The City of Madison Clerk’s Office is holding voter registration drives throughout Madison this week in honor of National Voter Registration Day. The holiday has occurred annually in September since 2012.
“National Voter Registration Day involves dedicated Partners of every stripe from all over the country hitting the streets for a single star-spangled awesome day of coordinated field, digital, and media action focused squarely on growing our shared democracy,” the National Voter Registration Day website reads.
With the Nov. 5 presidential election just around the corner, the City of Madison and various campus organizations are ramping up efforts to register college students to vote.
Volunteers with the City of Madison Peggy Siebers and Kelly Hora tabled inside Ian’s Pizza on State Street Tuesday.
“We want to encourage everyone in the community to exercise their rights as a citizen, to vote, to be engaged,” said Siebers. “Voting is the most basic action you can take.”
In Wisconsin, residents can register to vote on-site up until the day of the election, Siebers said. But she recommends registering in advance to avoid a long day at the polls.
“For students who might live in more than one location over their years at the university, we’re here to educate them about how they may need to become registered or stay registered if they change to a new address,” said Hora.
Hora explained that University of Wisconsin students with identification from another state must show proof of their Wisconsin address.
Students living on-campus can use their UW enrollment listing their student housing address as proof, Hora said. For those who live off-campus, utility bills, bank statements or tax returns with their local Madison address are valid documents to prove residency.
For Wisconsinites living in other parts of the state who want to vote in Madison, there’s the option of simply changing their address or requesting an absentee ballot through the MyVote WI website.
UW junior Kayley Bell helped students register on-campus at the Red Gym. Bell emphasized the importance of students getting registered ahead of time and making their voices heard.
“Voter registration drives on college campuses can have a significant impact on overall turnout for young adults,” Bell said. “It’s crucial that students take advantage of these opportunities to get involved.”
Bell recommends first-time voters looking to learn more about the candidates and ballot measures turn to nonpartisan resources like the BadgersVote website and Instagram page.
Students can get help with voter registration every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Red Gym leading up to the Oct. 16 online voter registration deadline. Additionally, pop-up registration drives will be held on Thursdays at locations across campus, such as Gordon Dining and Event Center.
For those looking to get involved, the City of Madison Clerk’s Office has open applications for paid positions to serve as an Election Official.
UW was recently recognized for having the greatest overall voter turnout in the Big 10 Voting Challenge. To keep that upward trend going, volunteers with the Clerk’s Office encourage students to continue to promote civic engagement by registering to vote.
