This past labor day weekend has seen major developments for both the republican and democratic party, as both campaigns have continued their efforts to win the election.

The election enters a crucial state as both campaigns are focusing on the key battleground states, as these states determine the outcome of the election. 

The two presidential candidates debated for the first time on September tenth, and as election day approaches at a rapid pace the importance of the debate cannot be understated. 

For both staff and students at Joliet West this election has a lot of importance because it means getting a chance to determine and see how  the future of the country will change. For senior Mireya Saucedo this election is very important because of how different the two candidates’ policies are and  how this will determine the future of the country. “I think this election is very important to determine the future of the country” Saucedo states, and adds that she cannot vote yet but that she will still follow the election closely.

 The Debate brought up several issues including topics such as healthcare, immigration and the Hamas and Israel war and both of the candidates defended their stances respectively as the debate carried on throughout the night. But what exactly does this mean for the outcome of the election? For Senior Grace Abbott the outcome of the election plays into the debate that took place on the tenth, “I think that the debate matters” Abbott states, and explains that the debate plays a major role in deciding how the American people will vote for the upcoming presidential election. Grace also references Joliet West’s role in educating the younger generation for the future elections. 

According to several polls from CNN and other news outlets the general opinion of the public seems to lean in favor of Kamala Harris after debate, meaning that the general public ( 63% in the CNN poll, 50% in the LedgerPoll and 54% in the YouGov Poll) thinks that Harris came out as the stronger candidate after the debate. However, both candidates still seem to have a strong political base, meaning that the predictable outcome of the election is yet to be decided. 

As election day draws closer, the September tenth debate underscored the important issues that will influence the future election, as both candidates presented their views on critical topics. For students at Joliet West, the debate offered a valuable opportunity to engage with the political process and consider the impact of the election. 

Check out our Instagram feature of student opinions regarding this upcoming election. @JWHSmedia