GET OUT THE VOTE Initiative

Imagine having a poll precinct just a block from a university or college campus that has about 8,000-9,000 students enrolled and approximately 4,000 of them stay on campus and about 6,000 of them are registered to vote at the precinct on campus because of using their campus mailbox address when filling out voter registration forms. Do you see the hundreds of thousands of college students on this campus and in the poll lines on election day? Well now picture this, it's Tuesday, November 7, 2006--Election Day--and the polls close and the numbers start pouring in and in the voting precinct near the campus only 3,000 people showed up to vote. Well that's what happened in 2004 at the voting precinct for students attending Tennessee State University and the community around TSU. You might ask how could something of this magnitude have happened or you might say probably not a whole lot of people in the community are registered to vote and the students just don't care about politics enough to vote. Well all those answers are good and fine and probably are true but I beg to differ. If the college campuses only pushed the "GET OUT THE VOTE" effort stronger than they did by having the college organizations particularly the Greeks at the forefront of pushing the effort than voter turnout around college campuses could be so much different.

You might ask how could that happen, well it's two parts to the GOTV effort. The first part is voter registration which should be done like the first couple of weeks when school lets back in and if at all, way before than. The next part is actually educating the students on why to vote and since many students are attracted by parties than a voter registration party on campus would be a great attraction or a voter registration talent show or poetry set. At those events, students can only get in if they register to vote in the state where the campus is located or if they show up with their voter registration card if they are already registered. I know some might say that they are already registrared and that they don't have their voter registration card but the clear answer is that it only takes 3 minutes to fill this paper out if you take your time and follow the directions.

Now any old organizations can't be hosting such events as voter registration and voter education on who to vote for and who not to vote for because students just don't fool with any student groups therefore, I strongly urge the Greeks on campus to be involved in helping with this effort. I see it year after year after that the Greeks are truly the powerful entities on college campuses in terms moving students and attracting students to events. I'm not saying other student groups events are not packed or good but students now days symbolize or affiliate themselves with particular Greek organizations and are willing to go to any and all events that these Greek organizations may host or sponsor.

Therefore, here's my charge to all college students and campuses across America, particularly those associated with Greek organizations, let's all collaborate and "GET OUT THE VOTE" this year because if we unite and vote in record numbers across America than some of our college campuses that usually get ignored or attention from any of our political officials will start to gain some because of the higher voter turnout. Let's vote in record numbers this year and show both the Republican and Democratic Parties that college students are motivated for the 2008 Elections and we are willing and able to decide the direction of this country now and forever. Get PUMPED, get GEEK, get CRUNK and get HYPE cause we are the future of America and I refuse to allow my future to past me by. I refuse to hold off on something that I can do today. Therefore why wait for 2 years to vote or to register to vote when you can register now and vote in this year's elections and be hard loudly and clearly.

GET OUT THE VOTE!