Register to vote at student government sponsored events

The Florida voter registration deadline has been extended to Oct. 18

The Fall courseload demands great attention and focus. But one thing students shouldn’t neglect when juggling their academic responsibilities is their civic duty. The stakes for not exercising that right are even higher in 2016, a presidential election year.

Increasing the student body’s civic engagement is one of the Student Government Association’s main goals this academic school year, says SGA at MMC Press Secretary Carolina Maria de Almagro.

To get students registered to vote by the Oct. 11 deadline, SGA is launching Roar to the Poll, a series of events with Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County Elections representatives who will help participants through the process.

“This is the first time SGA will be partnering with a local elections office to register students to vote,” adds Lobbying Coordinator Sabrina Rosell, a freshman majoring in international relations. She estimates that 5,000 students will register to vote as a result of the events.

“In selecting the themes for Roar to the Poll, we wanted to focus our event on topics that would enable students not just be civically engaged but educated voters,” Rosell says. “As students, our vote is a direct representation of our voice to the legislatures that ultimately will be making the critical decisions that are vital to our future. Being an educated voter is just as important as being a voter. We need to make informed decisions on who we elect to represent us on a much larger scale.”

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Not registered? Want to be better informed about the election process? Check out these upcoming Roar to the Poll events:

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Graham Center 243

Focus: voter literacy. Discussions will take place around why it is important to vote, the differing political positions of candidates for elected offices and the various ways by which one can vote.

In addition, there will be snacks and refreshments as well as a photo booth station.

Monday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kissing Bridge

Focus: voter myths. This event will put voting misconceptions, such as “my vote will not count,” to rest. There will be representatives from “Rock the Vote” passing out voter information.

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  in the Graham Center Pit

Focus: voter appreciation. SGA will celebrate National Voter Registration Day, giving students the opportunity to create their own buttons and take photos at the photo booth station.