The Daily Gamecock

Students encouraged to become politically involved

Campus organizations explain voter registration process

The Student Government runoffs elections have ended, but this year's biggest race — the runoff that is the general election for the United States presidency — has yet to come.

 For this reason, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters group and the USC College Republicans and Democrats lobbied outside the Russell House Wednesday to encourage students to register to vote.

"Students are a large educated proportion of the population," said Victoria
Black, fourth-year political science and English student and president of the College Democrats. "It is really important to participate in the democratic process because there is a lot of legislation coming up that is really going to affect us."

Black specifically emphasized President Barack Obama's promise to restructure student loans, which, according to second-year English student Kendrick Muldrow, are especially important because of the unstable job situation sweeping the nation.

"I am spending all this time and money to ensure I have a job and there is a chance I might not have a job," said Muldrow, who said his biggest fear is that no jobs will be created. "Sometimes I wake up and wonder is it even worth it?"

All the students reiterated how crucial it is to make your voice known not only as a student, but also as a member of society.

"As a student your vote counts toward the future. When you place a vote it may not directly affect you now, but your voice and what you stand for now will affect you down the road," Muldrow said. "It's your voice. Why wouldn't you express your opinion when you are given the chance?"

Noelle Jones, the drive's organizer, said some students are intimidated by politics because it isn't a topic that is discussed in everyday conversation.

"I've asked several people and they act scared and they shouldn't be," Jones said. "When these policies start to affect us, then that's when they start to care. How could you not care?"

Second-year international studies student Jennifer Eison said that students fear the process because they are away from home and an absentee ballot can be a challenge to understand. However, Black says out-of-state students can fill out a simple ballot online that takes less than 5 minutes.

"That was simple," Eison said after registering. "We are the voice of the new America and we carry the vote for the future."

Many students said they do not vote because they feel their vote is not significant enough to matter, but Jones wants students to know that every vote counts.

"You have the potential to make a difference," Jones said. "Everyone is like 'oh, my vote doesn't count' but if everyone had that attitude, then where would we be?"


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