With the 2024 Presidential Election just under a month away, some first-time voters from around Connecticut said they are excited to be voting, either for Vice President Kamala Harris, or former President Donald J. Trump. 

Sam Hardesty, 21, from West Hartford, is a geography major and psychology minor at Central Connecticut State University and a registered Democrat.  

“I registered pretty much as soon as I turned 18 and I’ve voted in local elections every year since,’’ he said. “I’ve voted in the Presidential primaries, so I’m super excited to participate in our democracy in that way.” 

Sarha Antonio, 20, a student at CCSU and New Britain resident, said she would vote for Harris because of her stance on issues such as abortion rights, immigration and the possibility of Harris making history. 

“I would vote for Kamala Harris since she is pro-choice and would be the first woman president,” Antonio, a Democrat, said. “She’s also a person of color, and that matters a lot to me. And she’s better than Trump when it comes to immigration policy. She’s a lot more lenient with what she thinks about it compared to what Trump thinks about it.” 

Dominick Lombardi, 21, a Fairfield University student from Orange, said he will be voting for Trump because of the many factors he has for the United States.  

“As a young student and a young American, my future revolves around financial independence,” Lombardi said. “He (Trump) believes that the government should get off your back and out of your pocket, and that for everyone new regulation that’s imposed on the economy, ten old ones should be taken off eliminating taxes on tips.” 

Marina Tonner, a student at CCSU, and a Democrat said she is voting for Harris because of her views on LGBTQ and women’s rights. 

“LGBTQ+ rights matter to me because I am a part of the community,” Tonner said. “I have a lot of friends in the community, so I believe that LGBTQ+ rights are protected. Abortion rights are very important to me because I am a woman.” 

Luke Collura, 20, said that although he doesn’t like either candidate, he is still going to exercise his right to vote. 

“I think the right to vote is sacred and it’s a privilege more than a right,” Collura, an Independent, said. “I am committed to voting for the people who still can’t vote in this country and for my relatives and ancestors who were not able to exercise this right in a democratic society.”  

Collura expressed his opinion on voting for a candidate. 

“The candidates that are running for this year are just not strong, in my opinion,” Collura said. 

Eary Banushi, Benjamin Daddio, Jahshua Hardy-Everett, Elijah Hernandez, and Deanna Prescott all contributed to this story.