2024 ELECTION SEASON OVERVIEW
With the 2024 elections swiftly approaching, it’s incredibly important that every American who can use their voice, do their research, and vote. Our country and our planet are facing a vast array of issues, and there has rarely been a more important time to be civically engaged. We at Shelby Pride encourage you to conduct your own research when determining how you will vote, but also wanted to provide some information and resources about the election and its candidates to serve as a jumping off point for your learning.
IMPORTANT ELECTION RELATED DATES
Before you find yourself putting pen to ballot sheet, there are some
important dates to mark into your calendar relating to the election.
July 15-18: Republican National Convention
July 27: CNN Presidential Debate
August 19-22: Democratic National Convention
September 10: ABC Presidential Debate
September 16: General Election Presidential Debate
September 25: Vice Presidential Debate
October 1: General Election Presidential Debate
October 11: Voter Registration Deadline
October 9: General Election Presidential Debate
November 5: Election Day
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES:
The big ticket decision of any election is the next US
President. Bearing that in mind, here are the 2024 Presidential candidates and a brief summary of their platforms. We strongly encourage you to check out the linked candidates’ campaign websites for yourself and conduct your own research before making any final voting decisions.
Kamala Harris (Democrat): Current Vice President to Joe Biden and former District Attorney of San Francisco, Harris is running as a democratic candidate, continuing and expanding upon Biden's platform and agenda.
Harris on Abortion: Opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade, supports a pregnant person's right to choose
Harris on LGBT+ Issues: Says that the Biden administration supports the LGBTQ+ community and has a history of supporting marriage equality
Harris on Environmental Policy: Long time climate advocate, sued big oil companies and sponsored the Green New Deal resolution while in the Senate
Harris on Healthcare: Wants to shift to a government backed health insurance system. Funding for coverage expansion would come from Wall Street taxation and changes to offshore corporate income taxation
Harris on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Echoed Biden's support for Israel but emphasized the need for the war to end and expressed concern for the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza
Marianne Williamson (Democrat): Self-Help author and 2020 presidential candidate, Williamson runs as a Democrat focusing on economic ills caused by the influence of American corporations.
Williamson on Abortion: Pro-choice, believes that the choice of pregnancy or termination lies with the pregnant person
Williamson on LGBT+ Issues: Believes lack of federal protection for LGBT+ community goes against US founding principles
Williamson on Environmental Policy: Believes that climate change affects everything and our biggest climate change threat is not recognizing the scale of the issue
Williamson on Healthcare: Believes our healthcare system is broken because of the economic system in which it exists
Williamson on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Calls for a ceasefire and disagrees with US military support for Israel
Donald Trump (Republican): Former president and billionaire, Trump is the only remaining candidate for the Republican party in the 2024 election and aims to limit the power of the federal government and return the power to make most political decisions to the state level.
Trump on Abortion: Reversed Roe v. Wade to return abortion legislation to state discretion
Trump on LGBT+ Issues: Aims to federally ban gender affirming care for transgender youth and legislate that only male and female as assigned at birth would be federally recognized
Trump on Environmental Policy: Will re-exit the Paris Climate Accords, limit sustainability legislation, and eliminate the Green New Deal
Trump on Healthcare: Eliminated Obamacare individual mandate, expand private healthcare choice
Trump on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Has voiced strong support for Israel as a nation but remains largely quiet on the current conflict
Cornel West (Unaffiliated): Former University Professor at Harvard University and Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary, West runs as an independent candidate focusing on justice for the oppressed.
West on Abortion: Aims to codify abortion as a constitutional right
West on LGBT+ Issues: Will remove Transgender healthcare limitations, codify an Equal Rights Amendment for the LGBT+ community
West on Environmental Policy: Plans to move beyond the Green New Deal to a global Green Reconstruction initiative and declare a climate emergency
West on Healthcare: Will Implement free healthcare for US residents, establish Health Bill of Rights for disabled people, nationalize the health industry
West on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Will end the Israeli apartheid and pressure the UN to establish a program for Palestinian liberation, cease military funding to Israel
Jill Stein (Green): 2012 Green Party Candidate, physician, and environmental-health activist, Stein’s platform focuses on economic reform, environmental justice, and foreign policy reform.
Stein on Abortion: Believes Abortion is a non-negotiable human right
Stein on LGBT+ Issues: Will support protective legislation for the LGBT+ community, expand LGBT+ educational inclusion, federally outlaw conversion therapy
Stein on Environmental Policy: Will declare a climate emergency, implement a binding Green New Deal, incentivize circular economies, achieve 100% clean energy and net-zero emissions by no later than 2035
Stein on Healthcare: Will implement universal, free healthcare
Stein on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Demands an immediate ceasefire, end to the blockade, release of hostages, and cease military aid to Israel
Claudia de la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation): Running as candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, de la Cruz aims to completely reorganize the US economic and governmental system to elevate workers, eliminate billionaires, and make great shifts toward a socialist America; not listed on the ballot, can serve as a write-in.
De la Cruz on Abortion: Will provide free abortion access with no restrictions
De la Cruz on LGBT+ Issues: Believes in full equality for LGBT+ people and federal legislation banning LGBT+ discrimination
De la Cruz on Environmental Policy: Aims to make private fossil fuel companies public and repurpose them for renewable energy production, reorganize food production, expand public transportation
De la Cruz on Healthcare: WIll institute single-payer healthcare system
De la Cruz on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Demands a cease of military support for Israel
Robert F. Kennedy Jr (We the People).: Author, lawyer, and nephew of president John F.
Kennedy, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign focuses on reduction of corporate involvement in American government, tightening of borders, and an addressing of internal issues instead of foreign intervention.
Kennedy Jr. on Abortion: Will focus on making it easier for pregnant people to choose not to terminate by creating a More Choices, More Life set of policies
Kennedy Jr. on LGBT+ Issues: Believes gay rights should be respected but gender affirming care should not be provided to minors
Kennedy Jr. on Environmental Policy: Will require fossil fuel companies to internalize their costs and incentivize innovation of renewable energy technology
Kennedy Jr. on Healthcare: Plans to shift scientific research toward chronic illness prevention, remove the influence of Big Pharma and Wall Street in the medical industry
Kennedy Jr. on Israel-Palestine Conflict: Stated that Israel’s attacks on Palestine are an understandable reaction to Hamas attacks
LOCAL OFFICE CANDIDATES:
Though the election of a new US President is an important section of the 2024 election, it isn’t the only office up for grabs. For your convenience, here are the offices and candidates for the 2024 Shelby, NC ballot. We strongly encourage you to utilize ballotpedia in finding out what specific candidates are running for your local offices. Any candidates without a hyperlink do not have a published campaign website.