Women’s Center helped students register to vote

The Women’s Center hosted a voter registration event Friday aimed at, informing and registering voters for presidential elections in November.

“While we’re thinking about voter engagement, we are coming up on an election year and we wanted to provide the opportunity for students to learn how to register people to vote,” said the director of the Women’s Center Liz Steinborn-Gourley. “It’s not difficult or complicated, but the more people speak on it, the better.”

Minnesota is one of 21 states and District of Columbia where voters can register to vote on Election Day. However, Steinborn-Gourley recommends students register earlier.

“Students should register right away,” said Steinborn-Gourley. “Even if you move to another apartment or your polling place changes you can update that. You can update it when you move, you can update it up to the Election Day. But I think registering to vote sets an intention that you plan to vote.”

The voter registration event was hosted to help students explore options, learn about voting and understand the details of the process.

“Anything we can do to help people have a plan to vote means you’re maybe going to research it a little more, you’re going to know who the candidates are on the ballot and be calm, a little more familiar with what’s going on politically in your community,” said Steinborn-Gourley.

The information about candidates and voting process is also available on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website (sos.state.mn.us). Steiborn-Gourley listed examples of important information for voters.

“If you are from another county, if you’re from the Twin Cities and you want to vote at home, you can order an absentee ballot or you can go up and vote on a day you’re visiting,” said Steinborn-Gourley. “If you’re a student here, your residency counts for voting. So if you’re from Iowa, you can vote in Minnesota when you’re here as a student.”

Students from other states will be counted as residents if they have stayed in Minnesota for more than 20 days.

Two speakers came from the League of Women Voters to help students register. They provided additional help for students by connecting them with needed resources.

“They went through all of those specifics, such as having a formal mail, and provided clarity on what students need to help people register,” said Steinborn-Gourley.
The Director of the Women’s Center encourages students to stay informed.

“The school board is impacting teacher opportunities. It’s impacting the kids who live in the community,” said Steinborn-Gourley. “And getting to know the folks that are elected in our communities is a hugely important thing for being an engaged citizen.”

Photo caption: The Women’s Center hosted a voter registration event Friday. They aimed at informing and helped register voters for the upcoming elections in November. (Alexis Darkow/The Reporter)

Write to Amalia Sharaf at Amal.Sharafkhodjaeva@mnsu.edu