The 2024 presidential primary vote is underway, which means College of The Desert students can vote for what could be the first-ever vote of their lives. Students must learn about the candidates and their ideologies behind various current events, how people can vote and where to get their votes submitted.

Running this election representing the Democratic party is the current president running for a second term, Joe Biden, self-help author and spiritual guru who previously ran for the presidency in 2020—American author Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Jason Palmer.

The former president and businessman is representing the Republican party. During his presidency, there was talk of him getting impeached. This meant that Congress would have to vote not to make him president of the United States anymore, which would take place in 2019.

The Independent party’s representatives are attorney and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., professor author amd activist Cornel West, and doctor and environmental health advocate Jill Stein.

To be able to vote in this and any presidential election, you must be registered to vote in the state of California. With that, here are a few important dates that should be remembered when wanting to vote:

•  The primary election polls in each state were open on Match 5, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters vote to see who will represent their political party in the general election. If voting by mail, mail ballots must be returned with a postmark on or before Election Day (March 5) and received by the county by March 12.
• The last day for county election officials to certify election results is April 5.
• The general election will occur on Nov. 2024, better known as Super Tuesday.