The League of Women Voters of Ohio and its affiliate organization in Athens visited Ohio University’s campus as a part of its “Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power” campaign.
The tour, which will visit nearly 20 colleges and universities across the state, aims to register college students to vote and provide them with additional voting information and easier access to the polls.
According to the LWVO’s campaign coordinator Trevor Martin, anyone 18 or older who is a U.S. citizen and is not currently incarcerated for a felony is eligible to vote; however, only 59% of college students ages 18-24 are registered to vote.
“Students and young folks feel like their voice doesn't matter,” Martin said. “That's one of the biggest barriers (when) confronting students with (voter) registration. We want them to understand that their voice does matter. We are listening.”
Martin said there are always issues and candidates on the ballot students can make a difference in. In his experience with young people, he said opinions on issues like LGBTQIA+ rights, climate change and abortion are most common.
“There's also this thing where folks think that young people don't care or are disinterested,” Martin said. “As I've been out here talking to students, thousands of students, that couldn't be any further from the truth … The only way things are going to change is if (people) participate. Our democracy works better when there's more folks involved.”
Martin said despite its importance, many people don’t understand how to participate in the democratic process, highlighting the importance of local advocacy.
Martin said the LWVO has a voter services wing that works to engage with the community.
“We're always out registering folks to vote,” Martin said. “We're always out there trying to eliminate barriers and blockades to the voting booth … (the Airstream tour), though, is special.”
Martin added that anyone can join the LWVO and encouraged students to find a way to get involved.
Thomas Lopez, a freshman studying political science, said he gets involved in the democratic process by having conversations with friends about the importance of voting.
“(The Airstream tour) gets (students) at least seeing the political process and maybe, in a certain election cycle, the issues that are being argued by either candidate aren't really pertinent to them,” Lopez said. “It at least gets them seeing what issues they care about and being able to research politicians that they may be more favorable toward (or) what party they lean toward.” Lopez also said campaign tactics like Kamala HQ on TikTok and Taylor Swift’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket have pushed more young people to become politically engaged.
Despite his involvement in voter advocacy, Lopez said he is still determining his plan to vote.
“I actually was debating on in-person, early voting or absentee ballots because I know a lot of states are talking about how they’re trying to disqualify absentee or mail-in ballots,” Lopez said. “I don't think that I'll be able to get home on a day that would allow me to vote early and in person, so I think I'll just be betting that my vote will count up in Cuyahoga County.”
Uncertainty surrounding voter registration isn't uncommon among college-age students. Last year, Ohio Governor Mike Dewine signed a new voting law that overwhelmingly affects young people.
According to Secretary of State Frank Larose’s office, the bill now requires students voting in person to use a state of Ohio-issued ID, driver's license, passport or military ID. Out-of-state students can not use an ID from their home state for in-person voting.
However, the bill allows students to register with their social security number for absentee or mail-in voting options.
Changes to polling locations and hours also present challenges for college students, who are often far from home during election season.
While the LWVO does not directly address voter legislation, Martin said their goal is to combat any confusion the legislation presents. He said the LWVO provides voter registration guides and voter timelines to help people make informed decisions.
