Cheyton Hall works as the regional campus organizer at UNCA in Asheville. Hall said his views have shifted since the change of nominee and have been overall positive from what he has seen from voters’ reactions in Asheville.
“I’ve seen voter engagement polls that show people are paying more attention to the election and to voting. They are also more excited. I’ve seen a rise of people that wouldn’t vote to now being interested and volunteering for the election has risen, a lot more people are trying to get involved,” Hall said.
Kim Roney, Asheville City Council member, said housing is critical to a healthy society and the previous infrastructure bill was for bridge and water infrastructure but what about the housing next to those infrastructures and voters can combat those things on a city level and above to get affordable housing.
“Housing, housing and more housing is a main problem that needs to be focused on,” Hall said.
Asheville ranks in the third most expensive place to live in North Carolina according to real estate agents at Raleigh Realty.
Kamala Harris unveiled her proposals of what she plans on doing if elected and one of those plans was to impose a tax break of $25,000 for first time home buyers according to campaign officials on Aug. 16.
This proposal could lead more moderate and independent voters to vote for Harris according to Hall.
“Kamala Harris’ candidacy and her pick for vice president influenced me a lot to vote for her,” said Brook Pedersen, a campus fellow for Kamala Harris.
Pedersen is a registered independent who leaned more conservative but in this upcoming election she’s choosing to help and support Kamala Harris.
In 2020, Donald Trump won NC by just 49.9% compared to Bidens 48.6%, according to CNN. Since the change of nominee in this election it has reportedly shifted voters from all around western North Carolina.
UNCA campus canvassers are getting students registered to vote in this upcoming election both on election day and the day early voting starts. UNCA is presumed to be a liberal school located in a liberal city.
“The past few weeks have been really incredible, the energy and enthusiasm that a lot of people have had and with asking questions about things that they should know about an election which is encouraging,” said Alex Case, a nonpartisan canvasser from the group Next Gen America, on UNCA’s campus.
According to Pew Research Center, people between 18 and 35 years old favored Biden over Trump in the last presidential election in 2020.
“Next Gen America’s focus is on increasing voter turnout on the ages of 18-35, which historically shows up less in the voting booths than any other demographic in the country,” Case said.
Case works as one of many volunteers from Next Gen on UNCA’s campus getting students registered and prepared to vote.
“I’ve done voter registration before where folks seemed disinterested,” Case said. “The energy and enthusiasm that a lot of people have had and with asking questions about things that they should know about an election which is encouraging.”
Peter Haschke, political science professor at UNCA, said since the change in nominee it would certainly energize democrats to vote since the party wasn’t happy with the option of Biden, that would potentially cause a change in results for the party locally and nationally.
Young voter turnout was crucial in Biden’s presidential win, according to Pew Research Center. With Trump securing only 49.9% of the vote in North Carolina according to CNN 2020 elections map.
“Where folks can go vote during early voting and when early voting happens and what different documents they need to vote and when’s the date that early voting starts,” Case said.
