By ALLISON RUWADT
The Oklahoma governor election will be on November 3, 2026, and many students are still deciding who to vote for.
Although the race is quickly coming to an end, many students who are voting are taking their time to carefully consider who to vote for. However, it seems that more students are avoiding the vote entirely.
“Absolutely,” said Ethan Hoggard, who is a freshman at NWOSU. “I’m not sure who I’m going to vote for yet, but I will definitely be voting”
While some are feeling pressured to make a change in this election, others are not paying any attention. Elections can often be intimidating or boring for young voters, and the more serious they become, the more afraid people get of making the wrong decision.
Students also find it hard to care about what is going on in politics. While the average student is busy with classes and work, plenty also have to worry about after-school activities such as sports, choir, band and others. With all the personal stress that comes from activities like that, it can be hard to focus on the problems of the world.
“No, I just don’t know much about it,” said Addison Mack, a NWOSU student. “I can’t really pay attention to it.”
Another factor that leads to college students not voting is being away from their polling stations and elections occurring during class hours. The stress and limits on mail-in ballots make it almost impossible for a student away from home to send one in.
“I probably will not because I have to go home to vote,” said Nathan Vaghn, a sophomore at NWOSU. “I don’t have time to.”
Although many people aren’t voting or have not officially decided, plenty seem to favor issues that candidate Cindy Munsen is focused on. Students said they care about things like AI centers and policies, affordability, and helping the schools.
“I think the biggest one for me right now is that data center they’re trying to build in Enid,” said Faith Oshiro. “That’s a big one to me especially because I live in Enid.”
Even though plenty of students are choosing not to vote, those who plan to are carefully looking into what each candidate is saying. Many have noticed hypocrisy and false promises that are being made by candidate Mike Mazzei.
“During a press conference, Mazzei said some dishonest things he said about changing tax laws and stuff,” said Sophie Jungman, a junior at NWOSU. “ So that made me question his integrity a little bit.”
Some also prefer Munsen to Mazzei because she has a less aggressive approach. Mazzei released many ad campaigns that defamed his opponents and attacked their character, while Munsen was respectful of those she was up against.
“I really love her policies and the things she’s going for,” said Julious Cardinita, a senior at NWOSU who will be voting for Munsen. “She’s very pro public schools, and I really like that.”
Although it is not at the front of every student’s mind, things like local elections affect each of them. Beginning to vote while in college can help build habits for future elections and help change the community for the better.