The Barrier
Incoming university and college students are inundated with critical information in the first few days of their college experience. One of the things that could be easily missed is how to register to vote with their new campus address. In fact, no school currently offers this information as part of the orientation process. Schools are missing out on voter registration opportunities for their new students.
With students facing all kinds of barriers placed by the county and the state, such as not allowing student IDs to vote, and many counties not placing polling locations on campus, we need to tackle a problem many students face: understanding voter registration.
With the variety of student living situations such as living on campus, commuting back and forth while living off campus, or being distance-learning students, many students face challenges in knowing how to properly fill out a registration application — not to mention finding opportunities to register. With a new home address, and many never having registered before (as newly eligible 18-year olds), students often lack the resources and knowledge to get properly registered to participate in the vital civic duty of voting.
Schools have a civic duty, though not yet a state-enforced duty, to ensure our young people get educated about the first step to civic participation.
The Solution
Require colleges to offer voter registration to incoming students.
Colleges should work together with county elections officials to train students and staff responsible for new student orientation as Volunteer Deputy Registrars. With a dedicated time to offer and assist incoming students with registration, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and make sure their voter application forms are filled out correctly. Having a clear pipeline of information from staff to students helps avoid voter registration errors and provides additional voter education to these first-time voters.
By growing or establishing a strong relationship between colleges and counties, schools would routinely train staff and communicate about needs for registration application forms. This program strengthens a trusted relationship between students and staff, and gives students new to the area a true connection to the surrounding community and sense of civic responsibility to that community. Upgrading the environment already established throughout orientation of introducing incoming students to a new space, new culture.