‘People I know, they’re stressing about everyday things, I guess, like gas and groceries.’

Giselle Medina, 19, is a first-year, first-generation political science student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While she is unregistered, she understands the key issues and policies that are motivating other voters to go to the polls on Nov. 3.

Are you interested in politics? What about politics interests you?

Yeah, I’m really interested in people who make a difference and, I guess, the values that I believe in mostly. And because I’m first-gen, so people who have a voice, that means a lot to like, speak up.

Are you registered to vote?

No, I’m not.

So you’re not registered, but how do you feel about voting overall in Wisconsin and in the U.S.?

I think that everybody just deserves, like, I guess, a voice or to vote and stuff.

Do you think that voting in Wisconsin is just as important as voting in the U.S.?

I think it is because, obviously there’s different rules and stuff that I feel like voting here makes a difference. Obviously, because we live here so I feel like it’s just as important. It’s like our state’s values.

What do you think motivates people to vote?

I think their own values; they want somebody to have the same opinions and values as them.

Do you think that people usually tend to vote within their political party, or do you think that if a candidate within their political party doesn’t exactly fall within their values, would they vote outside of their party?

Yeah. I think it really depends on the person because it’s like, you could obviously want to vote if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, but if you don’t share the same values as that candidate, it’s going to, like, throw them off, I guess. I think people stick in their same category either way, though, because people are really stubborn, obviously.

How are you feeling about the election?

I feel like I would have more of an opinion on it if I knew what the candidates, like, what their plan is for Wisconsin. I feel like a lot of people I know, though, feel really strongly about it.

Have your feelings, or the feelings of people you know, affected motivation to vote? Do you think that candidates and their policies are motivating people in your life to vote?

Yeah, I feel like it is because I feel like, at least people I know, they’re stressing about everyday things, I guess, like gas and groceries. And just how dramatically it’s changed over the past couple of years.

How do you think you will be affected by the outcome of the governor’s race?

I feel like I don’t really know that much about what Tom Tiffany’s values are, but from context clues, he probably supports, like, our president and stuff. And I really think that could affect immigrants in a way, and ICE and stuff like that would probably be way more enforced than if David Crowley were to win.