Voters are more divided now than they were in the 2016 election, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center. Many young Virginians believe the passion could translate to the polls on Election Day.

Rickia Sykes, a senior at Norfolk State University, said her political views have grown stronger since protests erupted across the nation and the globe in late May after the death of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis Police, which was caught on video.

Ms. Sykes said that her political views line up with her faith. She considers herself pro-life, believes in advocating for the working class and supports law enforcement.

“The protests have shown me we need to keep God first. But it has also shown me that good cops are important to help keep law and order,” Ms. Sykes said in a text message. “I do realize that there are bad cops. But in order to make a change, I believe we need to work together with the good cops.”

Ms. Sykes said now she researches politicians more thoroughly before deciding which candidate gets her vote. She looks at voting records to see if they vote in a way that “will help us middle and lower-class families.”

Erik Haugen, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University who considers himself a Libertarian, said his political views haven’t changed much since the protests started.

“I just see the stronger push for equality, and I think it’s a good step in our nation so long as it proceeds peacefully,” Mr. Haugen said.

Equality is at the center of issues that student voters are concerned about this election. From racial injustice to prison reform to health care concerns, many students say they want to enact positive change.

Students have varying opinions on whether the importance of voting has become more significant in recent years. Ms. Sykes said she has always found voting significant, but she believes the importance of it has grown for others.

Mr. Haugen said that while his political views haven’t changed, he believes voting has become more important, especially for the younger generations as tension grows in the United States and protests become more prominent.

Sarah Dowless, a junior at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, said voting has always been important, but the protests have made voting more prominent, “like people encouraging folks to vote and making information about voting accessible, especially among young people.”

She said the recent protests have reinforced her progressive beliefs.

“If anything, the protests have only amplified my concern about racial injustice in America and my concern about police brutality,” Ms. Dowless said. “It’s a fundamental issue about freedom and it calls into question the very principles on which this country was founded and continues to claim.”

The protests also influenced a host of legislation in the recent special session of the Virginia General Assembly that ended last week. State legislators passed numerous bills focused on police and criminal justice reform.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, voter turnout among 18- to 29-year-olds jumped 15.7 percent between 2014 and 2018. This was the largest percentage point increase for any age group.

Turnout is expected to be high this year as well, but there are no final numbers for age groups.

The number of people registered to vote in Virginia set a record this year at almost 5.9 million. During the last presidential election in 2016, Virginia had a little more than 5.5 million people on the voter rolls.