Senior high school students of legal age to vote have their thoughts of who they would prefer as their next president of the United States.  Election Day in the United States falls on or between November 2^nd and November 8^th 2016, the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials.

There are many candidates up for the election this year, sixteen candidates in total. Three are a part of the Democratic Party and the other thirteen are a part of the Republican Party. As of January 15^th, at the head of the Democratic Party is Hillary Clinton with a 52.2% approval rating. At the head of the Republican Party is Donald Trump, with a 34.8% approval rating.

Students who are able to vote should be conscious of what each candidate stands for and what their ideals are.  Each person has their own idea of who is right for the job as the next president of the United States.

Senior Aaron Harpool plans to vote in the election this fall.

“I believe personally that [Ted] Cruz should be elected because he has ideas that go with [Donald] Trump, but not as harsh and as extreme, and he sounds more professional and he takes care of issues in a more professional way rather than just go to war,” Harpool said. “I go for the Republican party because they have actual facts to back up their claims and what they go for affects more of the middle class and it makes middle class rise up unlike the democrats and the socialist.’’

On the Democratic front, the political views are a complete 180.

“I would Vote for Bernie Sanders because I feel that his political views and his vision for America is what I believe in, I feel that he supports equality for all races, all genders, and I really support that,” senior Alexis Gaitan said.

Support for Sanders is high in the opinion of the democrats. There are currently only three candidates running in the Democratic Party: Hillary Clinton, Marley O’Malley, and Bernie Sanders. On the Republican Party; Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, John Kasick, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, and Donald Trump.

Some students did not, however, know that the Republican Party was beating the Democratic Party in numbers by nine candidates.

“I think it is kind of sad that we don’t have as many democrats running as Republicans just because Republicans are really focused on their taxes, and their money and a lot of that party is just a lot of rich people, and rich people do hold a lot of the population in our country, and they are going to try to push their Christian beliefs,’’ senior Xyla Diaz said. “I don’t agree with the Republican Party and I do think it is sad that there are not a lot of Democrats running because that is a really small chance for us. Hopefully we can defy the odds”

The 2016 presidential election is nearly upon us, and the polls could change within time. Candidates will drop out, and it gives the ones remaining a better chance to have the seat in the Oval Office.