National Voter Registration Day was Sept. 25 and more than 1,000 people became registered voters among NE, SE and South campuses.
When it comes to college students and voting, registration is the key. In 2008, 87 percent of students ages 18-24 years old who registered to vote actually voted, according to the Campus Vote Project.
The Student Political Awareness Club and Student Government Association put the NE drive together. The organizations deemed it a success with 405 students registering.
SE Campus’ Student Government Association along with government faculty there also sponsored a registration drive. The drive was held to make students aware of and become active in government.
The registration drive was open to the community, and a total of 270 people signed up to become registered voters. Students and staff on SE were the primary participants.
SE Campus will have another chance for the community to sign up to on Oct. 3. The last day to register for voting in Texas is Oct. 9.
South Campus’ continuing education department, along with student development services, put together a three-day registration drive Sept. 24-26. The drive yielded 422 registrations.
“We started really pushing it last year in anticipation of the voter registration law that was recently shot down,” said vice president of continuing education Gladys Emerson. “We looked at it more as voter education, guiding people through the process and just getting people motivated and energized about exercising their rights.”
— Elaine Bonilla and Kenney Kost
