College students get out to vote, participate in election process Tuesday

Like many other college students, University of Minnesota freshman Henry Langevin is voting Tuesday.

Langevin, who is voting for state Sen. Omar Fateh in the Minneapolis mayoral race, said he would like to see the city lean more progressively, “moving towards giving people more access to housing and grocery stores that [have] lower prices, having more focus on working class people instead of corporations.”

Student voters at the U of M headed to the Weisman Art Museum, a common place for campus residents to cast their ballots, to make their voices heard in the city’s mayoral and city council races.

Fateh and several other candidates are challenging incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, who is vying for a third term.

Young voters recognize importance of elections 

Langevin said he believes more young voters are realizing the importance of local elections.

“We’re finding it more important what the effect of our vote has. The actual impact of the local leaders in our communities,” he said.

The University of Minnesota is no stranger to having a high voter turnout.

According to their website, “students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities voted at a higher rate in 2018 than at any other large, public, four-year institution in the country.”

In a news release earlier this year, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website also touted youth turnout throughout the state. “Minnesota’s youth led the nation in voter turnout for the 2024 Presidential Election with 62% of Minnesotans aged 18-29 casting a ballot.”

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As she headed in to cast her vote, student voter Safiya Kinnunen described what she was looking for in a candidate.

“I come from the outer suburbs, and this is a much more populated area. With our governing of the United States of America, I would love more diverse and democratic views to be prevalent in our politics,” she said.

Kinnunen, who is also voting for Fateh, said equal housing and food insecurity are important issues to her as a student.

Related: Portraits of voting in Minneapolis

“[Fateh] stands out as a candidate because he really has put in the effort to seek out students in the community and get to know us. I really feel like he’s been a candidate who’s gone out of his way to make sure that the students feel seen and heard,” she said.

Keegan Hennessy didn’t say which candidate he is voting for but said he wants to see impact and change.

“Having a new candidate and a new perspective here is really great, and I think it’s going to bring many amazing things to our city of Minneapolis.”

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Langevin said the Weisman Art Museum has made it easy for students to have access to early voting and said voting information has been available on campus.

He added there have been several door knockers in his building and that they’ve helped students learn how to vote even if they were supporting a different candidate.

Voting wasn’t the only way students got involved in the polls.

Kaylon King has been an election judge since high school.

“I think it’s a right that a lot of people have fought for for a very long time, and I think it’s just something you should do and everyone should do,” he said.

“It gives you an in-depth look at the systems that run this country.”

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