On Tuesday, Sept. 17, 48 days away from the election, the University of Connecticut kicked off National Voter Registration Day with a press conference outside Gampel Pavilion. The press conference took place in partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Secretary of the State and Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Local politicians, student government officials and faculty came to inform students about registering to vote and early voting for students on campus.
The press conference featured a vibrant display of UConn pride, with a performance by UConn cheerleaders and the Jonathan the Husky mascot enthusiastically engaging the crowd. The speakers stood before a backdrop of flags and the iconic Jonathan statue, representing the enduring legacy. A combination of school spirit and civic responsibility, the setting of the conference emphasized the importance of the event and showcased UConn’s strong sense of community and pride in its traditions.
First, Rosa Raudales, the director of outreach and engagement for UConn, warmly welcomed everyone to the event, thanked the people who made it possible and expressed her excitement for the university’s role in promoting civic engagement. She emphasized the importance of voter participation, particularly among students and young adults, as a key element of democracy.
Raudales then presented several distinguished speakers for the day, including university officials, local community leaders and student representatives, each poised to share their perspectives on the significance of voter registration and the power of youth involvement in shaping the future.
“We are celebrating engagement, in particular the engagement of our students who have so much power to influence the present and the future of this country with our vote,” stated Raudales.
She then brought the first speaker to the podium, Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut Susan Bysiewicz. Bysiewicz went up and spoke about early voting, a new opportunity for UConn students from Oct. 21 through Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 through Nov. 3 at the school bookstore. She then spoke about why it was important for young people to share their unique opinions.
“Young people can make a huge difference in Connecticut provided they make their voice heard by voting,” said Bysiewicz. “18-29 year-olds make up almost 20% of the registered voters in our state so your impact can be very powerful.”
Next to speak at the podium was Tadarrayl Starke, vice provost for student success at UConn. He told stories and explained that voting is not a right that he takes lightly, providing a small anecdote of when his mother went out of her way and struggled to get the privilege to vote. He also spent part of his speech encouraging young people to get active in voting.
“Today we celebrate and work towards helping new people gain the power responsibility of the ballot. I encourage all students who are eligible to register to vote if you’re not [already registered] and then use your voice of your vote to impact change in all levels of government,” said Starke.
Next speaker was Secretary of the State of Connecticut Stephanie Thomas, who spoke more on early voting at UConn and civic engagement with students.
“Our office has chosen to focus its effort today on college students because they’re often at a time in their lives where they are just starting to learn what their unique voice is and figuring out how they can make that voice heard,” said Thomas. “Learning how our government works and interacting with our elected leaders is what a representative democracy is all about, and registering to vote is an important milestone in that process.”
The speaker after Thomas was Haritha Subramanian, a UConn junior. She is the youngest elected official in Farmington, according to Bysiewicz. Subramanian spoke on voting from the perspective of a Gen Z student voter.
“The impact of the decisions being made today on our future cannot be understated and I know I am not alone when I say every young person feels the burden on our shoulders every election cycle,” said Subramanian.
The last speaker was Lorien Touponse, undergraduate student body president at Storrs, who represents external affairs in the student government. Touponse adds to the student perspective in terms of voting and further advocates for the early voting option available at UConn.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am that my team and the wonderful people here have been able to make this happen,” said Touponse, thanking her team.
After finishing their speeches, the speakers asked if there were any questions from the audience.
At the end of the conference, The Daily Campus spoke with Thomas regarding the importance of educating about voter registration.
“Almost everyone in Connecticut is uneducated about voting and the election process because no one ever teaches it,” said Thomas. “…Instead of shying away from it, I encourage all students to lean in and become civic learners throughout their entire lives because no one reaches out to teach you about this stuff…Our voices are the only thing we have to make sure our representative democracy actually represents us.”
Thomas also emphasized how important it is for people to remain involved throughout the rest of the year.
“So not only is it important to register to vote and vote in every election, but [also] stay involved the other 364 days a year…Representatives need to hear from each of us to know our values and what laws we want to see enacted, so go Huskies, go vote,” added Thomas.