There was a total of 245 students who registered to vote during the two days of the tabling event, although Kazdal said that there wasn’t a specific number of registrations that they were trying to reach.
“I don’t think quotas really work. I think as long as you put in your hardest work and you try to do better the next time, then that’s all that matters,” she said.
However, getting students to register to vote is only half of the job.
In terms of educating students about elections in general, Kazdal explained that while presidential and Congress elections are next year and they do have some time, her committee is working “on talking about those really heavy issues and kind of shedding the light and providing a safe space despite where [students] are on the spectrum.”
“I think by initiating and kind of being the mediator of the discussion about candidates and political parties and stuff, and just like by showing people how getting civically engaged and being more aware of what’s currently going on can have such a big impact,” Kazdal said.
When asked if online voting would be a more effective approach in getting students to vote, Kazdal said, “It could be a great tool to use for sure but in comparison, I don’t really know. But it would definitely make it more accessible to more people. So, I guess that way it would be more effective cause it’s harder, it takes a second to register. And, so, you get a student on your phone probably.
Junior Sabani Biswas, who has never voted before, said she knew USG was giving out voter registration applications,¬ since the tabling was promoted on the student government’s social media and she saw other students registering to vote during the event, Biswas decided to do it as well.
“It was a very simple and quick process,” Biswas said.
“I registered to vote because it’s super important that we vote and voice our opinions. Before, I wasn’t registered because I wasn’t of age, but now that I am, I want to be able to contribute.”
As students registered to vote, they were given merchandise ranging from pins and stickers that said “National Voter Registration Day,” and t-shirts with Bernie the Bearcat wearing Uncle Sam’s Hat.
Going forward, Kazdal and her committee plan on continuing their efforts in registering students to vote by tabling on a monthly basis and at bigger Multipurpose Room events, such as when they tabled at USG’s Homecoming “Game Night.”
