On the University of Arizona campus this election day, the mood was largely one of apathy toward the mid-term elections, and the Jewish student body proved no exception.
The majority of Jewish students contacted, many of whom are not registered to vote in the state of Arizona, told CampusJ that they do not plan to vote, either here or by absentee ballot.
Their reasons for staying away from the polls followed a few consistent themes: the belief that Congressional elections are not as important as presidential elections; the difficulty absentee voters face in following election coverage in another state; and, perhaps most importantly, cynicism generated by negative “attack-ads.”
The tendency not to vote is a reflection of trends among the larger 18-to-24 year old demographic, of which only around 20-30% typically vote.
Many of those Jewish students who did vote described themselves as actively involved in the political process and in encouraging others to vote. The issues that Jewish students are most passionate about include health care, the economy, the protection of minorities, and foreign policy toward the Middle East.
Ben Bloch, a senior majoring in business management, told CampusJ that “the trend among Jews in general is to support the Democrats — I would say about 30% vote Republican — but when it comes to foreign issues, particularly the Middle East and Israel, we tend to agree with conservatives.� He added, however, that while many young Jewish voters are looking for candidates who support Israel, such candidates can be found across party lines. “The U.S. stance toward Israel is consistent among Democrats and Republicans,� he said, adding “It’s not about advocating for a certain party, but rather maintaining that relationship between the U.S. and Israel.�
Law student Matthew Bycer told CampusJ that he believes “Democrats are in favor with Jewish students, but Republican Senator John Kyle has strong support.� Bloch said that many Jewish students support Senator Kyle because “John Kyle has been one of the best candidates for Israel.�