Rock the Vote, an organization dedicated to encouraging the youth vote, is bringing its bus tour to the University of Wisconsin campus Oct. 16.
The institution, which is dedicated to encouraging young Americans to vote, began its campaign at the Republican National Convention in late August and has visited 16 other schools in the time since, according to spokesperson Chrissy Faessen.
“We are very excited to be on a college campus,” Faessen said, adding Rock the Vote focuses on non-college students as well as college students.
“Our mission statement is to engage young people in the political process and we are dedicated to 18-29-year-olds,” Faessen said. “Young people have the power to make change in this country. They make up 25 percent of the electorate.”
Faessen said voter registration information and information about the election process in general will be provided. Students can expect to hear music and participate in activities such as video confessionals, where students make a video about an issue important to them, Faessen said.
Matt Guidry, spokesperson for the student advocacy group United Council of UW Students, welcomed Rock the Vote’s announcement to come to campus.
“We were super excited to learn about Rock the Vote’s visit,” Guidry said. “This organization really helps with voter registration.”
Guidry also emphasized the importance of the visit falling on Oct. 16 with open voter registration ending the following day. Guidry hopes Rock the Vote will be able to register many young voters before the deadline.
Guidry also believes in the importance of the youth vote in the election and believes youth voters will have an especially important impact in the upcoming election.
This is the third time Rock the Vote has made a visit to UW’s campus. They also visited the campus in 2004 and 2008.
UW spokesperson John Lucas also said the university has taken it upon itself to encourage its students to vote.
“One of the university’s goals is to make students aware of voting, regardless of political views,” Lucas said.
More information on voter registration and voter ID information can be found at UW’s voter information website: http://uc.wisc.edu/vote/.
