What Do College Students in South Florida Think About the Candidates?

Florida International University Students, Like Keysel Belaez, Speak Out About The Upcoming 2012 Elections. (Kristofer Rios/ABC Univision)

 

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Florida International University's South Campus was a flurry of activity on the final day of voter registration for Florida state residents. Students supporting both candidates set up stands handing out issue points from both campaigns and several voter registration drives were encouraging students to vote.

ABC News/Univison paid a visit to the campus to hear from students how their political views have shifted since the last election.

Brian Thornton, a 20-year-old philosophy major was among those manning a Romney table near the library. Handing out catered Cuban sandwiches, Thornton and his classmates talked to other students about Romney's positions.

"I'll be voting for Romney because I believe his plans for the future of our country go more towards the ideas that our founding fathers put into place," said Thornton.

Kristofer Rios/ABC Univision

Florida International University Students,... View Full Size

Kristofer Rios/ABC Univision

Florida International University Students, Like Keysel Belaez, Speak Out About The Upcoming 2012 Elections.

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Across campus in the Graham Center, a team of Obama supporters stood in front of a large Obama 2012 sign. They were registering students for a Thursday night Obama fundraising event at the University of Miami where the president is scheduled to make an appearance.

Andrew Jones, a Marketing major, was on line for his ticket. Without hesitation he said we was voting for President Obama. "He can do a lot for me as a student and as a person of the middle class than Romney can," Jones said.

In the 2008 presidential elections, approximately 23 million voters between the ages of 18 and 29 turned out to cast their vote, more than half choosing President Barack Obama. Without a doubt, young voters helped turn the tide, especially in a swing state like Florida.

But for several students, neither candidate represented the issues that mattered to them. Skeptical of the candidates and disappointed in the political process they choose not to vote, but not without reason.

Jennifer Pinto, a psychology major, felt that President Obama did little with his four years in office and was wary of Mitt Romney's stance on women's rights.

"My vote is going to nobody," Pinto said. "I'm not voting for neither Obama or Romney."