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Bonner Duo Sign Up Voters
Story and photos by Jay Gillie
Bethany Brooks and Lillie Hughes
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With the election only a few weeks away, many Mars Hill College students have yet to register to vote. Bonner Scholars Bethany Brooks and Lillie Hughes are conducting a campus-wide drive to sign up as many students as possible. The registration deadline in North Carolina is October 8.
Many students, said Brooks, "don't know how important voting is or believe that their vote matters."
"I think it's very important that students vote," she said. "If students vote, our issues, worries, and concerns are going to be heard more. That will give us more attention."
Hughes takes her act to class
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Chances are, if you're a freshman, play sports or live in the dorm, you've already met Brooks and Hughes. With some help from the faculty, they have been able to go to some LAA 111 classes to educate and register new students on the who, what, when, where, why, and especially the how's of voter registration. They've also gone to the dorms and athletic teams.
"If the voters ages 18-24 voted, we would have extreme power," said Brooks. We all don't vote so we don't have the power."
Bonner Scholars give 140 hours of community service each semester. Brooks and Hughes are conducting the drive as part of their Bonner service.
Since the campus has such a good mixture of students from many different backgrounds, the question of "How do I vote here if I am registered in another place?" often surfaces during a registration class.
According to Brooks, you can find the proper documents to have your registration changed over to Madison County right here on campus. "In the Life Works office, all you have to do is come in and fill out the forms. We'll send them off for you," says Brooks.
She also has forms for other counties and states. The registration deadlines vary from state to state. October 8 is the deadline in North Carolina.
Another question asked quite often during registration is, "where do you go to vote?" To cast your vote for president, all of the guesswork has been taken out of it for students. On Election Day, students registered in Madison County will be able to vote at the Mars Hill Elementary School. "There will be times set up and also a shuttle service will be provided for students who are not familiar with the area," says Brooks.
Students registered somewhere else can go to Google.com online and type in your state name plus "absentee voting," "election commission," or "board of elections." You will find links with full instructions.
By the time the election is over, one of two things will be true: We will see a changing of the guard or we will invite our present leader to join us for four more years. Brooks believes students should have a voice in this decision and continually gives this reminder: "If students don't register, they can't vote."
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