After a campus-wide push for voter registration stemming from Sept. 22’s National Voter Registration Day, Elon University propelled itself into the top 25 Turbo Vote schools across the nation Sunday.
With 296 students, or 5.2 percent of campus, that registered to vote during the push, groups on campus invested in shaping civic engagement hope to maintain the momentum in the following weeks.
Elon Votes!, a student-led campaign geared toward providing students with the necessary resources to register to vote, was central to the activities surrounding the push for registration. Juniors June Shuler and Gaby Vance, who also serve as Andrew Goodman Foundation campus representatives, led the campaign.
Vance said other colleges often overlook Elon when it comes to voter registration — an indicator of political and civic engagement on campuses.
“Because a large number of our students are from out-of-state schools and, in general, we are a pretty small school, we did not think we would ever be able to compete against bigger schools,” she said. “This just shows how proactive and motivated Elon students are and can be.”
Attention during the primaries
Though the election is more than a year away, Shuler and Vance both stressed the importance of remaining engaged during the primaries. They said following candidates over time is central to being an educated voter.
“It's not about choosing from two candidates at the very end,” Shuler said. “Being a part of the process is necessary to make sure the candidate whose ideals and polices align with yours gets carried on to the next round.”
To vote for the primaries, students need to be registered at least one month in advance. The vote for primaries begins in early March.
Dean of Students Smith Jackson also noted the urgency in a Sept. 22 email to the community, announcing Elon Votes! initiatives for National Voter Registration day.
“Across the country, it is hard to miss that candidates are gearing up for the 2016 election,” Jackson said in the email. “Voting is a vital tool to achieve change in our society. We want to encourage students at Elon to take an active role in the 2016 elections by becoming educated about the issues and registering to vote.”
To streamline the process of registering and voting, Elon partnered with TurboVote, a tool that allows students to either vote by absentee ballot using their permanent home address or by using their local Elon address.
Shuler said with all these support systems in place, registering and voting shouldn't be a burden to students.
“We're all overworked with papers already, and one signature won't make a difference in our day,” she said. “But it's going to make a difference in the political path our country will take, and that's what makes this country powerful — the fact that it is sovereign, the fact that you can vote.”
Shaping campus culture
Shuler and Vance hope to work with different organizations to further civic engagement at Elon. Last week, teaming up with SGA proved effective in generating a swell of interest within groups around campus.
“For me, it's important that students are going out there forming educated opinions and having these political discussions because it's the ‘cool’ thing to do,” Shuler said. “It shouldn't come from their family's ideals or their roommate’s opinion — it should move beyond political lines and be formed by the students' own thoughts.”
Shuler emphasized that youth votes are vital for the upcoming election because they will shape the leadership, policies and direction for the country where they grew up.
“The policies these candidates suggest aren't going to impact your parents or grandparents the way they will impact us,” she said. "It's going to impact us the most.”
Voter turnout among youth has fluctuated nationally. According to The Center for Information & Research On Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), In the 2008 election, 70 percent of current college students were registered to vote, and 87 percent of the registered students cast a ballot on Election Day. Those numbers were the highest of registered students since at least 1984. But in the 2012 election, youth voter turnout fell to 51 percent — only 45 percent of young people aged 18-29 submitted a ballot.
While youth nonvoters can produce a long list of excuses, most can be discounted, Shuler said. She added that with social media, online debates and the university keeping students informed, information is easy to find.
“Often times the excuse for not voting is, ‘There isn't anyone I like,’” Shuler said. “But you shouldn't be voting for people, you should be voting for polices.”
Vance agreed.
“Whether a candidate wins or not, we should be politically active and aware of what's going on as future leaders of our country,” she said.
Andrew Goodman Foundation
Shuler, who said she craves intellectual discussion surrounding politics, said she's not afraid to initiate conversations with her peers surrounding the running candidates — even if that means "annoying" her hallmates with the question, "Have you registered to vote?"
Her pursuit to shape civic engagement at Elon moved her to become an Andrew Goodman Foundation campus ambassador. Together, they leverage this role alongside Elon Votes! to spark further awareness surrounding national news related to the elections.
The Andrew Goodman Foundation is a nonprofit organization that recognizes, encourages and inspires creative and effective action in support of civil rights, human dignity and social justice. Through both the foundation and Elon Votes!, students have plenty of options to stay informed on issues leading up the election season.