As the 2024 presidential election approaches, college campuses around the country play a crucial role in facilitating voter registration among college students. This initiative is made to encourage students to participate in the democratic process as well as letting the students’ voices be heard. It is both a civic duty and right to take part in voting, but why does it feel like such a pain?

It is important for students to be able to access voter registration information to help them further this process. Aside from importance, it can also be very empowering to be part of such a large action, being able to look at something and including yourself in the bigger picture.

On the Saint Anselm College campus, there are several tools used to motivate this. The New Hampshire Institute of Politics and their student ambassadors program holds a handful of voter registration drives each semester. These are held usually in collaboration with the Goffstown Supervisors of the Checklist, where students can register to vote and those from out of state can register for an absentee ballot.

Vice Chair of the NHIOP Ambassador Program, Kellan Barbee, class of 2026, shared his views on why he thinks that voting is so important: “No matter what party people are aligned with or what beliefs people may have, voting is such a great way for people to engage with their democracy.” Given the state that the country is in, and considering the upcoming election, it is important for people’s voices to be heard, and that is exactly what voting does.

The New Hampshire Youth Movement is additionally working towards this goal. This is a local movement that is gathering young people to transform the political system. Further, this is to try and ensure that no person, or group of people, feel overlooked or left behind. This feeling is common among all demographics, but is seen especially in that of young adults. Due to that cumulative notion, it forms a decline in voting amongst college students, leaving them believing that their vote does not matter.

Israel Small, class of 2026, is the Hub Coordinator for the NHYM at Saint Anselm

College. On campus, they are aiming to collect Pledge to Vote cards where students can voice issues that they care about, going from a piece of paper directly to New Hampshire legislation. The information shared on the card stays private within the organization, only aiming to make up 10% of the polls with that of young people.

When asked why voting is crucial, Small says that,“the youth voter block is one that very rarely ever turns out– ever. So, having the college orchestrate events such as voter registration drives helps to break that down.” 

On the subject of arranging drives, it’s a two way street. Organizations like the Supervisors of the Checklist and NHYM both reach out to the Institute of Politics as well as the Institute reaching out to them.

Coordinating voter registration drives with off campus establishments not only builds connections, but it also gets students more familiar with the greater Manchester community. It is a significant role to understand your surroundings, especially when being tasked to vote.

Keeping up with and analyzing local politics and happenings is a great way to get a better reality of the internal perception. Something great about the NHIOP ambassador program and NHYM is the bridge that they create, linking students with democracy in an easy way. Through these structures, students are able to see politics firsthand and deem what they see fit for the future. By having this new point of view, they are capable of better understanding just how important their role really is when it comes to things like voting.

For students, be sure to keep a lookout on election day, as buses will be taking students from Saint Anselm College to Bartlett Elementary school, the campus’s voting site. Don’t worry if you are not yet registered, you can do so day-of, but this will be the last election cycle that will be offered in New Hampshire.

If you are interested in getting more involved with on campus events, such as voter registration drives, a great first step would be applying for the NHIOP ambassador program.

Applications are live and close Nov.1.