An event reveals where the candidates truly stand on the issues and students indicate their preferences in advance of unprecedented primaries.
This Tuesday, April 19, New Yorkers will participate in two unprecedented presidential primaries. It is the first time since today’s presidential primary system was introduced in 1972 that New York’s Republican and Democratic primaries are highly competitive and pivotal.
At Adelphi, students are preparing for this important civic moment.
On Monday, April 11, the political science department hosted a popular Prep for the Primary. Five student presenters gave detailed descriptions of each candidate’s take on five key issues—education, immigration, racial justice, reproductive rights, and counter terrorism. The event, held in classroom on the Garden City campus, drew more an audience of than 100 undergraduates—many of whom will be voting for the first time in a presidential election. The goal was to help participants make informed decisions based on platforms rather than on the character attacks and antics that have dominated the headlines.
Following the presentation of each issue, audience members were invited to vote electronically on the candidate whose position they supported. In a poll at the end of the session, participants were asked to indicate which candidate they would vote for based on the platforms presented. The final results, consistent with polling of college students across the country, were as follows:
- Bernie Sanders 75%
- John Kasich 10%
- Hillary Clinton 7%
- Donald Trump 4%
- Ted Cruz 3%
For more information, visit the Adelphi Votes website.