PEA Students Vote in New Hampshire Primaries

As the second state voting in the presidential primary, New Hampshire is a top priority for presidential campaigns. After the Tuesday election, Bernie Sanders led in the polls, closely followed by Pete Buttigieg and underdog Amy Klobuchar.In the lead-up to the primary, candidates focused on citizens in the Exeter area, descending onto the town with rallies and events. Many Exonians attended candidate events in the Town Hall and or voting in the primary election.United States citizens over eighteen from the Academy may vote, whether or not they live in-state. Many students from the Academy walked or drove to voting locations near campus during lunch, frees or after classes. The closest voting location to campus was the Seacoast School of Technology, one mile away at 30 Linden Street.Democratic Club co-head and senior Lilly Pinciaro stressed that all PEA students could exercise a political voice. “That's something that a lot of people aren't aware of. Democratic Club really wants to get as many people to vote as possible in the primaries because, obviously, student input in elections is really important,” she said. “Just getting people into the habit of voting is really good.”Pinciaro voted in the New Hampshire primaries. “In New Hampshire, they do this nice thing where you can register at the polls… You get in line to register, and they make you fill out some forms. And then you have to have a passport to prove citizenship or birth certificate and then some sort of ID and a proof of residency,” she recalled.Almost all the Democratic candidates visited Exeter in the lead-up to the primary. Students attended their rallies to hear the candidates' opinions in person. “I think it certainly helps to be able to have interpersonal time with those candidates. To be able to actually meet them and shake their hand,” lower Cyrus Braden said.Braden emphasized how going to these rallies is an experience that one should capitalize on. “So many people at Exeter idolize given political candidates—say, Pete Buttigieg or Bernie Sanders,” he said. “I think, for those types of people, it's a really rewarding experience to be able to actually hear them in person because that's not an opportunity you would get in a lot of other places.”Many attendees left without having their preconceptions changed; yet, some students felt that seeing the candidates in person had an impact on their overall approval. “Seeing Bernie in person didn’t really change my perception of him—nothing he really said was something I hadn’t heard before,” said prep Will Durawa. “I would say I left with a more favorable view on him, though. And I left thinking he maybe had a better chance of winning the election than I had previously thought.”Others added that, even when their beliefs did not align with those of a candidate, listening to opposing views offered different perspectives and helped to solidify ideas. “I’ve heard of people who went to the Bernie rally whose minds were changed,” upper Jeffrey Cui said. “I would recommend other people to come—it’s a nice experience. You get to see people getting excited for a candidate, and you get to hear these people speak up close. If you’re not there to change or solidify your opinion, it’s still a nice thing to see.”Co-head of Democratic Club and upper Maggie Wainwright also saw value in meeting candidates she didn’t agree with in person. “By listening to those with whom I don't agree, I've been able to question and subsequently reaffirm my commitment to my political beliefs,” she said.History Instructor and Exeter Political Union (EPU) adviser William Jordan added that attending a rally is an experience in and of itself. “I think there's something about attending a rally, whether or not you agree with the person or not,” he said. “A lot of our students went to the Trump rally in 2016 when he came here. Afterward, they met some of the Trump supporters and saw history firsthand ... You hear different candidates, and you compare and contrast.”In the election of 2016, more Republican candidates visited Exeter, offering their views and hoping to gain supporters for the party’s nomination. However, with almost no Republican opposition to President Donald Trump this year, no Republican candidate has visited Exeter yet.Many students believe that the lack of Republican presence in Exeter is not a problem. “I think it's totally fine. It's just due to happenstance, right?” Braden said. “It isn't anyone choosing only to have Democratic candidates come here. It's the fact that the current president is Republican and running for re-election. So I don't think it's an issue.”Lower Isaac Saunders concurred. While it is true that the Democratic hopefuls have been more active in Exeter, this is because the incumbent is a Republican, thus making his main challengers Democrats,” he said. “This certainly could give students a biased view, but there is nothing anyone can do about that besides the students themselves [intentionally engaging with Republican candidates].”The lack of Republican candidates also brought up the question of if students would feel comfortable supporting Republican candidates in town. Saunders explained how such views are not as welcomed on campus. “I strongly believe that there is a lack of open Republican views on campus,” he said. “Not only are those with Republican views a minority, they are actively suppressed and encouraged to keep their views to themselves—by both teachers and peers.”Wainwright offered another idea that examined the concept of different ideas in general. “I think something important to consider when we talk about ‘Republican’ and ‘Democratic’ viewpoints on campus is that these two parties are both umbrellas for a wide variety of opinions, so there can be enormous diversity of thought within a single party,” she said.The rallies for the candidates offer a range of opinions due to the diversity throughout the Democratic party’s ideas. Many expressed the importance of experiencing all beliefs first hand. “It is important to see politically important figures during an election because many of the students here are first-time voters or will be by the next election,” Saunders concluded. “To be able to engage in politics during the formative years of high school provides an exceptional opportunity to form a multifaceted political identity that will help you throughout the rest of your life.”Reflecting on their experiences at the New Hampshire presidential primaries this past Tuesday, Pinciaro explained her decision to vote. “I wanted to vote because I think it’s a civic duty of mine, and I also want to have an influence in our democracy” Pinciaro said. “There’s been an increase in younger people being interested in voting because politics have become more accessible, and it’s important for people to be paying attention to because it’s a little bit dramatized.”