America\u2019s Best Colleges for Student Voting<\/a>.<\/p>\nTrevor Stephney, a senior majoring in Filmmaking, said he mailed his ballot in early October. \u201cIt\u2019s the first election where I\u2019m eligible to vote, and considering the magnitude of 2020\u2019s political climate, it definitely felt important. I\u2019m proud to exercise my constitutional right as an American citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe registered 750 students online before the October 13 deadline,\u201d says James Clark, graduate student coordinator for Civic and Voter Engagement. \u201cThe most popular and effective means [of engaging voters] was the team coming to classroom Zoom meetings and sharing voter information on the screen at the beginning of the classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clark and his Montclair State Votes Coalition team, which is led by Center for Student Involvement Director Mariel Pagan and four students \u2013 Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassadors Eros Acosta and Gianna D’Aloia, and Bonner Leaders Robert Clark and Kat Gilvey \u2013 also fielded questions from students who are out-of-state voters.<\/p>\n
Likewise, the Student Government Association went virtual in their efforts to register students to vote and to make sure they got to the polls. \u201cWe\u2019ve posted on our [Instagram] stories, sent emails, posted posts and videos, and had other organizations make social media content in order for others to vote. We have been using the hashtags: #RedHawkVoter and #IamVotingBecause,\u201d says Paulette C. Gando, the SGA\u2019s executive secretary.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery election is important because it will write the history for many years and communities in the U.S. The importance of voting is crucial and we should have this momentum every election,\u201d Gando says.<\/p>\n
On election day, shuttle buses organized by the Montclair State Voter Coalition were leaving from the Red Hawk Deck and University Hall to take students to polling places. The week before, shuttles were available to take students to ballot boxes.<\/p>\n
Casey Masterson, a senior majoring in German, voted by mail. \u201cThat was slightly underwhelming because I was looking forward to the voting machine experience. When I was a kid, my grandma would take me with her and let me push the button for who she wanted. I was looking forward to doing that myself, but alas, COVID happened. It was important to vote nonetheless, because this election is beyond important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Serhenna Bazile, a sophomore and Film major, said she was also aware of the importance of participating. \u201cThis was my first time voting for a president at a time when it\u2019s most crucial and the outcome has serious effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
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