Winston Margaritis | Broadcast Reporter
Young people have historically had the lowest voter turnout in America. According to the Census Bureau, only 39.4 percent of 18-24 year-olds voted in the 2016 November election.
Two student organizations, College Democrats of Baylor and Texas Rising, are hoping to change this trend by increasing voter registration among Baylor students. The organizations co-hosted a voter registration drive on Tuesday.
Alice Shelley, a San Antonio junior, was one of the students running the event.
“This event is cohosted by Baylor Democrats and Texas Rising. Our efforts are non-partisan and we are just trying to go in conjunction with Baylor’s goal to achieve 100% voter registration on campus,” Shelley said.
Baylor’s goal is outline in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge that President Livingstone committed to in June.
Students were excited at the opportunity to register to vote.
“I just got back from one of my classes and saw the booth and I was like, what’s a better time than now,” David Schmitt, an Arlington freshman, said.
Veronica Penales, president of Baylor College Democrats, commented about the results of the event.
“The voter registration drive definitely exceeded expectations. I set a mental goal for myself and my officers to get 100 students registered and we were able to get 113. Despite the rain and chilly weather, Baylor students really pulled through to show the importance of voting in this upcoming election,” Penales said.
If you were unable to attend the event, you can learn how to register vote here.
