Eastern Michigan University’s Student Government has partnered with the university to implement TurboVote, an online tool that allows EMU students to quickly register to vote at emich.turbovote.org.
Glenna Miller, assistant vice president of Student Life, came across TurboVote over the summer and shared the information with EMU Student Body President Matthew Norfleet.
“I knew how committed our student government leaders are about registering students to vote,” Miller said. “This tool, TurboVote, makes is so easy for students to get text messages to remind them to vote or get an absentee ballot.”
Norfleet then contacted Leigh Greden, EMU’s executive director of government and community relations, and they worked together to get TurboVote at EMU.
“It is an example of the best kind of collaboration between students and administrators to make improvements in the student experience,” Miller said.
She also recommended voters take advantage of programs on campus that will help them understand current national and local issues and the people running for office.
“At EMU this fall, the presidential debates will be viewed and discussed and are a good example of educational events that help to amplify a student’s understanding of the issue,” she said.
Norfleet said TurboVote will be used to connect students with the voting process and boost voter participation.
“It’s a really great platform to get students more informed, engaged and more prepared to vote. That’s exactly what we’re all about here,” he said.
Norfleet said that with TurboVote, a student wouldn’t have to leave home. Some students would love to vote, but they are still registered in another state or some other situation prohibits them from making it to the polls.
According to Norfleet, voter identification laws have “disenfranchised” some college students, making it harder for them to obtain an ID.
“[TurboVote] gives students another opportunity, another venue to express their God-given right to polling. This is as old as the Union,” he said.
Norfleet said that it’s not only to a student’s advantage to experience voting in the upcoming 2012 presidential election, but it is essential to vote at the local level as well when those elections come around.
Greden said the benefits of TurboVote include an easier process for EMU students to register to vote and they receive helpful reminders about upcoming elections and can receive absentee ballots.
“It’s often difficult for college students to vote because they move often and state law makes registration difficult. Anything that helps clear those hurdles is a good idea,” he said.
Greden advises first-time voters to plan ahead. Michigan voters must register to vote 30 days before the election, otherwise they are not eligible to vote, he said.
“If you plan to vote in person, make sure you know where you’re assigned to vote and bring your driver’s license and voter registration card to the polling place,” Greden said. “If you plan to vote absentee, check with your city clerk at least one week in advance to make sure you’re eligible to do so, and when you send in your ballot, use sufficient postage to ensure it is submitted on time. And research the candidates and issues before casting your vote.”
Sam Novey, director of partnerships for TurboVote, said that when users sign up, they will obtain a completed national voter registration or absentee ballot request form by mail with a pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope to send to the local election authority. TurboVote also sends out email and text notices about approaching elections and deadlines.
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with the team at Eastern Michigan to provide the services,” Novey said. “We think it will make it easier to access the democratic process.”
Novey said, to date, EMU’s TurboVote site had at least 400 students already signed up. During the voting stretch, students should make sure to pay attention to the rules of voting, deadlines and polling locations. He promotes signing up for TurboVote so students never miss an election because a certain form was due by a deadline or some other mishap, such as transportation issues or simply
forgetting when an election is.
Students at EMU who want to register to vote can also look for Student Government’s voter registration tables across campus. TurboVote registration drives will be running until homecoming on Oct. 6.
