UConn will be instituting early voting for students as well as other voting initiatives, according to prominent state officials at the National Voter Registration Day press conference held Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, UConn students and administrators took to the podium outside of Gampel Pavilion to inform students about the voter registration process as well as how they can vote in this upcoming election.
One common theme was the importance of getting college students politically engaged.
“Our democracy thrives when everyone takes an active role,” Thomas said to a crowd of a few dozen reporters and students. “Our office has chosen to focus its efforts today on college students because they are often at a time in their lives where they’re just starting to learn what their unique voice is and figuring out how they can make that voice heard.”
Following Thomas’s speech, Bysiewicz provided the statistic that 18 to 29-year-olds make up almost 20 percent of the registered voters in the state during her time at the podium.
“Young people can make a huge difference in Connecticut, provided they make their voice heard by voting,” Bysiewicz said.
Each speaker urged students to take advantage of the new early voting location at the UConn Bookstore.
This is not only the first year early voting is available at UConn, but in the state of Connecticut in general.
The Undergraduate Student Government External Affairs Deputy Olivia Eschoo was hopeful about the new early voting initiative.
“A lot of students don’t have access to voting at home or they don’t even know how to register, so giving them a super accessible place to vote in person for this upcoming election I think is going to help people want to educate themselves on politics more and get them excited for it,” she said.
The Undergraduate Student Government has made it their goal this fall to get students registered and excited to vote, according to Eschoo.
“A lot of people either weren’t registered, or didn’t know how to,” Eschoo said.
Inside Gampel, students had the opportunity to register either in their hometown or in Mansfield after checking in to the career fair happening at the same time.
Ryan Shea, a student who registered to vote, said he had been meaning to register but hadn’t gotten a chance until now.
“It’s definitely a good way to actually register,” Shea said.
According to the event organizer, Director for Office of Outreach and Engagement Rosa Raudales, the career fair has always had the option for voter registration, but this is the first year it is accompanied by a press conference.
Raudales said, “We wanted to launch Voter Registration Day and bring the spirit of being together in a democratic society and simulate that in the students to send a message that we’re here together and have a voice.”
