Advocacy Group Introduces Campaign to Get Students and College Administrators Working Together
 
Washington, DC – This afternoon, the Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) introduced its new Campus Vote Project at a launch event held on the campus of The George Washington University Law School.
 
The Campus Vote Project is a campaign to help college students work with administrators and local election officials to make the process of voting easier and overcome barriers students often face to voting that students often mention such as residency laws, registration deadlines, and strict voter ID requirements.
 
Over the course of the next few months, the project will engage students directly and assist them in completing a host of goals, such as securing polling places on campuses, training and registering students to be poll workers, and ensuring that college administrations provide the information and transportation that their students will need to cast a ballot on Election Day 2012.
 
A panel of experts was one of the features of the event and included Victor Sanchez, President of the United States Student Association, Antonio Flores, President and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Sheri Iachetta Owen, General Registrar of the city of Charlotsville, VA, Robert “Bo” Newsome, Director of Outreach and State Relations for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and Josh Young, Director of the Miami Dade College Center for Community Involvement. The panel discussed the difficulties students face when registering to vote, and why a focus on these difficulties is necessary in the coming year.
 
FELN President Robert Brandon was quoted as saying, “We are pleased to announce the start of our new Campus Vote Project. While today’s event is very exciting, we have to remember that there is a serious issue here – students, who already faced unique barriers to voting, now must combat new laws around the country that limit access to the polls. It is our sincere hope that the Campus Vote Project will help students work with their campuses to navigate the complicated realm of student voting and pave the way for successful student voter turnout in 2012.”
 
More information on the campaign itself can be found online at www.campusvoteproject.org.