Election season is underway once again, and the Undergraduate Student Government is hosting a voter registration drive in preparation for Michigan’s upcoming primary election. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, USG representatives will be stationed in Fisher Hall near the Physics office on the first floor, and in Wadsworth Hall next to the entrance of the dining hall to encourage people to register to vote.
However, Michiganders are not the sole target for this event. Those that hail from the 40 states that allow for online voter registration will also be able to register themselves for their respective state. Brendan Leddy, chair of the political affairs committee for USG, said,“This is not [for] Michigan only … if you’re from Fairbanks, Alaska and you’re attending Michigan Tech, if you’re from Honolulu, Hawaii and attending Michigan Tech we want to provide you the incentive to register to vote.” Several laptops at each location will be available to complete the registration process individually. In addition, dividers between the laptops will be present in order to ensure privacy when filling in any required sensitive information.
This event is not only to encourage people to register, but also to provide the opportunity and means to do so. Leddy hopes this event will give people the push they need to register so they have the option to vote in both the primary and general elections come November. “We want to help ease the process, and I find that it’s very hard for people to take that first step because there is a lack of understanding on how simple and easy [registering to vote] can be,” said Leddy. The USG representatives at the tables will also be able to answer questions and offer information to those interested in voting absentee, along with guiding them to where they can apply online for an absentee ballot.
For Michigan voters specifically, Feb. 12 is the last day to register online before the primary election on Feb. 27. However, not all is lost if you fail to register online before the deadline. Prospective voters can register in person at their local clerk’s office 14 days prior to and up until 8 p.m. on election day. Conveniently, Michigan Tech will be on Spring Break during the week of the election, so many voters hoping to cast their ballot in person can do so.
