University political groups prepare for the midterms

Through community outreach and informing their members, members of the university College Republicans and College Progressives are getting ready for the upcoming midterm elections Nov. 3. 

Junior Cris Torres y Torres, president of the College Progressives, said the group has been talking about the midterms since it was created last year. This semester, Torres y Torres said the College Progressives’ priority is Amendment 3. The club has also been phone banking for Democratic nominees Abdul El-Sayed, D-MI.,  Angie Nixon, D-FL., Troy Jackson, D-ME., and James Talarico, D-TX. 

“[The College Progressives] are hoping for a really big blue wave,” Torres y Torres said. 

“from all the polling, all of the stuff that we’ve been seeing, it definitely seems to be happening.”

The College Progressives have also promoted voter turnout on campus by tabling for voter registration, which they arranged with the College Democrats. 

 For each race in Missouri, Torres y Torres also makes voting guides for the members of the College Progressives. For the midterms, Torres y Torres said the view of the College Progressives is no on Amendment 3, yes on Amendment 6, no on Amendment 7, no on Amendment 8 and no on Proposition A. 

Sophomore Jaxon Collins, president of the College Republicans, said rather than endorse certain votes, the group pushes ensuring its members register to vote and receive their absentee ballots. Collins said they include links and QR codes to voter registration in their meeting slides and explain what a “yes” or a “no” vote means for each amendment. 

“We’re encouraging them to go [vote],” Collins said. “Obviously, it’s their right – they can choose to exercise it.” 

Both Torres y Torres and Collins said their clubs are especially focused on Amendment 3, which would prohibit both abortion and gender transition procedures for minors. Collins said the College Republicans want to see Amendment Three pass and they don’t want to see Amendment Six pass. 

The College Republicans have been collaborating with the Students for Life group on campus and the Baptist Student Union. Collins said members from the three groups went doorknocking around Kirksville to advocate for Amendment 3 Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, and the College Republicans plan to go doorknocking again Oct. 31. The Adair County Republicans have also reached out to the College Republicans with flyers and handouts.