In November of 2020, President Donald Trump will face off against Democratic nominee Vice President Joe Biden to decide the new owner of the presidential seat. Though the American populous understands the general impact of the election, those unable to vote often overlook the effects.

In a poll conducted by Tisch College in June of 2020, a staggering 83 percent of youth believed that they had the power to incite change on the national scale. Another 27 percent of those polled stated that they attended a march or demonstration in support of their own political beliefs. This trumps prior turnout with a nine percent increase from 2018.

With more political involvement from younger generations, the impact of the upcoming election will be more pivotal than years past. The policies, morals, and promises of each candidate will be harshly criticized by the younger generation despite their inability to vote.

According to Andrea Brinkmann, a mother of two with a degree in political science, “The most polarizing issues are climate change, coronavirus response, and civil unrest.”

Junior Aiden Torbet is concerned about Trump’s policies on masks. He believes Trump’s lack of a mask mandate makes “No real sense.”

However, sophomore Ethan Jenkinson is more concerned with the civil unrest that may occur with Biden winning the election. “Biden’s policies will tear the country apart with people not wanting to give up their guns.”

Politics have also made their way into the social aspects of teenage living. The recent death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg was spread across social media pages and news platforms. This could increase voter turnout as well as the involvement of current voters.

Junior Hailey Choi believes the death of R.B.G will not increase voter turnout but increase the importance of the current election. “I think it adds importance to the election for the demographic that R.B.G represents because the next president will choose her replacement.”

With election day nearing, students are on the edge of their seats. The modern political era is one that involves more than those of voting age and the upcoming election will incite reactions from both ends of the spectrum.

Like in 2016, we could see more protests and riots with the re-election of Trump, or we could see citizens welcoming the re-election with open arms. On the other hand, citizens could be outraged at the election of Biden, or look forward to the prospect of a change in perspective from the presidential office. Either way, the upcoming election is of great importance to not only the American citizen but also the American youth.