An effort by state elections officials to reach out to young voters extended to UConn on Tuesday, marking National Voter Registration Day. Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas held an event introducing a new program for aspiring poll workers. She also reminded UConn students that, for the first time, early voting will be available on campus.
Established in response to a nationwide shortage of poll workers, Thomas says “Next Gen Elections” is a first-in-the-nation program training students to work on Election Day. 40 students are enrolled, 17 from UConn.
“It’s been really fantastic to see how excited they are about learning all the incredibly detailed laws and procedures around how we keep elections safe and secure,” says Thomas.
The trainees will finish the course in time to work at polling stations around Connecticut on Nov. 5.
The state has also looked to make participation in this year’s general election more accessible for students by working with the town of Mansfield to bring early voting to UConn, Oct. 21 through Nov. 3. Polls will be open at the UConn bookstore.
Participation of first-time voters from UConn has been limited because students had to travel off-campus to another Mansfield polling place (and still have to if they plan on voting in person on Election Day). Now, they can vote on campus by voting early.
“We’ve heard, in the past, the school has had to organize transportation, etc., which is very expensive, to get students to the polling location. So, this is a great opportunity for them,” says Thomas.
Lorien Touponse, president of the UConn student government, says her classmates are enthusiastic about voting, and they appreciate the new option:
“They’re looking for places to register. They’re looking for more accessibility to voting, and having a polling center right here on campus is going to make it so much easier. You don’t have to make time during that day (Election Day) when everybody has classes. Instead, you have full two weeks to find the perfect time for you to vote. I’m expecting that to really drive voting up.”