Hofstra students volunteer to assist with early voter registration. // Photo courtesy of Jessica LeMay
Over the past couple of elections, presidential candidates and the media have been trying to increase the number of young voters. Hofstra students have also been partaking in this movement by setting up a register-to-vote drive of their own.
With election day approaching, the Hofstra Center for Civic Engagement has set up a weekly table in the student center to assist students in registering to vote. At the table, volunteers are educating students on their voter needs, providing them with an absentee ballot and directing them to online websites for more information.
Student volunteers shared why they are committed to helping other students register to vote.
“Our age demographic is the least likely to be participating in voting, and I think it’s important for students to have their voices heard and to be a part of the election process,” said volunteer Laike Jerome, a senior political science major.
A recent study from Harvard University found that only 49% of eligible voters aged 18 to 29 plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election. That number is significantly lower than the 2020 election.
“Especially for students who dorm, live on campus and live in residential buildings, they need to put in that little bit of extra effort to request absentee ballots,” said volunteer Hamna Hasque, a junior political science major.
At Hofstra University, over 50% of the students are not residents of Long Island, and many students have to use absentee ballots or travel home to vote.
“Students generally don’t know too much about voting itself; it is important we establish a culture,” said Rosanna Perotti, a political science professor and head faculty member of the Center for Civic Engagement. Perotti, who teaches a class on elections and voting behavior, said people who start voting at an early age are more likely to continue to vote when they are older.
As the population of young voters decreases each year, there is concern for hearing young adult voices during the 2024 election. // Photo courtesy of Jessica LeMay
Historically, young voters have not participated as much as the older generations. “Young voters proportionally are so underrepresented in the electorate yet they will be affected by policies that are being enacted by older officials,” Perotti said.
According to the Pew Research Center, the average age of a United States senator is 57 years old. These legislators agree on laws that will last for young peoples’ entire lifetimes but only a third of their own.
Lawrence Levy, the executive dean of suburban studies of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra, said that students typically know less than the average voter because of their busy schedules.
“[Voting is] the only way that you can have your voices heard if you amplify them,” Levy said. “Find something that you care about, that you can articulate to people around you, and go out and get other people to vote.”
Students are encouraged to visit Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement table in the student center during common hour. The table will be available once a week.
Oct. 26 is the deadline for absentee ballot applications in the state of New York. You can visit vote.org to find all information on voting. For more information on voting in New York State specifically, you can visit elections.ny.gov.
