Tomorrow the big question of who will win the US presidential election will be answered. The election campaign in the USA has created a lot of interest all over the world – including among the young people in Trøndelag. Friends Live Naomi Lubanda-Husby, Dina Nesgård Evjen, Falk Frydenlund, Synne Løvvik, Mads Hoff and Agnar Mattias Høgsnes packed their bags and headed across the pond to contribute. – We mostly make house calls in different neighbourhoods. There we talk to undecided voters who have not decided whether they will vote for Trump, Harris or whether they will vote at all, says Live. The group of friends spends most of their time meeting voters who need a reminder to exercise their right to vote. The most important swing state – It will be a very even election and since there is an incredible amount at stake, it feels very natural to contribute as much as you can, says Live. Everyone in the group of friends is active in AUF where they hold office. Photo: Live Naomi Lubanda-Husby The group of friends decided to go to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has been touted as the key swing state, which both Trump and Harris need to win the presidency. – This election is as much about the world as it is about the United States, and I am very worried about the thought that Trump could become president again. No one benefits from his politics, especially not us young people, says Mads. In a survey conducted by Ipsos, it is stated that 47 percent of men aged 18 to 29 would have voted for Trump. – I think it may be a sign that there are many boys who are dissatisfied and that it has become more difficult to be a boy in 2024. Nevertheless, it is not a good sign that you see that there are so many young boys who could have thinking of voting for Trump, says Agnar, who is also elected in Lierne municipality for the Labor Party. The future of democracy The American presidential election is historic regardless of who wins the election, but there is a lot of tension attached to whether Donald Trump will accept a possible defeat. It worries the group of friends about what it could mean for the future of democracy. – It’s something you keep in mind when you go over there. If Trump were to lose, it is not a given that he will acknowledge defeat in a peaceful manner, which is a scary signal to send out to the rest of the world where we can already see that several democracies are being weakened, adds See to it. Storting representative Bård Hoksrud (Frp) is one of the four Norwegian election observers who are in the US now. He has been an election observer several times in various countries, and emphasizes the importance of that role in ensuring a democratic election. – It is important to be there, to show that we are watching and that we are around the polling stations. Often there can be an opposition and position that strongly disagree with each other and distrust each other. Then it is important to come. Storting representative Bård Hoksrud (Frp) is an election observer, and very excited about what Tuesday will bring. Photo: Nadir Mohammad Alam / news The election observers make a report based on all the politicians and everyone else who has been in the polling stations, which it sends to the authorities who have to decide on it. – So surely some people in Norway will think that this is not so important, but I think you should see that democracy is too full speed back in the world, unfortunately. There are other regimes that are winning, and that is very worrying for those who are concerned with ensuring that we have democracy and freedom of expression for the citizens, says Hoksrud. Tendencies towards protests Hoksrud was an election observer during the US presidential election in 2016 and during the congressional election in 2022. During the presidential election in 2020, there were sometimes strong protests – also at polling stations. Hoksrud sees similar tendencies this year, with, for example, the burning of ballot papers. – It will be exciting to see, but I would guess that the authorities are quite concerned about the safety and security around the polling stations. It is also what is a bit special about the USA compared to Norway, that here you can use the legal system if you are dissatisfied with the election results, as they did in 2020. Concern about the business world Several Norwegians have flown to the USA to get the run-up to the US presidential election. Severin Roald is managing director of the communications agency Geelmuyden Kiese. He has invited a large Scandinavian business delegation to follow the election closely. In the traveling party there are leaders from business and organizational life, people from both the energy industry, defence, property, health and pharmaceuticals. Managing director of the communications agency Geelmuyden Kiese, Severin Roald, expresses concern about the consequences the election may have for business. Photo: Netcom – It is obvious that this is a choice that can have quite large consequences for the business world. There are two very different candidates. Trump is primarily concerned with promoting American interests. He is threatening to withdraw the US from international trade agreements, introduce punitive tariffs on both European and Chinese products, and it is clear that this could be quite costly for many Norwegian companies, regardless of whether you are selling aluminium, steel, furniture or fish, says Roald . One of the business delegation is the editor-in-chief of the Innherred newspaper, Espen Leirset. The editor-in-chief of Innherred, Espen Leirset, is a political scientist by background and has done research at Nord University. Photo: Nord universitet – It’s a long way from Innherred across the pond to here, but my thought is that if you want to understand society, you also have to understand the United States. This is where the trends start. Many believe that the change of words we see in the election here is something we want to see more of in Norway in the years to come. – I think this election will affect us all in different ways, including where I come from. We thought it was only Trump who would reduce the USA’s influence on Europe, but what I have learned so far on this trip is that it will probably happen regardless of who is elected, says Leirset. Published 04.11.2024, at 18.46
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