November elections are fast approaching and Massachusetts Campus Compact wants to help our member campuses get as many students as possible to register, volunteer in campaigns, educate themselves, and turn out at the polls. Through a grant from the Campus Election Engagement Project (http://www.campuselect.org/index.html )MACC is inviting campuses to apply for a $250 – $500 grant to sponsor a voter education program, an election day activity, debate watch student gathering, a pre/post debate watch panel, an election night watch panel, or transportation to polling places. Proposals that focus on one of the six above areas will be most competitive. Apply below. Examples from 2008 are below the application.
Examples from 2008:
Davidson County Community College ($500) hosted an event called “Constitution Day.” This day educated students on how voting is an active service to the state and nation. There was a voter registration drive as well as a public reading of the Constitution, public service vendors, a display contest, and speeches by local officials. Helped with publicity.
Elon University ($500) hosted a campus-wide debate between College Democrats and Republicans, as well as debate watching parties where students watched the Presidential Debates and a post-debate discussion. Elon also hosted an Election Night Party where they had a band and viewed live election result. Food and publicity.
North Carolina A&T State University ($500) Over the course of six weekends, there was a series of day-long service projects where students spent time providing service to a segment of the local community. Voter registration materials were provided for the project. Additionally, there was an “AGGIES Get Out to Vote” rally that included live music, food, and voter registration tables. College representatives from the Democratic and Republican Parties set up tables at the rally and handed out materials advertising their perspective candidates for office. The school estimated that its voter engagement efforts reached 12,000 students, faculty, and community members. Vans for off-campus registration drive and sound system and food for Get out the Vote rally.
North Carolina State University ($500) students registered their peers in the largest classes on campus and rented buses to get students to the polls. They also publicized a campus-wide debate between College Democrats and Republicans and parties to watch the national debates. Students also helped fund election night parties where you had to show proof of voting to get in. Registration materials and buses to polls.
North Carolina Central University ($500) hosted a major rally that preceded a march to an early voting station where students could simultaneously register. Publicity for march to early voting site.
North Carolina State/UNC-Pembroke ($500) hosted a Voter Education, Leadership, and Service fair that featured voter education information. Publicity for the fair.
Wingate University ($500). They began their voter registration drives at as soon as students returned in fall (including as part of first year orientation), conducted voter registration in the surrounding community, and also offered shuttles to the polls. Registration drives and materials for education on voter issues.
Western Carolina University ($500) organized a door-to-door voter registration campaign involving a group of students associated with the Public Policy Institute and the Political Science club. Students visited every residence hall on campus as well as off-campus related apartments. Volunteers handed out information cards containing details about where, when, and how to vote. They also distributed and wore t-shirts with the “voting matters” slogan. The students were trained by local board of elections officials to answer the most commonly asked questions about voting and voter registration. Materials for registration drive.
OHIO EXAMPLES
Central State University ($1200) Worked with them on providing ID to students and provided more public policy related programming. Helped them understand registration laws and how to go about a large registration effort. Made a connection with their county board of elections office. Microgrants for Registration, forums, advertisements, and rides to the polls
Miami University ($1,000) Voter registration began before the first week of classes. On campus, the College Republican and College Democrats distributed voter registration cards as students moved into the residence halls. Off campus, the Associated Student Government incorporated voter registration information as part of the Off Campus Affairs office’s “Walk About” program, a program which disseminates information about the Oxford community. Voter registration continued up until Ohio’s registration deadline. Located at strategic points across campus, student groups, ranging from the political clubs to Greek groups, registered students. Microgrants for publicity and materials.
Lorrain County Community College ($1,000) Helped plan a Halloween event, early vote push, and debate watch party. Microgrants paid for publicity and refreshments for the debate watch party. (School was doing next to nothing before we approached them)
University of Akron ($800) Voter registration campaign, election night watch party, Constitution Day activities. Student led debates, printing, shuttle service to poll locations and early voting. Microgrants for door to door registration, IDs for students, non-partisan information.
Kent State University ($750) Helped with debate watch parties and pushed for poll workers. Helped refine posters and add information. Helped provide ID to students. Microgrants paid for rides to polls, printing, catering for events
Ohio State University ($750 plus major staff time) – Because Ohio State is a very large campus, it was fortunate to be approached from a number of groups both inside and outside the university with different opportunities for voter engagement programs. All of these programs were sponsored by and promoted by OSU Votes (an umbrella organization), with the help of Ohio Campus Compact. Programming spanned all three different goals (registration, education, and mobilization) over the course of the election season. For registration efforts, OSU Votes attended all Welcome Week activities, such as the Student Involvement Fair and the Welcome Week concert, to register students. It also worked closely with housing to be present at Move-In Day and in the residence halls throughout the first two weeks of school. After voter registration ended, it held a number of events in conjunction with outside groups for voter education and mobilization. These include Rock the Vote, the CNN Election Bus, My First Vote (an organization traveling “purple states” to get student opinion on the election), a Mock Presidential Debate, events with Steve Stivers and Mary Jo Kilroy, Residence Hall programs, and giveaways from Ben & Jerry’s and Columbus Alive on Election Day. Microgrants for publicity and materials.
University of Cincinnati ($500) One day community engagement day, “Into the Streets,” to register students and nearby low-income residents. Provided non-partisan information to pass out during the day, email reminders and web presence reminding people to register and vote. Microgrants paid for printing for Into the Streets
MACC Election Center 