Pack the Polls: Your Vote Is Your Voice

One of the most important duties that a citizen of a democracy such as the United States holds is voting in national and local elections to help shape future policies and decisions from the country’s leadership. 

For NC State students, faculty, staff and the surrounding local community of Wake County, doing so ahead of the November 5 general election day is as easy as a quick trip to the center of campus. Thanks to the advocacy of student leaders in the Pack the Polls organization, Talley Student Union will once again serve as an early voting site.

“I think it makes everything so much easier,” said second-year environmental engineering student Millie Walkenhorst. “I think sometimes voter registration can cause a lot of hoops to jump through or different processes you have to go through, but early voting at Talley makes it so much simpler, especially for college students who are so busy every day.”

A Quick, Accessible Option 

Pack the Polls will host several events to assist students with voter registration throughout the run-up to the early voting period, which begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2. 

However, anyone voting early at Talley can register on-site on the same day they vote. Miroslava Colan, a graduate assistant in NC State’s Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) office and the leader of Pack the Polls, said that the SLE team has ensured that students can use the proof of address form from their MyPack Portal to register at Talley and use their Wolfpack One Card as a valid form of voter identification. 

Wake County election officials aware of those qualifications will work voter registration at Talley. 

“Talley is the easiest way for students to vote,” Colan said. “It’s the closest option to them. It’s a one-stop station where you just register, vote and go. It’s quick and accessible for students.” 

For students living on or near NC State’s campus, having the ability to vote at Talley is vital to ensuring their participation in the election. 

With neither election day nor the early voting period falling during an official university break, returning to their homes to vote is a challenging option for students. 

“It’s an absolute lifesaver,” said Will Cowan, a fourth-year political science student and a Pack the Polls co-lead alongside Walkenhorst. “If we were to tell them that you have to go back home to vote, everyone can’t just do it. Because it’s right here in Talley, there’s a 95% chance you’re going to walk right past it already, so you might as well stop by. It makes it easier for us, and it makes it easier for everyone who wants to get involved. It’s just a great thing for the community.” 

Promoting Electoral Wellness

Throughout this semester and in the lead-up to early voting, Pack the Polls has and will continue to run various programs to promote the importance of voting and help inform students about their choices. 

During the recent Wellness Day, Pack the Polls held an Electoral Wellness Fair in Talley, with several voter registration and voting rights nonprofit organizations tabling to promote voter information and registration and non-partisan voter guides. 

Pack the Polls will hold 45-minute Voting Toolkit sessions Oct. 24 and 30 to simulate the process of receiving a ballot, informing students about which candidates will be on their ballot and providing information about the necessary preparations for same-day registration. 

“It’s incredibly important for me to get students to vote,” Walkenhorst said. “Voting is a right and not a privilege. I think it’s important for people to go out and vote, and make their voices heard, and also for the students of our future to make their voices heard.” 

On Oct. 17, Pack the Polls will hold a “living room conversation” with City of Raleigh City Council and Mayoral candidates in Witherspoon Student Center, room 106. 

One of the most important resources Pack the Polls provides is peer-to-peer education about the importance of voting. In addition to Cowan and Walkenhorst, the organization has 21 student ambassadors who are responsible for helping educate the student body about the upcoming election process. Critically, these ambassadors come from a variety of colleges and majors, allowing them to promote the importance of voter registration and participation across campus. 

“I just really enjoy being that friendly face that invites people to get involved in the political process,” Cowan said. “For many people, this is their first time voting, and it can be kind of daunting. They see everyone getting upset over politics, and there’s a lot of confusion about how someone can get involved. I like being that bridge between them and the democratic process to just make the whole thing easier and more welcoming.” 

Your Vote Is Your Voice

Central to Pack the Polls’ mission and messaging is the importance of the NC State community using its ability to vote to make their voices heard in shaping the future of local and national policy. 

“It’s absolutely critical,” Cowan said. “When people enter college, they’re starting to become adults. These kinds of decisions that are made at higher levels really start to impact them. It’s pretty well known that for people who start voting as early they can, it’s a habit-forming process. We really like being there right at the start when people can first exercise that right.”

Colan said that, with students spending four or more years in Raleigh while at NC State, it’s especially important to vote in local elections that shape the city’s laws and policies. 

For Colan, advocating for voting rights is personal. She’s a native of Venezuela, a country under an authoritarian government that restricts the rights of its citizens to participate in these processes. Colan said that at least 70% of what builds a democracy comes from citizens exercising their right to vote in these elections. 

As an international student and noncitizen of the United States, Colan is unable to vote in the upcoming election, but championing voting rights and participation is still an important cause to her. 

“When people do not participate in elections, it’s more likely that people in power will decide their future,” Colan said. “We want to have people in office that advocate for what we’re interested in. We can’t complain about something if we don’t do anything to change it. Our voice can only be heard if we vote. Our philosophy is ‘Your Vote Is Your Voice.’”

This post was originally published in DASA.