The 2008 presidential elections saw some of the highest turnout among young voters ever recorded, and as the 2012 election approaches efforts are underway on college campuses across America to ensure that increased interest was not a fluke.
At the University at Albany, a newly formed student group called Think Globally, Vote Locally has worked to register nearly 1,000 students in fewer than 10 days. The original club was founded by a group of SUNY Geneseo students during the presidential election eight years ago.
“Students have elected to cast their vote en masse where they live eight months out of the year instead of by absentee ballot,” said group organizer Martha Mahoney, an English major in her final year at UAlbany.
Mahoney said the group was established in a matter of days in October, when a guest speaker from the original SUNY Geneseo group came to a College Democrats club meeting. Five students worked to spread the message and days later a collaboration of other clubs on campus came together to register students to vote. Though it has its roots in a Democrat organization, the Think Globally initiative is a nonpartisan effort to increase voter registration.
The 21-year-old said she feels it is important students have a say in not only who is elected president, but in local politics as well. She said many students don’t understand how many social justice issues and SUNY policies are determined at the state level, so voting in every election is important.
“With a student power bloc this large, it means that students will have a voice in Albany politics like never before,” said Mahoney. “It means we’re empowering not only this class year, but years to come. State legislators will look at us and realize that students do vote — meaning they have to think twice before cutting financial aid, jacking up tuition, keeping the minimum wage low.”
The group’s original goal was to register 1,500 students to vote, but they fell short of that aim. However, 965 students were registered over nine days through dorm room visits, setting up tables in highly populated areas and making announcements at the beginning of classes. Mahoney said her group feels the methods were extremely successful.
The UAlbany campus is in a unique situation this year after district lines were redrawn. The entire campus is within the 109th Assembly District, but depending on dorm addresses the campus is partially split between the 44th and 46th Senate Districts. Since the voter registration deadline has now passed, the group is now making sure students are informed about local candidates.
“All of the hot topics that students care about are determined at the state level, like legalizing marijuana and the job market, but they also make important decisions for our SUNY system that most students don’t realize,” said Mahoney.
University at Albany political science Professor Joseph Zimmerman said voter registration drives can have a major effect on local elections, but situations vary.
Students voting in a new district often know very little about local candidates, he said. Some may only vote in the presidential election and opt not to select candidates in other races. More likely, young student voters will vote straight down the party line.
“Although some might not be affiliated with a party yet,” added Zimmerman, which can be especially true for first time voters.
Mahoney said she could not speak for her entire student body on how they will vote, but hopes they will make an informed decision about the various candidates at the various levels of government.
“We’re doing our best to get them the information they need to make those decisions,” she said. “TGVL members identify themselves as students helping fellow students to recognize the power of their vote and the constitutional right that is forfeited in not participating in the electoral process.”