In the upcoming weeks, voices across the United States will bring change to the country. With the election coming up, many organizations are urging people to use their rights to get out and vote. There is a lot to know about the upcoming election, where to vote, how to vote and more. The League of Women Voters interactive presentation held on campus this week shared all the election information voters need to know, from the history of voting rights in the U.S. to how they can vote from where they are.
The struggle for equal voting rights dates back to the early 20th century when women were only able to vote in certain states. After years of activism, the 19th Amendment was ratified stating, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by a state in account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
For many years, women put their lives at risk for the ability of future generations being able to vote. In fact, communities have come together in the past decades with record breaking numbers of woman elected and some of the highest turnouts of woman voters. The League of Women Voters website contains data supporting this.
Brockport student Larissa Schmitt said she recognized her responsibility to vote, both as a woman and as a citizen.
“Voting is important because it’s the key part of a functioning democracy, without the participation of citizens the democracy would fall and that would be bad, also because I’m a woman we fought for this right for a long time through woman suffrage and its part of the constitution that we get to vote.” Schmitt said. “So I think it’s important that every American use their liberties to fight for a free country.”
Another Brockport student Teagan Bunce agreed.
“Voting is important as each candidate has the power to determine each of our safety and economic security. We must vote to ensure the policies put forth by each candidate align with the goals of our county’s future.” Bunce said. “Also, as a woman I feel motivated to vote as we fought for the right for the 19th amendment.”
Coordinator of Community Services and Civic Engagement Melissa Szurgyi stressed the importance of voting and why Brockport is holding these events.
“Voting is important because it gives every citizen a chance to make their voice heard in their community. We should all feel a commitment to this civic duty on Election Day. I always like to say if only 25% of the population turns out to vote, then 75% of the population is not playing a role in shaping the community. And when you do show up to the poll if that is how you choose to vote, make sure to know who you’re voting for by looking up your ballot ahead of time. Remember, it’s not just the President on the ballot this year. There are lots of terrific local elections, this year and every year, that folks should participate in,” Szurgyi said. “I would be remiss if I did not mention that the ins and outs of voting can be confusing. For folks that have questions, I encourage you to reach out to our Civic Engagement team in the basement of the Union for information. We are here to help and want to see every eligible student making their voice heard!”
Voting is currently the easiest its ever been thanks to mail-in ballots, early voting, more accessible polling locations and endless information online. In New York, anyone who is registered to vote can request a ballot by mail and return it to your local election office via mail or in person. Early voting is like voting on election day, but many polling places will have earlier dates and times to cast votes. There are many different sites and resources to help find your nearest voting location. Polling places are mainly open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in primary elections to vote in New York.
Voters need the last four digits of their social security number, their New York driver’s license or New York non-driver ID number. The League of Women Voters at SUNY Brockport shared there will be a bus on campus to take students to a local voting location, further information to come from the civic engagement team in the basement of the union. There are more resources now than there that are readily available for student use to raise voter engagement.
