ETSU is encouraging students, faculty and staff to register to vote before the Oct. 4 deadline for the November election.
Debbie White, assistant vice president for student life and leadership, is heading a campaign to raise the number of students registered to vote.
Several years ago, the federal government passed a higher education act stating that colleges and universities should play an active part in encouraging voter registration among students, faculty and staff, White said. ETSU is taking part to raise voter numbers.
“Sadly, the reason why many legislators don’t listen to students is because they don’t vote,” White said. “The legislators are offending a much smaller voter population.”
Students think that whoever is elected into state offices won’t affect them, when it really does”, White said. “Every time students pay tuition, they are affected by who’s sitting in Nashville.”
To raise registration awareness, White is working with groups and offices on campus. The Center for Student Life and Leadership keeps voter registration forms year-round and the registrar’s office sent out announcements with class schedules. Several campus groups have taken applications to meetings to ensure all members are registered.
White has publicized registration by posting flyers and announcing information in classes as well as campus organization meetings.
The Center for Student Life and Leadership is a convenient site to get the applications, White said. Applications can be turned in to the office and will be sent to the voter’s corresponding courthouse.
“We can send it wherever it needs to go,” White said. “We have a list of all the courthouses in Tennessee.”
After today no more applications will be shipped and students will need to take their application to their courthouse.
White pointed out factors that may affect students when voting. “If a student mailed in the registration, they have to vote in person, not by absentee ballot.”
White also stressed that students who go home to vote should vote early. “Early voting can be very important for some students,” she said. “Early voting is from Oct. 16 to Oct. 31. If students can’t get home to vote in November, they can do so during fall break.

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