America is  divided, and the approaching election could change the lives of a generation. Many believe that the 2020 election is crucial to the future of America, and it’s only one year away. 

The senior class has a large number of students that will be able to vote in the upcoming primaries in the spring and even more in the final election. Any Millard North students who will be 18 at the time of the election has a chance to become part of the American political process. 

Proper voting requires a solid foundation of prior knowledge, and both sides are preparing themselves to win. 

Beginning with the man already in the Oval Office, the Trump campaign looks different this time around than 2016, especially the price tag. 

At this point in the 2016 election, the Trump campaign had spent $63 million. So far in his 2020 campaign, however, Trump has spent $531 million, according to the Washington Post. 

“President Trump has the power of the incumbency coming into the next election. He has the Republican National Committee behind him, and he has Republican money” social studies teacher Douglas Drummond said. 

The money for all of this spending is coming from somewhere. In comparison with Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, Trump  has raised double the funds the Obama campaign had raised at this point when he was running for reelection. 

Money isn’t everything, however. Trump is often targeted in the news for his low approval rating; despite this, he has an approval rating of 39%, and at this point in his successful 2012 reelection campaign, Obama had an approval rating of only 41%. 

Senior Sydney Davis certainly approves the Trump presidency so far.

 “Donald J. Trump is my favorite candidate because he kept his campaign promises and has done a lot of good such as tax reform and lowering of the unemployment rate,” Davis said. 

Meanwhile, within the Democratic party, there is  more competition and people vying for the Democratic presidential candidacy.  

“You see a battle on the left between Warren and Sanders. Joe Biden maintains a more moderate position, which is popular with older voters because he’s comfortable. The Democrat primaries may come down to comfort versus discomfort,” Drummond said. 

Currently, Biden is winning overall, according to CNN, but his numbers are dropping after he made the decision to accept super PAC money on October 24th. A super PAC is an organization that can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, or other groups. Democratic voters generally support the individual and are in opposition to taking payments from corporations that may have bad intentions. 

In the battle between second and third place, Warren and Sanders, respectively, are ahead at the moment. Warren is on top, polling at 21.7% in the Democrat primaries. Sanders is not far behind with 17.3% according to a recent Gallup poll.  

Senior Ramya Rengarajan hopes that Elizabeth Warren will come out on top of this clash for the vote. 

“My favorite candidate is currently Elizabeth Warren. I value the same things she does such as clear a passion for immigrant wellbeing, healthcare/women’s rights and she has proven that she will fight to make a real change in this country.” Rengarajan said.

In this battle, every vote matters, including the vote of the many high school seniors who will be able to vote in 2020.