Pledge to Vote

By Maxwell Brown

Staff Writer

Student Senate Encourages ARCC Students to Engage in Democracy

Get Out the Vote is a state and nationwide project which encourages and assists young citizens in registering and voting in state, local, and national elections on Nov. 8.

Here at Anoka-Ramsey, the Student Senate is working with the Minnesota State College Student Association to run the program. The Senate has been raising awareness for the upcoming elections in a variety of ways that can be seen all around campus, encouraging Anoka-Ramsey students to take the pledge. At the time of writing, the Student Senate has collected 515 pledges, achieving the Minnesota State’s goal of 500, and clearing the halfway mark to their personal goal of 1000.

Students have many different reasons for pledging to vote, and the senate encourages pledge-takers to share their motivation on the message board outside the senate office. As one student writes, “My education is affected by my vote.”

In addition, student Senate and the League of Women Voters have organized a forum with local house candidates Kevin Parker and Mark Uglem (District 36a), and senate candidates Jerry Newton and Brad Sanford (District 37). The forum will be held on Sept. 21 in the Riverview Room on the Coon Rapids Campus. These forums are a simple way to help prospective voters become more informed about local politics.

Access to good higher education is a hot-button issue on the Anoka-Ramsey campus, and many of the candidates invited to forum have made educational issues one of the main parts of their platforms. In addition, collecting enough pledges can make Anoka-Ramsey eligible for financial scholarships at the state and national level.

The Pledge to Vote booth can be found in the Student Center, outside the Student Senate office. The staff there will offer assistance to anyone needing to register to vote. Pledges will be accepted until right before the election.