With the general election just a little more than a week away, first time voters, despite some trepidation, are looking forward to casting their ballots for the highest office in the land.

As with many Americans, the new voters are conflicted about making their final choice because of the candidates themselves.

“I think they’re both wild cards,” Dominic Mertz said. “They’ve both done some iffy things in the past, Hillary with emails. Trump is not really a politician.

“You don’t know how [either will] do things, but since I can vote, I want to make my decision about whom I think will do the best job.”

Mertz is not alone in his thinking.

Many new voters feel mixed about whom to choose.

“It’s the kind of election where you’re picking the lesser of two evils,” Adam Rausch said. “Neither candidate is the ideal but you have to vote for the one who has your moral values and [shares] what you believe in.”

“It’s a crappy election to be voting,” S. Andrew Baer agreed. “The ideology for this election is whom you hate less. It’s a reality TV show.

“Trump is so insecure he’s been trying to get dirt on all [his opponents]. I’m considering voting third party.”

The opportunity to vote for a woman their first time out has appeal to some 18 year olds.

“The candidates we have right now are not really the greatest,” Savannah Jarjous said. “But, if I vote, I know I did my part.

“It would be awesome to have the first woman president [especially] since Trump is a sexist.”

“I think it’s about time,” Emily Tedesco said. “It’s time women can prove it. The election is definitely proving something already.

“It’s proving that [Hillary] has better insights. They’ve made fun of her forever.

“This election is more controversial than any other.”

Courtney Page’s opinion differed.

“Her being a woman doesn’t really affect me at all,” Page said. “I think she pulls the woman’s card too much. That’s a turn off.

“I can’t trust her because of the whole email thing. Trump is a business man. Having a business man is a good change for the country.”

Tessa Nichols said her vote is about where Clinton’s opinions.

“It doesn’t matter what gender she is,” Nichols said. “There’s a very big difference between being a business man and running a country.”

“Trump is a disgusting human,” said Alex Smith, who worries his presidency would cause some groups to lose their rights. “I don’t know how anyone who has a mother, daughter or sister could vote for him.”

“It’s a nice added perk there’s a woman [running].”

“Hillary is kind of spinning off the ideas that this country is built on,” said Rausch, who admits being scared of both candidates. “She’s committed a crime with the email scandal and gotten off.

“I can’t align myself with that [considering] all the lies that she’s told.

“She held the position to say yes or no to send help to the Americans caught in Benghazi. If you don’t vote you’re kind of voting for the majority. You’re kind of giving the vote to her.”

Not surprising, some young voters including Nichols and Tedesco originally favored Bernie Sanders in the run up to the convention.

“I was for Bernie,” Tedesco said. “His values are important. It’s good Hillary has picked up on them.”

“I have a little pop figure of Bernie [that’s] super cute,” joked Nichols. “I’m pretty sure he was arrested for what he stood for.

“I like that he goes way back.”

Looking past the heated political rhetoric new voters are considering a number of factors.

“Growing up, you kind of align yourself with who your parents [prefer],” Rausch said. “You don’t really understand, but it doesn’t really matter.

“Then, you kind of start listening to what they’re saying.”

Ryan Hippensteel, whose father is a social studies teacher at Northwestern offered his comments,

“He’s always said ‘I expect you to vote’ but he doesn’t give his opinion,” Hippensteel said. “I get a more unfiltered version when we watch the debates.

“It’s more a running commentary during the debate [but] there’s not a whole lot of talk about [my final choice].

“It’s my vote and I’m going to keep it to myself.”

“[My parents] want me to vote,” agreed Colton Wieder, who leaned toward Bernie Sanders at first. “But they’re not telling me who to vote for.

“You don’t have to vote, but I want to get the experience so I’m going to vote.”

“The five people you hang out the most affects you and [impacts] your values,” added Tristan Link. “But voting is your decision.”

“I’m definitely on a different spectrum from my parents,” said Nichols. “I watch the highlights of the debates and read a bunch of stories on social media, especially Facebook, which is pretty heavy on debate talk.”

Students report the presidential debates have been useful.

“My dad is very into it and I tend to agree with most things he has to say,” Page said. “I watched the debates and looked up information.

“It’s helpful because I can decide what I want in my next president.”

Tedesco admits to getting “fired up,” especially when she watches the debates with her older sister, whose opinion she values.

“With family, my mom and dad have different perspectives on it than me and my sister do, but it makes me realize they’re wrong,” Tedesco said. “As I watch the debates with my sister, we discuss [them] and she kind of informs me on the issues.

“I just don’t understand how people can’t see what I feel is right.”

“My family is over here and I’m over there,” said Nichols extending her arms wide. “It’s not just my parents, but the whole family. I’m the black sheep.”

“At home we talk about our opinions about the candidates,” said Jarjous, who looked forward to watching the debates. “When the presidential debates were about to come on I was waiting in my room 10 minutes before they started.”

First time voters are critical about those who feel that their vote doesn’t matter.

“If everyone thought like that, 20 people would vote,” Mertz said. “Voting means expressing your opinion. Even if your candidate loses, you know you’ve given your opinion.”

“It’s every American’s responsibility to be 18 years of age and vote. It’s our right and it’s also our responsibility,” said Smith. “Whoever becomes president is going to affect all of us.”

Forty-six million young people ages 18-29 years old are eligible to vote.

“I’m mature enough to make that decision,” said Baer. “It’s showing we’re coming into a new age.”

“One of them is going to win,” Rausch said. “I’m 18 and I’m not going to relinquish my responsibility.

“You have to pick one who has the ideals you have and vote for that one. You have to pick one because one is going to win.”

“I feel everyone should vote,” Tom Creighton said. “If you’re not going to vote for the top of the ticket at least you should vote for the down ballot.”

Voting is habit-forming.

Those who participate in the voting process when they’re young are more apt to do so when they are older.

“This is an opportunity and I’m going to take it,” Tristan Link said. “I can now be my own person and show my beliefs.”

Smith couldn’t agree more.

“Being 18 and being able to vote [gives me] a sense of empowerment. And I’m going to take it,” he said.

“I think it’s important to vote,” Jarjous said. “You should want to put in your opinion. It’s your country.”

“If you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain,” Nichols concluded.