Last month, many college students got their chance to cast their vote in the Iowa Caucus for the next president of the United States, but one group didn’t.

College students are vital to presidential candidates, as students provide their campaigns with an army of canvassers, event organizers and most importantly, votes.

But international students have to approach the election differently since they cannot legally vote.

Koki Tomoeda, sophomore in aerospace engineering, views the election as a spectacle that he has never been able to experience before.

“In Japan, we do not directly vote our leader, so it is very interesting to see the process that goes into the voting system,” Tomoeda said.

While international students can’t vote, there is some consensus among foreign students when it comes to their hypothetical vote and which policies they care most about.

“A major point that is important to international students is foreign policy,” Tomoeda said. “Most international students I have spoken to have found themselves supporting the Democrats and their policies.”

But for some, foreign policy is not their primary concern in this election. It is more about their future in the United States.

“When I graduate, I want to work [ in the United States], so I care a lot about the results,” Tomoeda said. Whoever becomes president will affect my decision on my post college plans. As an aerospace engineering student, it is very hard to get a job out of college and I feel that some candidates will make that even more difficult.”

While others are keenly watching how the U.S. presidential election unfolds, some international students are not as interested.

“Some of the international students just want to see the election, but most don’t worry about the results all that much since most likely they will not stay in the U.S.,” said Huanjiao Dong, graduate student in apparel, events and hospitality management.

For these students, it all comes down to a lack of actionable ability. 

“They see the presidential election as important, but since they can’t really do anything, they aren’t worried about the results,” Dong said.