By Magdalena Knapp, Editor
Tuesday, September 25th, is National Voting Day. To honor this day and raise awareness about voting among students, McKendree University has been promoting voting more than ever before. Come to the Holman library on Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. to celebrate the National Voting Day and get your own pocket-copy of the Constitution!
Over the past week tables were placed outside of Ames dining hall where students could register to vote. The All In committee at McKendree University who takes care of this important issue is composed of 15 students and faculty members. They try to get as many students registered as possible and help them through what is probably their first voting experience this November.
Voting seems to be more important now than ever before. After the 2016 election, Illinois was ranked 22nd out of the 50 states and District of Columbia for voter turnout (FairVote.org, 2017). Many students do not vote in local and general elections, and the most popular excuse given on social media is the complicated process of getting registered. This is why McKendree University devoted the whole month of September to voter registration. Brown Bags were held to raise awareness about the importance of the topic. If you are still not registered to vote, feel free to stop by in front of Ames dining hall on Thursday, September 27th. Registration tables will be there from 11-1 p.m.
Dr. Ann Collins, professor of political science, is one of the committee members of the All In organization who helps students to get ready for the midterm elections in November (more information here). Dr. Collins explained that in order to make registration easier for students, they can use the campus address instead of their home address. In addition to this, since it might be complicated for students who do not have a car to get to the voting points, voting stations will be available at The Hett this year. Dr. Collins wants to appeal to everyone on campus: “We all have a voice that must be heard!” Every student has the opportunity to contribute his or her idea; do not waste it.
Paula Martin, also a member of the All In committee and director of Holman Library, wants to motivate as many students as possible to vote. She strongly believes that every vote counts and everyone can have an impact on voting. “People often say that there is no reason to vote because candidates are all the same,” she says. This just isn’t true, however.
Since the 2016 election, we have seen how important every single vote is and how much of an impact everyone can have on those votes. We all have a voice, and we all have to use it, otherwise we will be silenced!
The All In committee organized informational sessions at the Holman library this week for students who want to go to vote but have little information about candidates and their platforms. These sessions should give enough insight into the topic for students to be ready to go to vote and make a change!
If you want to vote, but do not have time to attend the sessions at the library, please feel free to click on the following link to get an overview of the candidates, their ideas and beliefs:
Hooray for civic engagement! Thanks for getting the word out by writing this article, Magdalena.
Thanks for the shout out! I’m super proud of how eager our students are to be involved in the democratic process.