Young Bay County voters react to the presidential election

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The 2024 Presidential election has drawn scores of first-time voters to the polls.

A News Channel 7 reporter posted on FSU-PC to ask young voters what made them want to vote. Below are some of their responses.

“I just like exercising my rights,” one first-time voter said. I live in a county where I can vote. “

Another first-time voter was motivated by his freedom. “I like being able to talk and give my point of view on things. But most of all I’m afraid of losing my rights and I’m afraid of losing that right to speak.”

Economics was the driving force for others. “Definitely the cost of living. Perhaps the cost of living will go down. I’m not 100% sure, but if it happens it will be great and maybe I can afford to live a little.

And one man said that he would vote for the one who would protect his people. “As I said before, the main thing that motivated me to go to the vote was to let the American people, and especially the Republican Party, understand that we gave Harris away for not supporting us.”

Issues such as abortion rights and recreational marijuana use hang in the balance. Young voters made their position clear.

“As for marijuana, I voted against it. Simply because it is a drug and cannot be legalized for ordinary people.”

“I would like to see marijuana legalized. That way, kids don’t get fentanyl in anything they buy, and that way we have rules about what is bought and sold.”

“I believe that abortion should have some restrictions, but not to the extent that it cannot be done.”

Whether these young voters backed Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, they were fairly well informed about their decision.