Voting Location: USF TECO Hall
Maddie Jurado, 19, USF Student
For USF student Maddie Jurado, health care policies and free tuition played a big role in helping her decide on who to vote for in the Democratic primary.
Jurado voted for Bernie Sanders because she feels his goals align with her political preferences.
“He’s really passionate about free college and ending student debt. So, I think that’s important for students,” she added.
Nicholas Stewart, 21, USF Student
Heading into USF TECO Hall to vote in the Democratic primary, Nicholas Stewart knew he wanted to choose a candidate willing to champion for marginalized communities.
“My identity intersects with a lot of the issues that are targeted against my communities, as I am a black, gay, male, college student,” he said.
Stewart voted for Bernie Sanders, who he believes can eliminate social injustice and biases present in the United States.
Kean McCarty, 20, USF Student
After watching the Democratic debates, Kean McCarty said had a pretty good idea of who he would be voting for in the primary.
McCarty wanted to vote for a candidate who was passionate about health care.
“I voted for Bernie, I think it’s important to vote for who you want,” he said.
Sofia Aguilar, 18, USF Student
“Medicare for all is sustainable, I think a lot of other countries are doing that. But I think it’s hard and the government has to be on top of it,” Sofia Aguilar said.
As an advocate for affordable health care, Aguilar wanted to vote for a candidate with a similar mindset. Bernie Sanders appealed to her in the debates, and she believes that he can make a difference for immigrant families like hers.
“My parents are from Honduras, and they always talk about how back home, there’s free health care,” Aguilar said.
Natalie Mara, 18, USF Student
First-time voter, Natalie Mara, listed abortion rights, health care, and climate change as her key topics of concern in politics.
Although she voted for Bernie Sanders, she says she will be supportive of the democratic nominee regardless of who the chosen candidate is.
“A Green Party candidate would even be great right now, but there’s no realistic chance that he will beat Trump, you just can’t keep him in office,” she said.
