On Sept. 24 and Sept. 27, NSU student-organizations will host voter registration opportunities in honor of National Voter Registration Day. NSU’s Green Sharks Student Sustainability Club will host the Broward Supervisor of Elections for a voter registration event next Tuesday 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the UC Spine. There will be electronic and paper voter registration forms available as well as an opportunity for previously registered students to check their registration status or update their information. “College students are at an age where they can vote and many of them haven’t had the opportunity [to vote] and we want to make sure they have that opportunity. College students [should] represent themselves in voting because democratic policies, elected officials and the kind of issues that college students might be interested in may be different than say, our grandparent’s generation. It’s important that those views are represented in Election Day so that the government is well representation of the people now but [of] what is also needed in the future,” said Jeffery Hoch, associate professor in the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography and faculty advisor for Green Sharks. According to Hoch, the club became involved with helping improve voter participation after realizing decisions were being made on the local and federal level that weren’t aligned with their interests and felt they must step up to improve on the young voter “block.” “In accordance with our vision statement to live sustainable in all aspects of our lives, we believe the ballot box is no exception. The majority of students, especially those on college campuses, have been historically known for being part of the ‘Liberal College Educated’ voting block, but times are changing and protecting our planet is transitioning from being viewed as a party issue to being seen as a universal goal which should unite us all regardless of affiliation,” said Justin Gaffney, senior chemistry major and president of Green Sharks. If students are unable to attend this event, they are invited to attend a voter registration workshop opportunity on Friday, Sept. 27 hosted by NSU’s Black Student Union and in collaboration with the Urban League of Broward County’s young professionals network. This event will take place in Rosenthal 200 from 6 to 8 p.m. with an opportunity to register or check your voter registration status. According to Brenda Morrison, vice president of policy and procedures of the young professionals network, this workshop will explore why it’s important for students to take advantage of early voting opportunities and to discuss key federal and local races by discussing the duties and roles of these positions for 2020 elections. “I wanted to spearhead [this message] into the college student demographic to encourage them to vote. Sometimes it’s not always convenient [to vote on Election Day], but when pertinent issues in our community happen and [people] wonder why certain issues are handled the way they are… If you don’t vote, that’s why you have the representation that you have,” said Morrison. Last year, NSU was an early voting site for Broward County and the university hopes to become an early voting site again this year. According to Hoch, the opportunity for students to vote can make a difference in local and state elections as some of the elections last year were close enough that they triggered recounts including the Governor, Commissioner of Agriculture and Senatorial races. “The number of students that we had coming out are within those margins… We have 5,000 undergraduate students. That’s enough to swing a vote like that.” Hoch continued.
Basic Voting Registration Requirements and Information:
• Any US citizen that will be at least 18 on Election Day can register.
• Out of state students attending NSU are considered Florida residents for the purposes of voter registration and can register in Florida.
• Students are required to have a Florida mailing address, provide last 4 digits of social security number or present a Florida Driver’s License.
• Last year, NSU hosted an early voting site making it easier for students to vote. Students can also request vote-by-mail ballots.
• Florida is considered a swing state and an NSU student vote can make a difference.
