As Elections Draw Closer, Importance of the Vote Becomes Known

A Truman State University Organization is reaching out to students urging them to vote locally in the upcoming election. 

            Vote Local is trying to raise awareness about the importance of the elections on campus, especially by helping register students to vote before the recent Oct. 8 Missouri deadline.

Susan Presley, president and co-founder of Vote Local, said that between 100 and 200 students have registered to vote this semester alone, and many more have registration forms they have not yet turned in. 

Many of the students are not from Adair County , and would traditionally go through the absentee ballot process, rather then simply registering to vote in Adair County .  However, many of them do not know this.

“I am going to vote absentee this election, I didn’t know I could register and keep my home stuff too,” said Corey Hasting, Truman State Graduate Student, from St. Louis . 

Vote Local started in the spring 2008 semester when Presley and a group of people realized that they could register to vote in Adair County and still keep their identity and drivers licenses in their home states. 

“We wanted a better way for other people to know that and we figured out the best way for that to happen was through this organization.” said Presley. 

This organization has three main purposes, which other organizations that distribute registration material do not.

“We educate people about the issues that will be on your next ballot, educate them that they can vote here if they want to.  Second step is registration, we help them get registered” said Presley. “And the third thing is we help people get to the polls because, if you are on campus your voting place is the Student Union Building, but if you are not, your voting place may be across town and it’s often cold during voting time and so we give people rides if they need them.”

   Truman students can affect this presidential vote, especially by voting in Adair County .  The Adair County Clerk’s office said in the 2004 presidential election county- wide there were 11,546 votes out of the approximately 25,000 people that live in Adair County .  This is astounding, considering the population of Kirksville alone is around 17,000 people.  With that many people not voting in Adair County , Truman students can make an immense difference in the voting process. 

“You live here about nine months out of the year, so issues that come up are going to matter to you, and not enough students ever vote to impact.” said Presley, “The county clerk’s office has told us that the student body has never made an impressionable difference in an election, in a vote, not about anything whether issue or candidate, If you are going to be here nine months out of the year, you pay taxes here, it is included in your rent if you live off campus, you spend your money here, so vote here.  Make your voice heard.”

In order to get the word out about the initiative, Vote Local has about a dozen people that go speak in classes, in order to inform students about the registration process of voting locally.  They are also constantly in contact with the Adair County Clerk’s office, getting statistics, information and more registration forms. 

“Active members, as in people that go around and talk to classrooms and that sort of thing, we have about a dozen now, but we would welcome more.” said Presley.

If you would like to get involved you can contact Vote Local at votelocal.truman@gmail.com.