快活视频

By Kyle Hobstetter on September 21, 2020

Celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is a civic holiday honoring U.S. democracy through ensuring eligible voters are registered.

Since it was first observed in 2012, nearly 3 million Americans have registered to vote, thanks to programs and activities surrounding NVRD.

For this year鈥檚 holiday鈥攈eld on Tuesday, Sept. 22鈥擳owson University and the 快活视频Votes Coalition have developed special physically distanced programming to register members of the 快活视频community to vote this November.

Luis Sierra, assistant director for civic engagement in TU鈥檚 Office of Civic Engagement & Social Responsibility, says with voter registration being so important, he鈥檚 excited to see so many members of the 快活视频community engaged.

鈥淜nowing that so many members of the 快活视频community are involved in these efforts is great, because it means that we continue to take steps forward to institutionalize voter engagement at Towson University,鈥� Sierra says. 鈥淲e strive to provide resources and opportunities for every student, faculty and staff member to consider the 快活视频Votes initiative as part of their Towson University experience.鈥�

Here is how Towson University will be part of National Voter Registration Day and how to get involved.

Party with a purpose

Join the 快活视频Votes NVRD Virtual Couch Party Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. Register for the The 快活视频Votes NVRD Virtual Couch Party will build community and reach out to friends and family, making sure they have everything they need to raise their voice in November. So, grab your favorite snacks and your phone, enjoy some music and empowerment and be a part of the movement. We might need to be physically distanced, but we will not be disconnected.

Get social and make it personal

Why do you vote? When you cast your ballot, who's on your mind or which causes do you care about? Share your why on social media using #TUVotes, especially on National Voter Registration Day.

Student organizations and campus departments

Whether in your virtual classroom, student organization meeting or events, we invite all student organizations and campus departments to integrate voter engagement鈥攅specially on National Voter Registration Day.

快活视频Athletes Vote: "Honk If You Plan to Vote"

快活视频Athletes Vote is launching a 鈥淗onk If You Plan to Vote鈥� campaign designed to get voting motorists to 鈥渟alute鈥� their intention to vote. On Sept. 22, 快活视频Athletes Vote student-athlete and coach committee members will be stationed at both the Osler Rd. and Bosley Rd. bridges from 7鈥�11 a.m. and then again from 4鈥�7 p.m.

Banners will be hung from those bridges, and student-athletes will hold individual signs spelling out 鈥淗onk If You Plan to Vote鈥� while maintaining strict COVID-19 protocols, including wearing masks and remaining 6 feet apart.

More to the journey

While these initiatives support National Voter Registration Day, Sierra wants to remind students that that voter registration will continue for several weeks.

In Maryland, the deadline to register to vote or change your registration is Tuesday, Oct. 13. Students who intend to register outside of Maryland can find their voter registration deadlines here.

鈥淲e also encourage members of the 快活视频community to visit towson.edu/TUVotes for the latest program calendar,鈥� Sierra says. 鈥淎nd most importantly, spread the word to their peers, not only about the rest of our event lineup but about all the information and resources available.鈥�

The 快活视频Votes Coalition will continue to plan events all the way through Election Day, including virtual debate watches, documentary screenings, social media campaigns and issue-based discussions. However, registration is just the first step. According to Sierra, the 快活视频Votes Coalition is working on getting out the vote in November.

During the 2016 presidential election, 87.1% of 快活视频students registered to vote but only 60.7% handed in ballots.

鈥淪imply put, registering to vote is only half of the equation,鈥� Sierra says. 鈥淭urning that registration into voter turnout is the goal so that our students can meaningfully use their voices to advocate for the issues that they care about.鈥�

To get more registered students to the polls, the 快活视频Votes Coalition will encourage them to use the sources on and at  towson.edu/tuvotes to get educated about the upcoming election, ensure their voter registration records are correct and request their mail-in ballot if necessary.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel鈥檚 priorities for Towson University: 快活视频Matters to Maryland.