Lily Huynh/The Cougar
In an effort to increase civic engagement and voter education, UH is seeking a designation from the Campus Vote Project to become a Voter-Friendly Campus.
The Voter-Friendly Campus program aims to help higher education institutions plan an achievable roadmap to meeting the voter registration requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The Center for Student Involvement has taken the initiative to coordinate action plans for the University and analyze its current civic engagement.
“We’re trying to enroll in The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement to track the percentage of students on campus who register and actually vote,” said CSI Associate Director Eric Smith.
While also serving as a metric of success, enrolling in NSLVE would provide the necessary data to potentially earn a silver seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, one of the goals UH hopes to accomplish.
During a midterm election, earning a silver seal translates to 30-39% of voter participation from students while a presidential election requires 60-69% of voter participation.
Upcoming action steps
UH’s main goals are to increase voter registration turnout and education, increase the use of the on-campus polling location and engage non-partisan community partners to increase civic engagement.
Grassroots organizing will play an important role in working toward these goals, especially with registered student organizations on campus that are already face-to-face with students.
The Student Government Association has several plans in the works to increase voter education and registration turnout including a debate watch party and a Middle Ground-inspired panel.
“There’s a lot of things that affect all of us as college students that we don’t realize tie back to politics,” said SGA Chief of Staff Daniela Gonzalez. “So I think it’s important to take advantage of the fact that you can vote and voice your opinion.”
SGA Director of External Affairs Khushvir Chahal is also planning to host an RSO competition where the student organization that registers the most students to vote can win free food for their second general meeting.
Alongside the work of SGA, Smith hopes to offer student leaders of RSOs the opportunity to become Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars through the Harris County Clerk’s Office and host consistent voter registration drives on campus.
“The important thing is that your voice is heard,” said SGA President Diego Arriaga. “One vote can mean the difference between a lot of things.”
Last but not least, increasing the use of the on-campus polling location ensures that it can continue to be provided to students and cultivate a culture of civic engagement at UH.
How to vote and upcoming events
The last day to register to vote for the general election is Oct. 7 with early voting starting on Oct. 21 and ending on Nov. 1.
If registering for the first time, you must complete a voter registration application and mail it to your local county election office 30 days before the election date.
If you only need to change your name or address, it can be done online at Texas.gov.
An upcoming event for students to look forward to is the 2024 Texas Voting Summit on Sept. 13-14 at UH hosted by the Campus Vote Project alongside the Houston Youth Voters Conference, UH and Texas Southern University.
At this free event, college students, administrators and faculty can learn about nonpartisan efforts to increase voter participation at their campus.
Campus Vote Project is offering a free one-night stay at the UH Hilton Hotel on a first-come first-serve basis to attend this event.
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“UH strives to become a voter-friendly campus” was originally posted on The Cougar