Sept. 17 marked National Voter Registration Day. With the youth vote expected to play a vital role in elections this year, University of Maine students were able to register to vote in an event sponsored by UMaine UVote and staffed by volunteers and coordinators in front of Fogler Library. Students lined up to participate before the event began.
“With UMaine UVote our goal is to spearhead nonpartisan efforts here on campus, getting people registered, educating them on the issues and ensuring they make it to the polls,” said Colleen Frazier, assistant director of Student Organizations and Leadership. “We want to teach students how to seek out nonpartisan resources so they can form their own opinions on the issues.”
Echoing Frazier’s sentiment, coordinator of Student Involvement Kathryn Huntress said, “Students have a really powerful voice. Whether they live here full time or not, it’s important for them to use their voice in the town they’re currently in.”
When asked what she might say to any students disinterested in the election or without a plan to vote, Huntress said, “It’s important to stay educated on the things that are impacting you and to make sure you use your voice to the best ability that you can. If you care about your loved ones, voting is a good way to show that you care about them.”
One highlight of National Voter Registration Day on campus was the excitement among first-time voters as they prepared to exercise their civic power this November.
“I registered to vote in my hometown, but this is my first election. I think it’s really important, especially right now, and my voice matters,” said UMaine Student Dinah Lowen.
“I’m most excited about the sense of community,” said UMaine Student Malaja Uzzell, as she registered to vote for the first time.
Additionally, Frazier recommended resources such as nonprofit organization Rock the Vote and the app IssueVoter to help students find nonpartisan information on the issues.
Beyond registering to vote, UMaine students can get involved by volunteering as poll workers.
“In the US, our election system is decentralized, and local election clerks rely on community members to help run polling locations,” said Professor Rob Glover of UMaine’s Political Science department. “Each election year, we need to recruit roughly 1.5 million people to assist, which is equivalent to the size of our active-duty military.”
UMaine students have a track record of stepping up when needed. This was especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Typically, in Maine, poll workers tend to be older. Many are retirees. That generation is aging out of doing this work and so we need younger folks to help ensure adequate staffing. This was crucial in 2020 when we were in the height of the pandemic without any vaccine. Lots of older folk didn’t feel comfortable doing this public-facing work, and we had over 40 UMaine students step up to staff that election,” said Glover. “It went seamlessly.”
Glover went on to explain, “Perhaps more importantly, there’s research that suggests people have a better experience at the polls and more trust in elections when they are staffed by people they can personally identify with, like students helping fellow students. Last but not least, the political habits that you form when you’re in early adulthood tend to follow you around for the rest of your life. So, if students are participating in this active way now, they’re more likely to do this work and be politically engaged for the long haul. And that’s good for democracy. Everybody wins.”
UMaine works closely with the town of Orono to train and schedule students as poll workers, but those outside the area can participate by signing up through online platforms such as Power The Polls. Interested students can also fill out the form to volunteer as a poll worker here.
While students can have a significant impact by working the polls, the most important thing is that they vote. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who oversees elections, emphasized this while attending an on-campus talk regarding the role of Black women in the early 20th century suffrage movements by Mackenzie Reynolds, an undergraduate student.
“Voting is fundamental to everything that we care about, and if voting didn’t matter, people wouldn’t work so hard to keep others from doing it. I’ve seen elections come down to just a handful of votes – especially in local and state races,” said Bellows. “Those margins can mean the difference between electing someone who stands up for women’s rights, civil rights, voting rights, or someone who doesn’t.”
As listed on UMaine UVote’s homepage, here is a simple guide for UMaine students to get registered to vote either in-person or online:
In-person locations:
- Town of Orono at 59 Main Street, Orono, ME
- Center for Student Involvement (Room 149, Memorial Union) between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (available until about 3 weeks before the election)
- Your town polling site the day of the election
Online:
- Students can register online until Oct. 15 in the State of Maine here.
If you have questions about registering to vote or want to be a participant in the campus-wide effort to turn out students this election year, contact Professor Rob Glover (robert.glover@maine.edu) in the Political Science department or Colleen Frazier (colleen.frazier@maine.edu) who directs UMaine UVote in Student Life.
