The Student Government
Association (SGA) is planning efforts including a publicity campaign
and providing transportation to get students out to vote Nov. 5.
In the wake of registration drives by SGA and other campus organizations
that saw more than 750 students register to vote, the focus is now
turning to getting those same students to the polls.
“The strategy we’ll be using involves two 15-passenger
vans, one for the east side of campus and one for the west,”
said Chad C. Oakley, SGA director of state and national affairs.
“We’d try and have them in front of a central location
at certain times to run people to the polls.”
The Association of Student Governments (ASG) provided the funds
for the vans, said SGA President Ryan M. Eller, adding that the
efforts would also include a publicity campaign aimed at informing
and encouraging students.
“We’ll be handing out 80 packets to ‘democracy captains,’
people who would like to go out to the students and encourage them
to vote. The packets tell them where people can vote and what times.
We also have posters that will be going up,” Eller said. “We
want on Election Day for students to be constantly reminded that
it is Election Day.”
Under North Carolina’s “no excuses” voting laws,
students can vote at the Board of Elections from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on weekdays and Saturday from 8 a.m. to1 p.m.
On Nov. 5, students can vote at the Agricultural Center if they
live on the west side of campus, First Baptist Church if they live
on the east side, or at the Watauga County Court House.
Many of the students who pledged to vote at the registration drives
say they plan to follow through on Election Day.
“Yes, I plan to vote,” said Jackie E. Popillo, a freshman
elementary education major whose friend encouraged her to register.
“It’s important for students to voice opinions now that
we’re getting old enough to understand more of what’s
going on.”
“We need to have a voice in the community, as well as big,
national issues,” said Isaac C. Wingfield, a freshman photography
major who changed his registration to Watauga County this year.
“We need to make our voice heard in small ways as well as large
ones.”
Some of the organizations that were involved in the voter registration
drives also plan to help get students out to vote.
“We’ll be working with the county [Republican] party to
call students and make sure they’ll vote,” said Christian
H. Greve, president of the ASU College Republicans. “On Election
Day, if we see students having trouble getting to the polls, we’ll
offer them a ride.”
“I think turnout is going to go up this year, and I feel very
confident saying that,” Oakley said. “The effort this
year has been more broad, because it’s come from more fronts
than just student government.
“Whereas last year SGA was more the driving organization, this
year we’ve been more like a resource,” Oakley said.
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