The 2024 presidential election is only 10 months away and a palpable sense of dread hangs in the air. Conversations surrounding voting in November cite the phrase “the lesser of two evils” as the source of discouragement. Nobody wants to re-elect Joe Biden who is far too old to be driving a car, let alone running this country. Donald Trump already had his go on the presidential merry-go-round and has since racked up four indictments and 91 felony charges. Who can really blame voters for being disinterested in the upcoming election?

The presidential candidates do not represent the wants or even needs of this country right now. According to a CNN article, the 2020 census confirmed that 50.7 percent of the population is under the age of 40. This country needs candidates who can relate to and understand younger generations. The workforce is quickly evolving, foreign affairs are taking center stage and A.I. technology is getting out of hand. The world is rapidly changing and it is highly unlikely that two old men are able to keep up with the pace. 

Not to mention that voters have already suffered four years with each of these presidents. They know how each candidate works and what to expect from them. It is understandable that voters are fatigued by the state of the election as they have been left unsatisfied with the proven results. 

It isn’t as though Biden and Trump are the sole options; the race is still early and there are other candidates to consider. Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips are also running as Democrats and Nikki Haley and Ryan Binkley are competing as Republicans. That being said, it doesn’t look too hopeful for these politicians. The poll analysis website FiveThirtyEight reports that Biden is leading the Democratic national polls with 72.3 percent while Trump is leading the Republican national polls with 72.2 percent. The other Democratic and Republican candidates are not ruled out yet, the primary election will be held between April 2 and June 25 and will determine who the final candidates from each party will be.

In an election year without viable options, it is natural to wonder about third-party candidates. Those in the running this year include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein. Unfortunately, the U.S. has a strong two-party system and has never successfully elected any third-party candidate to office. That being said, third-party options are not unimportant. Voting third-party has historically been able to misdirect votes from mainstream candidates and obtain electoral votes. The media has not been offering these candidates the time or publicity that it has given to Biden or Trump but they are worth checking out on your own if you feel so averse to the Democratic and Republican candidates.

Voting feels a bit useless right now. This country needs systematic change– not another old white guy in office. When Biden was elected back in 2020, it felt like a sort of means to an end. The country had just spent four years under a president who was comfortable using racial slurs, harassing women and inciting violence on the Capitol. America was completely polarized and many thought that Biden would be a temporary solution until more progress could be made. His election was a compromise between liberal and conservative voters but has since left both sides disappointed.

Over the course of his presidential term, Biden has demoralized the country. High gas prices, the still uncodified Roe v. Wade law and his recent actions in the Middle East have put a sour taste in voters’ mouths, especially young ones. People are tired of having to vote for candidates that they don’t believe in and don’t feel represented by. It is hard to care about party lines when you fundamentally disagree with both candidates. It doesn’t seem to matter whether the Democrats or Republicans control the White House; we will be screwed either way. 

This election year feels like screaming into a void where no one can hear you. It is exhausting to be faced with candidates who are escaping felony charges by a mere hair or are comfortable with the genocide of over 26,000 people. Are there really no better options?