This article was originally published by The Sunflower.
At the Voter Registration Day event on Sept. 19, members of the Shockers Vote Coalition and the League of Women Voters teamed up to inform students on how to get registered to vote in the Wichita area.
The League of Women Voters (LWV) started with the passing of the 19th Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement. Their mission is to register and educate voters.
Carole Neal, co-chair of Voter Services for the LWV and Wichita State alum, stressed the importance of Shockers filling out their ballots, including in local elections.
“You’re the future–not just the future, you’re now too–and when you look at what the world, what the United States is going to look like, it’s you,” Neal said. “That’s why it’s so important that your voices be heard, because you are what we’ll look like in ten, twenty years.”
For students who missed the registration event on campus and want to register to vote, or those just want to inform themselves about local election candidates, Neal recommended Vote411, an online voter guide.
“All the candidates in an area that a league services–and we have nine leagues–are sent out questionnaires to ask them questions about why they’re running, what’s their position on issues, and so forth, and the voter has access to who’s on their ballot and what they stand for,” Neal said.
Students can also register to vote or request an advanced ballot at KSVotes.org. According to Neal, students from another county can register to vote with their WSU addressor home address.
“You can then request an advanced ballot if you want to vote by mail, which I really recommend college students vote by mail, because it gives you time,” Neal said.
Students who are from out of state can register at Vote411.org or through a website on Wichita State, according to Neal.
Upcoming events
The Shockers Vote Coalition is hosting its final voter registration drive on Oct. 9 from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Shocker Dining Hall. The organization will also hold a mayoral candidate forum on Oct. 18 and a USD 259 school board candidate forum on Oct. 25.
The mayoral election between candidates Lily Wu and incumbent Brandon Whipple will take place on Nov. 7.
Wu’s campaign points include public safety, strengthening Wichita’s economy, restoring trust in city hall and establishing a community bond.
Whipple’s plans include improving community policing and public transportation, providing work opportunities for young people, and reducing homelessness in Wichita to a “functional zero.”
More information on Wu and Whipple’s campaign points can be found on The Sunflower’s website.
The LWV has their own website at lwvwichita.org and can be contacted at 316-574-5593.
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