Editor’s note: Polling data and reporting came from an SMU news reporting class.
Fourteen SMU students in a news reporting journalism class conducted an informal poll on campus on Oct. 26-29 to gauge students’ sentiment regarding the election, and found a surprising number of out-of-state students who voted.
The class interviewed 166 students, of which 142 voted and 24 did not. Most of the students who voted were first-time voters. Of those voters, 98 voted for Trump, and 41 voted for Harris, one student voted for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and two were undecided.
The poll was conducted in multiple locations around campus, mainly in Fondren Library and on Dallas Hall lawn.
The data includes information from 110 females and 56 males. Twenty-nine were Hispanic, 16 were Asian, and 11 were Black. Students from 29 different states and more than 35 majors were represented – including economics, business, fashion media, psychology, political science. There were 162 undergraduate students and four graduates polled.
The top states represented in this poll are Texas, California, Florida, and New York. Based on the SMU demographics, these are the leading states of undergraduate students. There were 54 voters from Texas, 28 from California, 17 from Florida, and six from New York.
Out-of-state students are required to take extra steps to vote compared to Texas residents. Students must apply for an absentee ballot through their home state to cast their vote. SMU student, Tess Stanford, said, “Out-of-state students should not be punished for choosing to go to school out-of-state and still deserve to have their vote count.”
Many out-of-state students did not let their location hinder their ability to vote in the election.
Many Trump voters mentioned the economy as an important reason for voting for him. On the other hand, many Harris voters talked about reproductive rights as a top concern. Other major concerns students mentioned are immigration, foreign affairs, and the candidates’ background.
These top issues are heavily correlated with the top issues discussed nationally. These were key concerns addressed during the presidential debate and other rallies that took place during the race.
Other reasons are religious concerns and qualifications. Some students mentioned they aligned with Trump’s Christian values, and others expressed their concerns about Harris’ qualifications. A few students discussed Trump’s criminal record as a concern.
“This election is extra important because it is not only about policies but the future of our democracy and human rights as a whole,” Isabella Popo, a journalism student from Arizona said.
Most of the non-voters are not participating in the election because of out-of-state difficulty or registration issues. Other reasons included that they did not like either candidate or did not care enough.
SMU student, Cailin Alarcon, mentioned the importance of voting outweighs political apathy.
“Every vote counts, when too many people think their vote does not count, then that creates a majority that’s just not voting,” Alarcon said.
More than half of the students interviewed came from out-of-state and 85 percent voted, showing that SMU students are committed and care about the future of this country.
