Voting drive registers more than 270 students
About 300 Central Michigan University students registered to vote after a mobile Secretary of State unit visited the Bovee University Center on Monday.
By the end of the day, 279 students became registered voters with another 240 casting absentee ballots. Students who missed the opportunity will still be eligible to register or vote absentee from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, also outside of the UC.
Detroit sophomore Micah Webb registered to vote at the Monday event. She said she likes the “idea of having a voice” through voting.
Students registering were helped by organizations like the nonpartisan Registered Student Organization Register Educate Vote CMU and HON 310: Civic Engagement in 2016 Elections class. These groups manned the event on the UC lawn for six hours.
The goal of both groups was to register as many students as possible to vote while educating them on civics.
“Voting rights are a huge social justice issue,” said REV CMU co-adviser Norma Bailey, a retired professor. “It’s an educational process you go through. How do you make a decision on who to vote for? You look at your own values, the party platform, and position of candidates.”
To be eligible for an absentee ballot in Michigan, a person must meet one of six requirements: be 60 years of age old or older, unable to vote without assistance at the polls, expecting to be out of town on election day, in jail awaiting arraignment, or trial unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons.
People also appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of their voting precinct are eligible for a absentee ballot.
The last chance to register to vote in the November general elections is Oct. 11.
President of REV CMU, Glendale Heights senior Katherine Ehninger, said voting is important to make sure the young college-aged voice is heard and accounted for.
“Our generation (is) such a big part of the population now,” she said. “Stuff is trickling down from older generations and affecting us. I feel like our voices are really not heard.”
The envelopes and stamps for the letters containing absentee ballot requests were paid for by the two co-advisers, who waived their rights to salary from HON 310 and directed those funds to the class and other projects.
