The next presidential election is not set to take place until the sixth of November 2012, and candidates are already forming a platform and debating for the election. The Republican nomination for the race is still open while the Democratic nomination is filled.

Senior Lexi Knight said, “It’s going to be a really interesting election, there are a lot of different and diverse candidates out there.”

Students that turn eighteen before Nov. 6, 2012, will be able to cast their vote for the next president. Junior Garey Symington is “very excited to be a part of the presidential election and [he] can’t wait to help decide our nation’s next leader.”

The Democratic candidate for president is current President of the United States, Barack Obama (Illinois).

Republican candidates include Michele Bachmann (Minnesota), Herman Cain (Georgia), Newt Gingrich (Georgia), Jon Huntsman Jr. (Utah), Gary Johnson (New Mexico), Ron Paul (Texas), Rick Perry (Texas), Mitt Romney (Massachusetts) and Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania). Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota) withdrew from the race on Aug. 14.

According to a composite poll on realclearpolitics.com, Perry is ahead in the polls with an average of 27.7 points. The close second is Romney with an average of 21.5 points.

While Romney’s polls have remained consistently high, Perry’s points have rapidly increased over the past several months. This data is based on a combination of the leading political sources and their polls.

According to gallup.com, Sarah Palin is the most recognizable Republican candidate for president, though she has not yet announced her bid for the candidacy. Palin has a 95 percent recognition rating, and there is speculation that she may announce a bid for the Republican candidacy sometime in the near future.

Candidates Gingrich, Romney and Bachmann are close behind Palin with recognition ratings of 86 percent, 85 percent and 84 percent, respectively.

There is a vast range of political experience between these ten possible presidential candidates. Junior Will Thompson claimed,“the different levels of experience that these candidates have will really affect who [he] decides to vote for.”

Perry, Johnson, Huntsman Jr. and Romney all have experience as governors or former governors. “governors or former governors have the best experience to become the next president; they’ve led smaller governments, so president is just a step up from that position.”

Also in the race are representatives Bachmann and Paul. As representatives of their respective states, they have worked closely with former presidents. Working in the House of Representatives allows these prospective candidates to write and debate laws that are eventually sent to the white house. Gingrich is also a former speaker of the house.

Other positions include former Federal Reserve banker Cain, former ambassador to China Huntsman Jr. and former senator Santorum.

All of these positions enable these candidates to run for President of the United States of America, but the people will elect only one.

Knight said she will “vote for the best possible candidate that has the best interest of the people in mind, and that’s all I can do.”

Connor Sample is the Environmental Editor for the Spartan Speaks