TrinVotes! Hosts National Voter Registration Day Event

Charlotte Stack ’29

Contributing Writer

On National Voter Registration day this year, Trinity faculty, government employees and volunteers gathered on Gates Quad to encourage voter registration and plans for voting. National Voter Registration day is a nonpartisan holiday, committed to “celebrating democracy” and registering people to vote. This civic holiday was first celebrated in 2012, and since then has successfully registered 6 million Americans. 

Chris McLaughlin with the Women’s League of Voters came prepared with fliers and voter registration forms for Trinity students. The Women’s League of Voters is a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920, that has worked to increase and protect suffrage nationally. On this civil holiday, representatives visit college campuses around the country to increase access for voters. 

College students often get a bad reputation when it comes to voting, as they can seem uninformed or uninterested in politics. When asked about the number of college-aged students who vote, McLaughlin responded that voting often has less to do with the person’s age, and is instead closely linked to their upbringing. “If a person’s parents voted,” she said, “they are more likely to as well.” Voting is a big part of political socialization and when voting is not modeled at home, it’s often not practiced in adulthood. She admitted that one of their goals in targeting college students was that they could in turn “get their parents to vote too.” McLaughlin also added that issues impactful to a voter can determine whether or not they show up to the polls. “When it’s something they care about,” she said, “they show up.”

For those unsure of candidates running or how to vote from college, McLaughlin recommended visiting Vote411.org, where a voter can learn about how to vote early, register for an absentee ballot and research candidates. “Some people also don’t remember if they’re registered,” she added. “They can easily check by going to Vote411.” 

Summit Fellow for Indigenous Community Initiatives and Civic Engagement Chenille Jake ‘24 was at the voter registration table too as the faculty leader for TrinVotes!. The club was originally approved by former College president Joanne Berger-Sweeney in 2019 to fulfill the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, aiming to increase voting on campus. “TrinVotes! fell dormant for a few years,” Jake explained, “But we are working to bring it back.” Alongside Jake, Student Leader Juan Rayo ‘27 was also in attendance to educate students on how they can vote in November. Armed with various candies and goodies for students that approached the table, they received a steady flow of visitors interested in learning more about the democratic process.

Deputy Secretary of the State of Connecticut Jennifer Barahona was also able to visit campus on Tuesday, and came equipped with fun incentives and a positive attitude. Deputy Barahona could be seen tossing football-shaped stress toys at students, asking: “Are you registered to vote?” When answered with a “no,” she encouraged them to register, and explained how they could vote via absentee ballot if they were not from Connecticut. “Voting is so important,” she told the Tripod. “Everyone should do it if they are able to.”

With Election Day just a few weeks away, everyone should make sure they’re registered, and research their state’s rules on voting early and absentee.