Registration drive begins
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The voter registration deadline is fast approaching, with the Student Care/Conduct Office receiving registration forms until Oct. 8. After this date, students will need to hand in their forms to the city registrar’s office by Oct. 14.
This will allow students who register to vote in the midterm elections to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. That election includes voting for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
The Student Care/Conduct Office has been bolstering registration efforts across campus, learning what works best for students and what fits into their schedules. Bradley Milks, assistant director of programming for Liberty, noted the extensive efforts to rally the voting precinct at Liberty.
“Voter registration will be conducted in dorms, in some classes, and at tabling throughout campus,” Milks said. “We will have splash page announcements, posters and other media to remind students.”
Off-campus students who previously voted on campus will need to update their information since they no longer can vote in the Vines Center, according to Milks.
Milks pointed out that off-campus students could still fill out the registration forms, which will be offered at registration tables around campus, and hand them in to the Student Care/Conduct Office. The office will then take the forms to the city registrar for them.
Milks highlighted the issues that directly affect students’ lives on and off campus and the values that Liberty takes a stand on.
“We felt it was time to move forward with rallying the students in regards to the issues that are important to them — federal/state/local mandates that burden their tuition dollars, abortion, the very high meals tax, traditional marriage and other issues,” Milks said.
Montgomery Pace, chairwoman of College Republicans at Liberty, also emphasized the need for students to register and vote.
“At Liberty University, we are extremely blessed to have a polling location right on campus for students to exercise their freedom to vote,” Pace said. “In order to keep that location that students before us fought to get, we have to continue to register students to vote on campus and then cast a ballot on Election Day.”
According to Pace, a registration table will also be staffed during the homecoming football game, offering students a chance to stop by and fill out a form.
According to Milks, in the local House of Delegates election in 2009, Liberty students changed the outcome. The incumbent was ahead by 1,400 votes until the final precinct, Liberty, submitted ballots. Once those ballots were counted, the incumbent lost by 207 votes.
“Voting is a simple process,” Pace said. “… It is so crucial for Christians to have a strong showing and allow our voices to be heard in the political process.”
VAN DYK is the news editor