“In the one place in America where women still have a right to choose,” said the voiceover of a recent Harris-Walz ad, “you can vote any way you want. And no one will ever know.”
The ad then panned from a Harris-voting wife to her Trump-supporting husband.
“Did you make the right choice?” he asked.
“Sure did, honey,” the wife replied, winking to a fellow Harris-supporter.
Vote in secret. But you shouldn’t be with someone if you can’t safely discuss how you voted differently than they did, as the ad implies so condescendingly. If your marriage, dating relationship, or friendship hinges on your vote, you’ve got your priorities wrong.
Exit polls from this week show Gen Z is the most politically-divided generation in America, especially by gender.
Division threatens the fabric of civil society. It seems we’ve forgotten that it’s more important to be with someone principled, pragmatic, and free-thinking than with someone who will always mark the same bubble on his ballot as you.
Financial Times journalist John Burn-Murdoch reported a stark political gap between young men and young women in his January 2024 article, “A new global gender divide is emerging.” According to Burn-Murdoch’s data, men aged 18-29 have voted more conservatively in the last 30 years, while their female counterparts have leaned significantly to the left.
Now, NBC exit polls show a 14-point gap between men aged 18-29, 47% of whom voted for Harris, and their female counterparts, 61% of whom voted for Harris. That’s a greater gender gap than any other age group in the exit polls.
We’re likely to befriend, work with, and even marry people who vote differently than we do. Even at Hillsdale, it’s not safe to assume your best friend or date thinks the same way as you on politics.
And that’s a gift.
I’m from Chicago, where decades of one-party domination have caused political and financial corruption. Monolithic political thought doesn’t serve us on the large scale, nor does it serve us in our closest circles. Maybe you’d be helped by a spouse who’s of one mind with you on politics. Or maybe you would find it refreshing to have someone who agrees on big principles but implements them differently.
Politics can seem like a dealbreaker, especially in romantic relationships. And maybe it is for you. But mutual trust, pursuit of the truth, and communication are far more important than party alignment. Gender relations break down when we don’t trust each other. Honest political discussions build trust, not undermine it.
Though we hold closely aligned religious, social, and economic values, my boyfriend and I voted differently this election. With similar fundamental beliefs, we assessed risks and ranked priorities differently when it came time to vote.
I’m always humbled to hear the thought he and all my friends put into their decisions, especially because we so often categorize people who vote differently from us as “stupid” or “unthinking.” At best, each vote is an educated guess — no one, not even political pundits, can tell how the next four years will go: whether policies and personalities will play out as we hope. Time will tell whether each of us made the “correct” decision.
Commentators far smarter than I have analyzed the reasons for this political gap between young men and women. I’m only here to remind you it’s still possible to love and deeply respect people who approach politics differently.
Gen Z is a divided generation. But cultivating a culture of discussion and mutual respect can bring us back together.
Caroline Kurt is a junior studying English.
