TYLER, Texas — Tuesday night, vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance squared off for what may be the final debate of the 2024 election season.
With early voting less than a month away, first-time and undecided voters are still struggling to decide on a candidate.
Students at UT Tyler shared whether or not Tuesday’s debate helped solidify a candidate in their eyes.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance sparred over various topics including immigration, abortion, the economy and the Jan. 6 attack on the capitol. Many Americans were already set on their candidate before last night’s debate. but many first-time voters are still undecided.
“I never voted before but felt like I needed to do it,” Blake Nixon said. “I'm probably gonna try to start watching the elections, see what's going on, and hopefully come to a decision.”
Most voters agreed the Vice Presidential Debate had more decorum than the debates between the presidential candidates.
“In the past three we've seen, it hasn't been really civil at all. It's been really attacking, smearing mud, smearing, dragging people to the dirt, but ran out the gate,” Seth Converse said.
Some students praised the civility between the two candidates.
“I could tell, the big difference which I liked,” Santos Mejia said. “I like seeing, more maturity, instead of just speaking over each other.”
After Tuesday’s showdown, some voters were moved to rethink their voting preferences.
“The debates swayed me to lean more along independent party lines,” Cade Metteauer. “I don't feel confident that the presidential candidates are as connected to the issues that I care about.”
For Converse, a freshman, he is more focused on who can get the job done.
“They have good ideas, but when it comes down to who you pick to vote for, you have to see who's going to get their ideas accomplished, and whose ideas are best for the country,” Converse said.
A large issue for undecided voters and first-time voters who are still in college is relatability with candidates.
“They're not expanding and expressing their support for the smaller communities and the people in them that make up a large majority of voters,” Metteauer said. “I just don't feel they're being adequately represented.”
With just days away from early voting, only time will tell if these undecided voters will come to a decision.
“It still could change, there's still some time left but you never know,” Mejia said.
If they can’t come to a decision they will be forced to stay home this election season.
“If I don't have a decision, I probably just won't vote,” Nixon said.
RELATED: Walz and Vance go in depth on policy while attacking each other’s running mates in VP debate
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