With November fast approaching, the midterm elections, on Nov. 6, are less than two weeks away. An organization on campus that spreads the word about voter registration and the importance of voting is called Dins Vote.
Dins Vote was started in 2016 by Sulaiman Ahmad ‘18 and Dr. David Fleming.
“The goal of Dins Vote is to increase voter turnout on Furman’s campus by educating and assisting students in the registration and voting process,” student lead of Dins Vote Katherine West ‘19 said.
Dins Vote hosts registrations drives throughout the semester at the top of the DH and in Trone Student Center. Voter stations throughout campus are also available, so a student can pick up the voter registration forms and absentee ballots. Dins Vote also spreads the word about voting across campus, hosting various events.
“We went to club meetings, Greek life chapters and spoke to classes about the importance of voting and provided voter registration forms for those not registered,” West said. “We had a CLP about voting and the power of student voices.”
While most students may choose to vote by absentee ballot from their home state, a new law in Greenville County allows students to vote in Greenville.
“State law clearly outlined that students could register using their college dormitory address, which was not possible under the Greenville law,” Ahmad said in a Politics and International Affairs newsletter. “The county law stated that any university student in Greenville would have to fill out a questionnaire before registering to vote. This questionnaire was not only illegal, but also contributed to our low voting percentage.”
Ahmad, West and Benjamin Longnecker ‘17 sued Greenville County over unconstitutional voting practices, and after this lawsuit, Furman’s voter participation increased to 30.1% in 2016, which was six percent higher than in 2012.
Each state has a different deadline for voter registration before midterms. While many have already passed, some states have a deadline as late as Oct.30. Make sure to register to vote, and vote come Nov. 6.