This Tuesday, Sept. 17, students at the University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus are invited to register to vote in front of Gampel Pavillion, where a press conference of state and university officials will begin at 10:00 a.m. Hosted in conjunction with the Connecticut Office of the Secretary of the State, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and a spate of civics-oriented university departments, registration tables will be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for students looking to vote this November.
“This event has the collaboration of the Undergraduate Student Government, Office of the Provost, Office of Outreach and Engagement, Center of Career Development, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work, Dodd Center for Human Rights, and the Department of Student Activities,” said Program Assistant Merly Downey of UConn’s Office of Outreach and Engagement. “[It] promotes UConn’s unity across units and student civic engagement.”
The panel of speakers expected to deliver remarks at the conference include Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Dr. Tadarrayl Starke of UConn’s Institute for Student Success and members of the Undergraduate Student Government.
The event is scheduled to align with the 2024 UConn Fall Career Fair, which is likewise being held inside Gampel Pavillion on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Foot traffic to either event is hoped to mutually benefit both programs.
Although National Voter Registration Day may not be a holiday well-known for its festivities, the celebration of civic participation has been noted by Starke as being critically important for maintaining an effective and representative democracy.
“Voting is an opportunity to be active and use our voices in the democratic process. It’s important for our UConn students to use this opportunity to register and then let their votes speak to what and who they want to see in our community,” said Starke.
Emphasizing the heightened importance of the upcoming elections for presidential, as well as state and local terms, Starke noted his hope for the registration event in encouraging young voters to cast their ballots.
“Voting is one of the ways we can affect change and influence how we want our government to operate for and with us,” stated Starke. “[It] has an impact from a national perspective, but it is also important to remember that exercising our right to vote also impacts what happens here locally. There are issues that directly affect young people at all levels, nationally and within their local communities. I am hopeful this event can help remind and inspire them towards participating in the process by registering and voting.”
Starke additionally noted the historic nature of this cycle’s Trump-Harris matchup, drawing comparisons to the election of 2000 between George W. Bush and Al Gore, a race characteristically similar in having slim margins and unpredictable polls.
“I voted for the first time in the 2000 election while being a college student in Florida. I witnessed firsthand the power that a single vote has in the outcomes of elections. This election echoes that reality: every single voice (and vote) matters and is important in deciding the direction of our national and local community,” said Starke.
As of Sept. 14, polling composite Project 538, drawing from the data of 25 nation-wide pollsters, lists Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris as leading by 2.6 points. For those unable to attend Tuesday’s event, voters with a Connecticut Driver’s license or DMV issued ID may register to vote online at Voterregistration.ct.gov.