Registration to vote in March primaries ends Feb. 8
With the Michigan presidential primary fast approaching, students of voting age are running out of time to register.
People eligible to vote must register 30 days prior to an election. This year, Michigan's primary will take place Tuesday March 8 which gives students until 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 to register.
The date of the primary varies state by state, but the process allows for the Democratic and Republican parties to narrow down their choice of presidential candidate to one individual, who citizens can then vote upon come November.
An article published from a Pew Research Center 2012 report indicates millennials habitually have some of the lowest voter turnout come election-time, with turnout rate among young adults, after spiking up in 2008, went down in 2010.
Despite wanting the youth to register to vote, Mount Pleasant City Clerk Jeremy Howard warns students to take caution when filling out their forms.
"When you register to vote, (where you register) will change your address on the license," Howard said. "If students do this, they have to register and un-register to get their address back to what it initially was, (which is) either their own home or mom and dad's house."
Howard admits this "doesn't happen a ton" but still hopes to make students aware of this possibility.
Students can register to vote at City Hall, at 320 West Broadway Street. By registering online, however, students can download a PDF of the necessary forms to fill out, but they must turn them in to the clerk's office in person or mail in the documents.
For those who mail in voter registration forms, there is an "in-person federal requirement" which means students must be physically present to cast a vote and have it be counted. Students may not cast an absentee ballot if they mailed in their voter registration forms until they show some form of identification.
Howard said students can register to vote through on-campus voter registration drives. Student Government Association President Chuck Mahone, however, said students shouldn't count on a registration drive prior to this March primary.
"The Student Government Association doesn't have any (voter registration drives) being set up right now," he said. "Our Governmental Affairs (committee) will be working to create drives in the future."
On Jan. 19, the non-partisan Registered Student Organization Register, Educate, Vote Central Michigan University (REVCMU) managed to register 88 students during their own on-campus voter registration drive.
Having just turned 18 in November, Holland freshman Jainnara McKinley plans on registering to vote so she can cast a ballot in the primaries. However, she doesn't believe every eligible person should vote.
"As Americans, it's our civic duty to vote. But just because you have the ability to do something doesn't mean you should necessary go out and do it, especially if you're uninformed," she said.
If an individual is serious about voting, they should make sure they're well-informed about a candidate and make sure to read up on their policies and beliefs, McKinley said.
"There are a lot of stupid people out there who will just go out and vote based on what their friends or parents believe in," she said. "I went into political science because I didn't want to be one of those uninformed people. You obviously don't have to make such a dedicated decision in order to learn about politics, but if you want to vote, you should put in some effort to learn about who could be leading our country."
Despite not hosting a drive of their own, Mahone urges students to register to vote in the primaries regardless.
"It's very simple, your vote is your voice," he said. "If you don't vote, you have no say in what happens in your city, state or country."
