BOG Rallies Student Vote
October 8th, 2010 by flanewsThe youth vote has long been equated to a sleeping giant. Voters under 30 have the numbers to alter an election, but they’re the most likely to stay home on November 2nd. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state’s university system is challenging Florida’s 300-thousand college students to get informed and vote this year.
21-year old Brandon Moton remembers his first trip to the ballot box.
“I really feel like I made a change. I really feel like I took a part in history,” said Moton.
It’s a feeling he hopes to regain this November when he’ll be asked to pick congressmen, cabinet members and what changes, if any, should be made to our state constitution.
Voter participation among college students is traditionally low and many students say they don’t have enough time to keep up with the issues.
“I really don’t want to vote unless I know more about it, because I’m not just going to vote whoever. But if I look into it more yeah, but I guess I have to start paying attention more,” said Alyse Johnson, a FSU Freshman from Tampa.
Others say there is no excuse not to vote.
“I don’t’ think there are many obstacles. I mean it’s pretty easy to vote. Salle Hall, I know that’s where I vote, it’s right on campus,” said Jesse Dyer, a senior for Ft. Lauderdale.
One obstacle keeping some college students away from the ballot box on Election Day is their voter registration information is outdated, but what they may not know is they can update it the same day they vote.
The University Systems Board of Governors is leading an informational campaign to get to its 300-thousands students involved. Florida Student Association President Gallop Franklin is leading the charge to inform students and get them to the polls.
“You can inform people, you can engage them, but if they don’t go to the polls then actually their voices aren’t heard and they are being silenced,” said Franklin.
More young voters is generally good news for Democrats. The youth vote was key in the 2008 election, which put a Democrat in the White House and reasserted Democratic authority in Congress.
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