University of North Florida students debate the legitimacy of claims of voter fraud and discuss the importance of voter participation as state and national elections approach.

The discourse has gained momentum following President Donald Trump’s recent claims that foreign intelligence influenced the 2020 election. 

Voter fraud concerns

With debates over voter fraud in mind, UNF students are preparing for the upcoming elections, some voting for the first time.

Adam Lauer, a senior sports management major, said that he has voted in national elections before but has never voted in a state election until now.

“It’s our right, we should at least do it to try and get our voices heard,” Lauer said. Lauer said that he has seen the new documents from the Trump administration and that they won’t change much.

“It’ll probably just turn into more of the same. A lot of pointing fingers from both sides and it’ll turn into nothing most likely,” Lauer said.

While Lauer said that “if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying” in regard to the election fraud claim, he believes that the Trump administration’s claims are “a lot of nothing” and that discussion of voter fraud will likely continue for years to come despite that.

“I think it’s taking away from not only our government but the people in our country looking at each other and helping each other out and focusing on solving problems,” Lauer said. “Voter fraud is important; it could be a thing, but if we just cared about our community and the people in front of us, maybe we’d have less to worry about.”

Hastings Harvey, a sophomore majoring in international business, said he had heard about the Trump administration’s documents unveiled on July 16 and that he thinks voter fraud should be investigated.

“I’m not informed enough to say if our current system is corrupt or not…but I think there should be an investigation and then matters should be taken whether it’s corrupt or not corrupt,” Harvey said.

Following Trump’s address about foreign intelligence influencing elections, John Solomon, a White House staff member, said to MS NOW that “the intelligence community has zero evidence that someone has flipped – that a foreign power flipped—a vote in 2020, ’22 or ’24.”

“We’re not through all the documents,” Solomon said to MS NOW. 

Kyleigh Lewis, another business major at UNF, said that while she needs to do more research on voter fraud, she is not sure about the Trump administration’s intentions.

“What I’m seeing I don’t necessarily agree with, and I know that people have their own reasons, but I’m looking at it as ‘ok, this is business for everybody,’” Lewis said. “This is something that they’re doing that I don’t think is necessarily benefiting…the commoners.”

The UNF’s Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement provides students with relevant voting information on their website.

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