Young voters in Wyoming say more job opportunities would entice them to stick around in the state after graduating college. Wyoming Public Media’s Jordan Uplinger attended a candidate meet and greet at the University of Wyoming (UW) with less than a week to go before the midterm election. Wyoming Public Media’s Nicky Ouellet and Jordan broke down what students think politicians can do to entice graduates and young people entering the workforce to remain in the state.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity
Nicky Ouellet: Jordan, set the scene for us.
Jordan Uplinger: So I went over to the Arts and Sciences Auditorium on campus, where the audience got to Q and A with candidates running for all parts of government. We’re talking city council, sheriff, coroner, county clerk, assessor, treasurer, the state Legislature and, of course, the governor.
NO: Wow, full house. How was the student turnout?
JU: There were quite a few more adults than there were students, for sure. However, this is the first time UW’s Staff Senate, Faculty Senate, and student government ever held something like this on campus, and the turnout was decent for something organized just a few weeks before the election.
NO: OK, so what did you hear when you were talking to students?
JU: Every student I talked to had a lot of issues driving them this election, but the unifying factor across interviews: jobs, jobs, jobs. More jobs with a side of jobs. And according to one student, better leadership and respect for personal rights. But mostly, jobs. Here’s Alastair Bernard, a freshman studying physics, but he is interested in nuclear sciences. When asked if anyone in the election gave him confidence that Wyoming was the future of nuclear, he said:
Bernard Alastair: Nooo…none of them gave me confidence.
JU: He’s not convinced candidates are going to push this industry in a way that would lead to more job availability here.
NO: So kind of mirroring what we've been hearing from older voters in this election too. Economics, focusing on the opportunities that may or may not be available, these are the top issues for young voters in Wyoming?
JU: Absolutely. So there's Cline Martinez, who’s studying anthropology and criminal justice. He summed up the brain drain dilemma pretty well.
Cline Martinez: I would love to stay in Wyoming. I'm going to make that very clear. This is a fantastic state, a fantastic place to live. A lot of great places to choose from.
JU: But you said, “I’d love to.”
CM: Yeah, no, but the thing is, [the] job opportunities, you know? If I get a high paying job somewhere else and I can't find one here, then of course I’m going to go where the money is.
NO: Mincing no words. Did anyone on stage speak to these concerns, like addressing young voters specifically?
JU: Yes. Some city council candidates talked about involving the youth more directly in government affairs, but didn’t give any descriptive examples. And some students were happy to hear both sheriff’s candidates address their concerns around Flock cameras.
NO: Flock cameras, a type of automatic license plate reader. Surveillance tech.
JU: Yeah, those Flock cameras. I talked to one student who said he thought most of the candidates would bring a degree of competency to their roles. But he wants to see leadership that can actually inspire young people. Here’s Aaron Sweeney, a second year law school student.
Aaron Sweeney: I don't know, just like, respect from the young people to actually keep them around and engage and have hope that, yes, things can get better, and like, politics isn’t a muddy mess.
JU: But like every student I talked to, there wasn’t anyone that was jumping out of their seats to run and go support. Sweeny liked one of the sheriffs, and other students appreciated their discussion on privacy. But, overall, many of the students appear, at the very least, unimpressed, and at the very most, lacking confidence in government leadership.
NO: Jordan, I have to ask, were students maybe forced to go as extra credit or some kind of poly sci assignment?
JU: I got the vibe that everyone I talked to wanted to be there. However, one student told me she wished the university had done more to make the event appeal to the students.
NO: How so?
JU: Well, I talked to Keiana Morgan, a third-year transfer studying civil engineering. She said she wished the university or even professors during class had talked more about the event ahead of time.
Keiana Morgan: Because I mean, it's a college town. People are busy all the time. They have activities. They have clubs, classes, exams, all that kind of stuff that they're trying to do. And they can't necessarily come out on a Wednesday evening to watch and hear all of these [kinds] of things. But it's super important for young people to be informed voters.
JU: She said the event should have been live streamed, or at the very least recorded.
NO: To sum up in a couple final words here, Jordan, what issues outside of jobs might influence these young voters’ picks on November 3?
JU: I did ask everyone what their top three issues were. Based on their answers, I would say the top three issues this election for young people are: data centers at an easy, comfortable number one, public lands at number two and support for the university at number three. One student I talked to said he wants to see lawmakers quote “stand up” for UW in the future.
NO: For those of you still wanting to hear more from candidates, our website has videos of the Wyoming PBS candidate debates, and you can also find interviews with all the candidates in competitive races for federal and statewide office on Wyoming Public Media’s How Do I Vote page. The election is on Tuesday, November 3.
