Although nearly everyone knows who Joe Biden and Donald Trump are, many people are unaware of the actual policies they promote, or who the other options on the ballot are. Colorado’s Democratic and Republican primary elections are coming up fast, with voting closing on March 5. Many young Coloradans, including some Centaurus students, will be voting for the first time, and it is important that they are informed about all of the choices they have. 

In Colorado, there will be nine Democrats and nine Republicans on each of the primary ballots, although two of the Republicans are write-in candidates, meaning their names will not actually appear on the ballot, and will have to be written instead. However, as of February 27, a large number of these candidates have already dropped out, or are extremely unlikely to win any chance at candidacy for the general election. 

Of the 18 potential candidates on Colorado’s ballots, only four are actually nationwide campaigns in the U.S.. These candidates are Donald Trump (Rep.), Nikki Haley (Rep.), Joe Biden (Dem.), and Dean Phillips (Dem.). In addition to these four, there are three notable independent and third-party candidates: Jill Stein (Green Party), Cornel West (Independent), and Robert F. Kennedy (Independent). While it is unlikely that one of these three will win the presidency, they could garner enough support to take away votes, mostly from the Democratic candidate, helping the Republican party win.

Donald Trump has been a large source of controversy, particularly in Colorado, where he was taken off the ballot by the Colorado Supreme Court. However, he will be on the ballot for the Colorado primary election, and it is his place on the primary election ballot that could be changed by the Supreme Court’s decision on his appealed case. In addition to that case, Trump is in four ongoing criminal and one civil court case, where he has been sentenced to pay around 450 million dollars for inflating his own wealth to secure loans and investments.

Trump’s political views for the 2024 election remain similar to his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. His policies on immigration remain strict, increasing control over the border and building a physical Southern border for the United States. Trump is staunchly pro-life and anti-LGBTQ, and he is committed to involving parents more in schooling, and preventing the teaching of “gender ideology” per his campaign website. He wants to establish more jobs, cut taxes, and embrace a patriotic national identity.

The other main Republican candidate, Nikki Haley, is a former UN ambassador and former South Carolina Governor whose politics are often slightly more moderate than Trump’s. Haley has stated that as president she would increase military spending, directing more aid towards Ukraine and Israel. She is anti-abortion, but wants to find a bi-partisan solution to the issue, along with legislation regarding contraception and adoption. Like Trump, Haley wants to increase parental involvement in choices regarding the material taught in public schools. She also seeks to prevent illegal immigration to the U.S., including by defunding cities that do not enforce strict immigration laws.

Current President of the United States Joe Biden is running for re-election in 2024. Although he has been President for the past four years, some may be unfamiliar with his political stances. Joe Biden sees addressing climate change as an incredibly important issue, and wants to push the U.S. to become less dependent on natural gas. He is committed to relieving and reducing student loan debt, and has criticized conservative efforts to remove education about LGBTQ topics from public schools. Biden supports the right to abortion, and furthermore pledges to increase accessibility for healthcare by decreasing the price of certain medicines such as insulin. 

Joe Biden’s most prominent competitor in the primary election is Dean Phillips, a U.S. Representative for Minnesota. Phillips wants to help provide affordable medical care to all Americans, regardless of age. Like Biden, Phillips seeks to fight against climate change and cut greenhouse gas emissions for the U.S.. He supports access to safe schools for all, promoting an act to help people with disabilities gain greater access to school, and more affordable higher education. Phillips also supports abortion rights and overall increased equity for minorities in the U.S..

Currently, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are leading in their respective primary elections. However, this does not mean that they are the only options. While this article only gave a brief overview of the main candidates’ policies, it is important to look into all of the policies and the candidates before you vote. Good resources include the candidate’s campaign websites, to find out about their positions on certain issues, and reputable fact-based reporting from sources like AP and Reuters. Looking at opinion articles or social media posts doesn’t always show an unbiased view of the candidates, which can make it harder for you to form your own opinion.