This past month, Iowa and New Hampshire have already held their caucus and primary respectively, and North Carolina’s primary is next. The Iowa caucus and primary are seen as a general prediction of who’s likely to win the presidential nominee for the Democratic or Republican party.

In Iowa, Ted Cruz, a Texas Senator, won the Republican nominee, making him the first Latino primary winner. Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. Secretary of State and First Lady, cut it close with Bernie Sanders, but in the end, Clinton won the Democratic nominee by .2%.

“I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because I support her stances on equal rights, voting rights, immigration reform, gun control, and environmental and foreign policy,” said Bob Jones senior Tyler Bullard. “ I believe she is the one candidate who can continue the legacy of President Obama.”

In the New Hampshire primary, Donald Trump won the Republican nominee and Bernie Sanders, won the Democratic nominee, making him the first Jew to ever win a Presidential primary. Donald Trump, famous millionaire and real estate mogul, gained notoriety in the race over his comments on Mexicans, women, Muslims, and the disabled. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic-Socialist and Vermont senator, gained popularity with young people, with 85% of Democratic voters voting for Bernie in New Hampshire. He is also the oldest candidate in the running.

Why do these states determine our future president? Well, after seeing the caucus and primary results, the American people and big corporations decide where to put their money — and who ever is getting that money, will likely win their party’s nomination.

Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, Martin O’Malley, Chris Christie, and Carly Fiorina all dropped out of the presidential race after disappointing numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, and many more are predicted to drop out, which shows the power that Iowa and New Hampshire hold over the presidential candidates.

Gillian Keenan, a Bob Jones sophomore, said, “ (I support) Marco Rubio or John Kasich because they are more moderate Republicans.”

In Alabama, the primaries will be held on March 1st and you can register to vote here. 

Compared to the older generation, young people don’t have as big of a voting turnout, but Jane Newberry, Bob Jones sophomore, said, “The older part of the population are the main voters and those voters may not represent what the younger generation’s views are.”