Students cite the economy as their number one concern in this year's election

On Tuesday, President Obama secured his second term in office, riding a strong performance among minorities and the youth, to gain victory over Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Much of both campaigns, including the majority of the first two debates, were focused on the state of the United States economy and the candidates' plans to create jobs and balance the budget. So now that the election is over, the question becomes just how important was the economy in this election?

According to a CNN exit poll, 59 percent of voters said that the economy was the single most important issue facing the country during the election. The next most chosen issue was healthcare, with 18 percent.

Students at the University of Maryland seemed to share this emphasis on the economy, especially with regards to the job market.

Scott Haines, a senior history and German major said that his choice to vote for President Obama was informed in part by his looming entrance into the job market.

"I'm graduating in December, so [the economy] is going to be a very primary worry in a few months, and I think Obama's direction has been a better course for the last four years," Haines said. 

While still concerned about the economy, other students were focused on the candidates' plans for those still in college.

"[The economy] was a big factor. It felt like Romney wasn't concerned with the middle class and helping out students," said Judith Alark, a kinesiology major.

Both Haines and Alark voted for President Obama, although the country as a whole was split on the question of which candidate would handle the economy better.

Abby Kaye-Phillips, another Maryland student, struggled with the slow economic recovery when considering the candidates, but ultimately cast her vote for the President, which she said had to do with social issues such as abortion and equal rights.

"The economy was hard, because I do think that it should have improved more under the current administration," said Kaye-Phillips, who went on to say that President Obama experienced "bad luck" in his first term.

It seems that the state of Maryland as a whole emphasized the economy in the election, as 58 percent of citizens said that the economy was the most important issue. Fifty-nine percent thought that the President had the better plan for this issue, according to CNN exit polls.