With Clinton leading Trump by a mere 4 points among likely voters according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, students are actively participating in political CIOs to increase support for their desired candidates.
More than 46 percent of University students have attended political events this semester, but only about 15 percent are involved in political CIOs, according to a survey conducted by The Cavalier Daily in partnership with a faculty advisory committee and the Center for Survey Research. It is not clear why fewer students are involved, but some students suggest political disenchantment and lack of advertising as reasons.
“I think a lot of Republicans here on Grounds … aren’t very excited about this election because they don’t believe Donald Trump represents their values,” Nato Sandweiss, first-year College student and member of University Democrats, said. “It’s kind of difficult to get very involved when you’re not that passionate about a candidate.”
Sandweiss said he believes passion, or lack thereof, could be a source of discrepancy between College Republicans and University Democrats.
“I think a lot of the UDems, even if they’re not passionate about supporting Hillary Clinton, [are] very passionate about making sure Donald Trump doesn’t step foot into the White House,” Sandweiss said. “That’s why I think there’s some disparity between involvement with the UDems and the CRs.”
Adam Kimelman, College Republicans vice chair of campaigns and second-year College student, said the organization has been very active this election cycle.
“We’ve been very involved in this election cycle, not just through phone banks and door knocking … but also through connecting our members to many, many different groups,” Kimelman said.
Fourth-year Engineering student Sofia Shalotenko said she has not heard much about political CIOs or their efforts.
“I might have been interested early on, but I haven’t gotten the impression that any political CIOs are very interested in advertising,” Shalotenko said. “I just haven’t really heard about them or seen them do much.”
Kimelman said the groups have made an effort to publicize their events and actions. The answer to low participation may lie in the election itself, he said.
“It’s become a very negative election cycle on the presidential level in the sense that you’ve had two very unpopular candidates,” Kimelman said. “A lot of people are just disheartened with the political process as a whole.”
University Democrats President Sam Tobin, a fourth-year College student, said he believes political disillusionment should result in more involvement, not less.
“If you are disillusioned with the system or upset, you should work to change that,” Tobin said.
Still, many students have found ways to get involved. Sandweiss said he had been registering people to vote through University Democrats, starting from a few weeks into the school year up until the Oct. 21 deadline.
“It’s not as much as other people have done, for sure,” Sandweiss said. “I figured I wanted to get involved in some way, and so I did that.”
Others have participated through discussion. About 67 percent of survey respondents said they felt somewhat or very comfortable discussing the election with other students, and nearly 89 percent said they talk to friends about the election at least once a week.
First-year College student Cole Carlisle, who is supporting Evan McMullin, said he is able to talk to people with similar and different ideologies at the University and finds the University to be a very open and non-judgmental atmosphere.
“Before coming to U.Va., I thought I would be a very small minority, and I think I am still a minority, but there are a lot of like-minded people here,” Carlisle said. “Even people that aren’t like-minded, I feel like they respect my views as well.”
For more information on polling methodology, click here.
Read More
Police forcefully clear encampment near University Chapel, detain protesters
By Thomas Baxter and Finn Trainer | YesterdayThe University declared the encampment an unlawful assembly at 2:44 p.m.
Student Council passes appointment bill, approves new CIOs at final meeting of semester
By Arshiya Pant | 2 days agoMendoza Gonzalez also said she will be meeting with Kenyon R. Bonner, vice president and chief student affairs officer, to discuss further strategies for the Student Council Endowment Fund.
Professors speak about leading productive dialogue on Israel-Hamas war
By Lexie Stadler | 3 days agoThe event was hosted by the University’s Task Force on Religious Diversity and Belonging, which is designed to ensure that the University is welcoming to community members from all religions and cultures.
