How engaged are North Carolina college students in the 2024 election?

Amani Jones said she thinks it's important for young people like her to get involved in elections.

Jones, from Greensboro, is a sophomore at North Carolina Central University in Durham. On a recent sunny day as she headed towards NCCU's student union, Jones said voting is especially important with abortion rights on the line.

"And stuff like that for women, we ain't going to have no rights," Jones warned.

But when asked if she was registered and ready to take part in this year's elections, Jones replied: "Well, when I looked it up it said that I wasn't registered, so I'm not sure."

Fortunately for Jones, there is time to sort things out for this year's general election.

As a voting bloc, college students are critical but hard to track, according to Western Carolina University Political Science Professor Chris Cooper.

"They move a lot, they don't answer their phones, their emails may change frequently," Cooper said.

College students 'could be a difference maker'

North Carolina will likely have tight races up and down the ballot this year: governor, state attorney general, and president, not to mention a handful of legislative races that could determine whether Republicans hold a simple or veto-proof majority in the North Carolina General Assembly.

"If somebody can finally figure out how to crack the nut of how to get college students to turn out it could be a difference maker," Cooper said.

In 2020, 60% of registered voters 18 to 25 turned out in North Carolina, compared to 82% for voters 41 to 65. Donald Trump won the state by less than 1.5% over Joe Biden.

In 2008, turnout for voters 18 to 25 was just shy of 64% — historic numbers, according to Cooper.

"And I don't think it's a coincidence that 2008 is also the last time the state of North Carolina gave its electoral college votes to a Democratic candidate," Cooper added. "Of course, that time it was Barack Obama."

Voting is a something 'all young people need to do'

Rusty Jacobs

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WUNC

Rusty Jacobs

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WUNC

Rusty Jacobs

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WUNC

Outside the student union at Campbell University in Buies Creek, sophomore Alexandrea Little says the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade and a constitutional right to abortion was heartbreaking.

That was in 2022, the same year Little registered to vote.

"I just feel like voting is something that all young people need to do and it's kind of like a step towards just growing and being more of like an adult," Little said.

Little's friend Kayla Jones is not registered. The senior from Wilson, N.C., said that in the past she did not feel like her one vote mattered.

But this year, Jones said she plans to register in time to cast a vote in the presidential race.

Brennan Steele said the sense their vote doesn't matter is something he hears a lot when engaging with college students. Steele is the North Carolina State Director for NextGen America, which focuses on mobilizing and educating young voters.

"If either party wants to win the votes of young people, they have to show they're being receptive to what young people care about: abortion, climate change, economic justice, gun violence," Steele said.

Jadarien Parker, a junior at Campbell, is registered to vote but said he has not given much thought to this year's elections.

"Yeah, because I'm on the track team too," said Parker, sitting with friends at Campbell's student union.

Parker, who is from Raeford, in Hoke County, said that between studies, sports and other demands he has not had the time to pay much attention to politics.

Campbell sophomore Aaron Seate also said he has not had time to research candidates but definitely will vote this year. Seate is from Maxton, near the North Carolina border with South Carolina.

"I don't think you should complain about election results unless you've made a decision and, you know, participated," Seate said.

Students seem to identify with issues more than party

Trinity French is a 21-year-old junior at N.C. Central and recently registered through the DMV. French said protecting women's rights is a major concern.

"I feel like it will be another big election just with, you know, the people that are running for it," French said. "So I just felt like it was a good time to get registered to vote."

Abortion rights and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are key issues for Maddy Morris, an 18-year-old who attends Wake Technical Community College.

Morris said she plans on transferring to another school in the fall and was visiting N.C. Central's campus on Monday, March 11. Like just about half the students WUNC interviewed, Morris registered unaffiliated and seems to identify more with certain issues than a particular party.

"I don't want to vote just because of someone's, like, I guess red or blue," Morris explained.

Perhaps that mix of red, blue, and the unpredictability of college voters will give this battleground state its own special shade of purple this fall.

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Jada Sifford is a freshman from Charlotte. The 18-year-old is a graphic design major at N.C. Central. She didn't vote in the primaries but plans on voting in the general election. Sifford added that she doesn't think elected leaders are doing enough to build and protect communities: "I don't they take school shootings seriously — domestic violence, gun violence, gang violence, all of that."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Kailyn Griffin just turned 18. The high school senior is in the "Early College" program at N.C. Central, taking advanced courses. She hasn't registered to vote yet but plans on it: "I just want to look at social issues and things that we can look for in our candidates to make change and make a difference in the community."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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18-year-old Maddy Morris of Raleigh attends Wake Technical Community College, but plans on transferring in the fall and was visiting the N.C. Central campus. She is registered unaffiliated and as a voter identifies more with certain issues than a particular party: "Women's rights, I'm thinking a lot about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and, like, racial issues too, equality for everyone."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Trinity French is a 21-year-old junior majoring in recreation administration and minor in sports coaching at N.C. Central. She recently registered through the DMV and is particularly concerned about women's rights and access to abortion: "I actually just went to get my license renewed a few weeks ago and they asked me if I wanted to be a registered voter and I was like, 'Sure'."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Xavier Kelley, an N.C. Central sophomore, recently participated in the NAACP organized march to the polls during the primaries. He said trust in leaders is really important to him this election: "Leadership is really hard to come by in this world. Change is really needed right now."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Ty Faulkner, a 23-year-old N.C. Central senior from Roxboro, registered to vote at 18 as soon as he was eligible: "My grandma is big on registering to vote, so as soon as I was able to register, I registered."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Amani Jones, a sophomore from Greensboro, believes it's important for young people to get involved in elections — but she's not sure of her current registration status: "I mean, I'm going to register in the end. Hopefully I can go vote, but we'll see."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Georgette Oliver is a second-year master's student at N.C. Central, studying biological and biomedical sciences. Equal pay for women and abortion rights are important issues for her, and she said she'll vote this year but is not that excited about the candidates: "To be honest with you, I feel like there needs to be a whole other party."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Antwan Attmore is a 22-year-old junior at N.C. Central. He registered in February through a campus registration drive: "Just trying to stay active in the community and stuff."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Divine Mitchell, 21, is in his first year at N.C. Central. He just registered to vote a few weeks ago: "I feel like there will be a lot things that will be changed after this year's election just for the simple fact of what the world is going through with the wars, Ukraine, Russia, all that stuff."

Mitchell Northam / WUNC

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Jonathan Schindler, a Campbell University freshman from Fuquay Varina: “I registered whenever I was voting for last year’s [municipal] election and just registered at the same time and I just went over to my local high school to go vote and then I went off to college and recently I just went over and voted in the primaries.”

Rusty Jacobs / WUNC

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Natalie Hunter is a Campbell University senior from Turkey, N.C. studying hospital administration. Mid-term exams kept her from participating in the primaries, but she’s determined to vote in the general election. She said she’s particularly concerned about immigration and the nation’s southern border and she hasn’t been impressed by the policy proposals from either party: “What’s been presented isn’t really the best so far, from either side, honestly.”

Rusty Jacobs / WUNC