My generation is tired of all the drama, of leaders who don't take responsibility for their actions but blame others, says Skye McKinney, who recently graduated in art and now works as an art director in the film industry in Georgia.
America is big and characterized by diversity. We need a middle-oriented leader who understands that.
Without Enthusiasm
Among McKinney's friends, there is fear and anger, she says. Some have refrained from voting altogether, as they dislike both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Others have undergone a kind of military training, as they are afraid of a scenario worse than the deadly storming of the Capitol in 2021.
McKinney herself has voted for Harris without enthusiasm, but with her future in mind.
I want everyone to have access to healthcare and education, and I want stricter gun laws. And I hope for more support for families.
Skye McKinney is saving up for a car and therefore lives with her parents, along with her boyfriend. The two are considering having children and wish that the next president would arrange daycare that doesn't cost the equivalent of a month's salary in fees.
Right now, I don't believe in the American dream, that you can get better just by working hard. You can survive here, but not thrive, she says, looking down into her glass.
And what are you afraid of?
That the USA becomes like in "The Handmaid's Tale" (the TV series based on Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Story"). Or that civil war breaks out.
"Trump 2.0"
A young voter from Tennessee, who works as a teacher and wants to remain anonymous, has a different view of the future. She longs for job creation, tightened border security, and "suitable" books for children in schools – she doesn't think children in elementary and middle school should read about homosexuality.
All I wish for is a Trump 2.0 leadership, she says.
For Consuwala Fletcher, a fashion designer who has just started her own business in Atlanta, the election and the future are mainly about the housing shortage and the high rents that come with it in today's USA.
It's hell to find somewhere to live. To get a contract, you need a salary that's three times higher than the rent, she says on her way into a campaign meeting with Kamala Harris.
Now I'm a lodger and pay $1,000 a month. It shouldn't be like that.
What else do you hope for from the next president?
Stability. That he or she shows respect for everyone, especially my friends who are LGBTQ people.
The USA is often called the world's only superpower, considering how dominant the country is economically, militarily, and culturally.
The country has 335 million inhabitants who live in the 50 states. The capital is Washington DC.
The USA is a republic with a presidential system. Its constitution came into force in 1789 and is considered the world's oldest written and currently applicable constitution. It describes a principle of separation of powers, which means that the executive (the president), legislative (Congress), and judicial (the Supreme Court) branches should balance each other.
Elections to Congress are held every other year, and presidential elections every fourth year. The president nominates judges to the Supreme Court, but these must be approved by the Senate.
