Campus community getting ready to vote at the presidential elections
With election day inching closer, efforts are underway to get the campus community registered to vote.
Over 85 student volunteers were on campus and throughout Mankato to help with the “Mavericks Lead the Vote” campaign.
The event was in concurrence with National Voter Registration Day, which is celebrated every September. Since its founding in 2012, the organizers behind the holiday have gotten over 5 million Americans registered to vote.
The local event was non-partisan, as the organization behind National Voter Registration Day prohibits groups from affiliating with certain political parties or candidates.
The volunteers had a host of tasks to choose from. Some tabled at a variety of locations including U-Square, the Centennial Student Union and The Coffee Hag. Those who preferred less interaction had the opportunity to join teams of 4-6 people to hang information on doors throughout the Mankato area.
The neighborhoods selected for distribution were those that had low voter turnout in previous elections, being 50 percent or less. The door hangers contained voter registration information, common questions about voting, and where to find your polling place.
Liz Steinborn-Gourley is the director of the Women’s Center and is coordinating the event. She is hoping to encourage voter registration across campus and in the community.
“It is our responsibility to encourage our students to be active and engaged citizens, and the election process is a cornerstone of our democracy,” she said.
Steinborn-Gourley also highlighted the importance of early registration.
“Registering ahead of time is making a commitment to voting on or before election day. It also gives you time to view a ballot online before you vote so you can learn about the positions and the candidates.”
To vote in Minnesota, you must meet the following requirements; be a U.S. citizen, be 18 years old on or before Election Day, be resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days and not currently be serving a felony sentence.
If you meet those requirements, there are several ways to register: online, through the paper form, and even directly at your polling place. Minnesota also has automatic voter registration, where all eligible adults are registered to vote when given state-issued identification. The online registration application is available in multiple languages.
Once registered, there are three ways to vote; by mail or “absentee,” early in person, or on Election Day. Students who wish to vote in their home state can also request an absentee ballot. The process to do so varies by state.
No matter how you vote, Steinborn-Gourley encourages the campus community to make a “voting plan,” and to coordinate with friends and neighbors. More information concerning when, where, and how to vote can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.
Caption: People watch a presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (GABRIELLE LURIE /The Associated Press)
Write to ben.livingston@mnsu.edu