From voter registration resources to conversations about election security, Delta has spent the semester helping students better understand the voting process and where to find reliable information.
During Voter Engagement Week, students had the opportunity to walk through a mock polling location with local election officials, hear from student leaders and learn about the safeguards in place to protect their ballots. Election Central tables at Delta's main campus, Midland Center and Saginaw Center also provided voting resources and answered students' questions.
Political Science Professor Lisa Lawrason has been involved in organizing these efforts and encouraging students to think about how elections affect their everyday lives.
"Even if you're not into politics, politics is into you," Lawrason said. "And just because you don't pay attention doesn't mean that you're not affected. So, why would you hand that decision-making power over to other people?"
Students are also taking an active role in those conversations.
Delta student Justin Evans serves as vice chair of the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, a nonpartisan group working to increase voter participation among college students statewide.
Evans helped develop Student Power Hours, virtual sessions that give college students an opportunity to speak directly with election officials and ask questions about the process.
At Delta, he also helped organize a student panel during Voter Engagement Week that brought together leaders from different political clubs to discuss civic involvement and respectful dialogue.
"We were trying to get the idea across that you can have different opinions from one another and still be cordial about it," Evans said. "I think we really got the message across that politics isn't all about fighting with one another. Mainly it's about compromises."
Through his work, Evans has heard concerns from students about misinformation and election security. He encourages anyone with questions to start with official election resources or contact their local clerk.
"I would say that every vote matters. Now I know a lot of people say that. But in this case, it's very true," Evans said. "If you look at local elections, you can see that there have been around 1,000 across the nation that have been decided by one vote. If that isn't proof enough that you should go vote, I don't know what is."
Get ready for Election Day
Michigan's general election is Tuesday, November 3. Students can find voter registration information, polling locations and other election resources through Delta's voter information page.
For additional information, visit Michigan.gov/Vote to check your registration status, view a sample ballot and learn about voting options.
