Students march in Loop to vote early for Amara Enyia

Since Amara Enyia first entered the mayor’s race, University of Chicago student Marco Valdez said he’s been hooked by how she “actually cares about what younger generations want.”

“I’m not even really a big politics person,” Valdez, 20, said, but Amara’s different. She’s got Chance behind her and … everything she’s been doing has made a lot of voters my age feel seen. It’s a lot different than the usual (candidate).”

Valdez was one about 25 people who gathered at Daley Plaza to march together to cast their ballots at an early voting site in the Loop Monday morning. Enyia’s campaign had provided bus rides to the Loop voting site from several colleges, Loyola and the University of Chicago. With the endorsement of, and donations from, Chance the Rapper, she will continue to target younger voters.

Enyia said young voters will have a “significant impact” in choosing the next mayor.

“This election is about turnout,” she said. “Our elders, our seniors and our young people. All of us have to take part in this election.”