As summer comes to a close, the school year looms ahead, and so does the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Unlike past elections, the road to November 5 has been one of tumult:  President Joe Biden dropping out of the race late in July, an attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, and still no debate between the Republican and Democratic nominees, Mr. Trump and Kamala Harris. Despite the uncertainty, both Young Democrats and Young Republicans have a plan to cover the upcoming election on the Circle. “The Young Democrats and the Young Republicans want betterment of the country. We want to work together to find unity in the community despite our differing viewpoints,” said Young Democrats co-head Sage Greaves ’26. By way of meetings, informational emails, and debate watch parties, both clubs hope to foster productive and constructive dialogue surrounding this election. 

Kicking off the school year, the Young Democrats, led by Zack Baker ’25, Angus Frew ’25, Gabriela Gil ’25, and Sage Greaves ’26, stated, “We plan to foster inclusivity, educate students on the general election, and make sure those eligible to vote are ready to do so.” The Young Republicans, headed by Manon Farel ’26, Beau Kimler ’25, and Charles Stubbs ’26, similarly want to “reach across the other side of the political aisle and hold open conversations with the community regarding key topics that will play a significant part in polling.” Both parties are interested in engaging in cordial debates on topics such as gun control, abortion, climate change, and more. 

Now more than ever, the two clubs believe it is vital to support open communication to demonstrate that political conversations can and should be respectful, while still factually based. The heads also highlighted the key role of general awareness. Gabriela remarked, “Awareness is predicated upon combating misinformation in meetings and keeping the student body up to speed on current events,” and affirmed the Young Democrats’ goal to “spread awareness rather than activism.” Additionally, Manon of the Young Republicans said she and her co-heads hope to “present the election factually and rightfully, covering both sides but placing an emphasis on the Republican campaign.” Accordingly, club meetings would center around informational awareness, generating a healthy discussion. 

Discussion through meetings is paramount for both clubs, according to Charles: “We want to increase club membership by having more frequent meetings.” Both clubs welcome those of different political affiliations and beliefs to engage the student body in conversation about the election. Manon noted this would play a key role in lessening the political divide: “We want to stop harmful stigmatization surrounding the competing political parties because it deters people from being open to new perspectives.” As 2024 Prize Day speaker Van Jones put it, “The dividers win in the short term; the uniters win in the long term.” 

In the coming months, Young Republicans and Young Democrats plan to hold a mock election wherein electronic ballots via Gmail would be anonymously collected from students to gauge Groton’s voter demographic. The aforementioned topics such as gun control, abortion, and climate change could be on the ballots, as well. Charles, however, underscores the importance of actually leveraging voting power in the upcoming election: “If you are eligible to vote, you should do so, no matter what.” Emphasizing the key role students will play in this election, the Young Republicans and Young Democrats aspire to live and lead the community through unity, inclusivity, and factual discourse. And of course, they hope to see you at their meetings.