For National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, volunteers are set up around UW-Madison to help students register to vote for the November 6 election.
Students who are over 18, U.S. Citizens and residents of Wisconsin are eligible to vote so long as they register beforehand.
There will be stations set up at Library Mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Union South from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Gordon Dining and Event Center from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. All students registering must present either their Wisconsin driver’s license or the last four digits of their social security card.
As one of the most critical swing states for the upcoming midterm election, many organizations are looking to encourage Wisconsin youth to use their voices and vote.
“Voting is a privilege that many activists throughout history have fought for and many individuals still don’t have access to,” Lauren Hoffarth, Civic Chair of the Political Science Student Association said. “If students turn out to vote and develop a passion for civic engagement, we have the potential to make important changes that improve the well-being of our communities.”
WUD Society and Politics is teaming with the Political Science Student Association Tuesday evening to host a panel about the consequences of not voting. The event will include a panel of expert guest speakers to discuss the consequences of not voting, in addition to holding registration. The talk will take place at the Memorial Union 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
NextGen, a voter registration and engagement group, is planning to register 100,000 students nationally before the November 6 election.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen unprecedented activism from our generation around issues like gun safety and we want to channel that enthusiasm to the ballot box this November,” George Olufosoye, Wisconsin State Director of NextGen Rising, said. “Voter registration rates among young people have already surged over the last seven months, and we’re looking to continue to build on that momentum through Election Day.”
In Wisconsin, NextGen has implemented digital ads across media platforms and has about 450 active volunteers banging on doors across the state to spread the word. In addition, they teamed with Leaders Igniting Transformation, For our Future and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin.
As of Monday, they registered 6,272 and secured 39,709 supporter sign-ups across the state.
Disclaimer: if students choose to register at Library Mall there is Election Trivia being played with prizes.
