In November voters will experience déjà vu as they walk into the polls and see the same names as four years ago on the ballot. How did we get here? What does this say about the current state of America? What does this mean for young voters?

In 2016 Donald Trump was elected as president. This marked a change within America, as Trump became the first person without government or military experience ever to be elected president of the United States. The next four years of his presidency would show a growing divide in America which would only continue to grow deeper and deeper, the tension and hatred between Democrats and Republicans growing stronger and stronger.

Then in 2020 the then former vice president, Joe Biden decided to face Trump as he sought reelection. The voter turnout for this election was the highest it had been in the 21st-century. Biden won, and again this marked another crucial change in America. The transition of power between the two presidencies was anything but graceful. Many claimed a rigged election and refused to accept Biden in office. During the next four years of Biden’s presidency, tensions between parties would continue to grow, to an all-time high in America.

Now in 2024 we are back to where we were four years ago. November’s election will be a rematch dreaded by many Americans. Campaigns on both sides will be concerned only with attacking the other side, prioritizing this over policies. This is because, unfortunately, voting for the candidate whose policies you most agree with is a thing of the past. In the 2020 election Republicans voted for Trump solely because he represented their party and the same went for the Democrats and Biden. This election will be about keeping the other candidate out of office. The Democrats will vote for Biden to keep out Trump and vice versa. Neither candidate is truly the people’s top choice, rather they are the person who people think can beat out the other candidate.