maryland State Board of Elections website. You can register to vote through the same website or in person- on voting day at your designated polling site. Important note to the ERHS Seniors who plan on going to college in the fall out-of-state or those away from their home but would like to vote: request a mail-in ballot on the same website mentioned earlier than October 29, 2024 (for the General Election) and mail it back to your county’s Election Office. 

Political Parties

• Democratic Party: Democrats center their policies around reducing healthcare costs, diversity, and inclusion, being pro-immigration, and workers’ rights. They have also made numerous efforts to extend gun control legislation, and to reduce fossil fuel use. Some Democrats are against increased police spending but few have done anything about it. With the Democrats controlling the Legislative Branch from 2021-2023, though a fair number from both parties Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote made them so, they accomplish and pass major pieces of legislation such as the first major gun-safety bill in decades, established Juneteenth as a federal holiday,  protections of same-sex marriages after the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, a bipartisan infrastructure bill (which Former President Trump pressed conservatives not to support), and much more.
• Republican Party: Republicans center their policies around increased military and police spending and strong national defense. They typically take a strong stance against immigration, specifically from the southern border. On a more local level, some Republican politicians have passed no-exception anti-abortion legislation, as well as making an effort to ban books that explore themes of sexuality or race. In the last year, they have also done plenty to get rid of affirmative action in the college admissions process and oppose any and all gun control legislation despite the large number of mass shootings in the country. Republicans ultimately wish for a traditionally American country, without major change, no matter who that might harm.
• Independent/Third Party: Candidates running independent or third-party might choose not to affiliate themselves with either party for several reasons. Whether that be for some looking to dismantle the status quo, for others, they run due to their conflicting beliefs that could be associated with either party. Some third-party candidates even refer to their affiliation as the “people’s party”, looking to build systems around accommodating the working class. As a result of his opposition to the political parties’ growth and the division that they could cause, George Washington was the only US president to have been elected as an independent. The last third-party president in the United States was Millard Fillmore, a member of the Whig Party – a precursor to the Republican Party– though it has been 175 years.

Presidential Candidates:

Democrats

• Joe Biden: Joe Biden, the Incumbent- and the eldest candidate at the age of 81 years, is running again for his second term. His generally progressive views on immigration, foreign policy, healthcare, education, and other promises from his campaign have somewhat been fulfilled in his first term. Hehas benefited from his 51 years of being a Democrat in the government, being favored among Democratic candidates. But, with the ongoing attack in Gaza, many voters have lost favor with Biden due to his financial and military support of Israel. He h

  

  as also lost support due to his continuation to build the infamous south border wall that Former President Donald Trump started during his presidency. Some are also raising concerns about his cognitive ability since he has had numerous incidents in which the things he is saying are completely unintelligible considering that he is 81 years old.

Republicans

• Donald Trump: The former 45th president of the United States of America and one of, if not, the most controversial president of all time. Back when he was president in 2016, he was

  

  very staunchly against immigration, not only building a border wall to stop Mexican immigration but proposing a ban on immigration from any majority Muslim countries. More recently, he has been in a lot of hot water. After the 2020 election, Trump was convinced that he was cheated out of the presidency and the votes were counted wrong, leading to the January 6th Capital Riot in 2021, which Trump did nothing to stop. Trump is currently being indicted for multiple counts of inciting a riot, civil lawsuits and fraud, and has been taken off of the ballot in both Colorado and Maine due to his indictments. He is the only president in American history to be indicted and the only president ever to have a mugshot taken. Both supporters and opponents have raised concerns about his cognitive ability as well in the last few years considering the fact that he is 77 years old and his numerous slip-ups and lies in speeches.

Independent/Third Party

• Robert F. Kennedy: Robert F. Kennedy, the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy is running as an independent at 70 years old. He is an environmental lawyer and chairman and founder of Children’s HealthDefense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group. Kennedy has advocated for indigenous rights, and

  

  renewable energy but is well known for promoting anti-vaccine misinformation and other public health conspiracy theories like a scientifically disproved theory that vaccines cause autism in children, which he has been promoting for almost 20 years.

• Cornel West: Cornel West is a 70-year-old progressive independent running for the “People’s Party” who looks to “keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.” He is vocal in his support of the Palestinian people

  

  and wants to work for the liberation of people of color in this country. West promises to lower government defense spending and raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for things like student loan debt, healthcare, and renewable energy. Third-party candidates are not usually represented in the electoral college, therefore will most likely not be elected president. However, some third-party candidates run to show that there is change needed not only in the electoral process but also widespread change throughout the country.

• Jill Stein: The 73-year-old Green Party Candidate, Jill Stein,  supports the right to abortion and is open to the idea of minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. Most of Stein’s campaign concerns environmentalism, wanting the government to spend more tax dollars on renewable energy. She supports gun-control legislation and revitalizing the medicare system, making healthcare more accessible to everyday American citizens. Stein has been running for a government positio

  

  n since 2002, from governor and state representative to presidency, but none has succeeded.