As the presidential candidates battle for the White House, Colgate senior Bobby Campbell has been on a mission of his own: to transform politically apathetic college students into engaged voters.
Fueled by his passion for politics and frustration with the low turnout of young voters in past elections, Campbell took matters into his own hands in hopes of getting the under-30 crowd fired up to vote.
“I couldn’t sit still any longer,” the political science major said.
So Campbell, joining forces with other college students across the country, recently co-founded the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization.
“Young people tend to be turned off by the political process and non-responsive politicians, leading to the belief that we can’t make a difference,” he said.
With plans to launch SAVE chapters at more than a dozen campuses nationwide, Campbell is determined to change that perception. The current political climate, he said, could be a motivating force.
“There’s a lot at stake with this year’s presidential election. It’s crucial that college students vote because every policy will impact our lives or those we care about.”
SAVE projects focus on two main issues: increasing accessibility to the polls for young voters by lobbying for Election Day registration as well as easier-to-obtain absentee ballots, and encouraging students to become lifelong voters by giving them a strong civic education.
“The unique aspect of SAVE is not only that it’s student-led, but also that it focuses on policy changes in the electoral process in order to supplement traditional get-out-the-vote efforts.”
To do this SAVE already has held a number of events across the country, including a town hall forum in Washington, D.C., with a handful of former U.S. representatives and Cabinet members.
On campus, groups such as College Republicans, College Democrats, and Democracy Matters also have held events to spark the interest of young voters.
According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, the number of young people who cast votes in recent primaries doubled or tripled from 2004.
Colgate economics professor Jay Mandle, who also serves as treasurer for Democracy Matters, plans to reinforce the group’s mission by tapping into that upsurge.
In 2001, NBA star Adonal Foyle ’98 founded Democracy Matters to give college students a voice in the pro-democracy movement.
“I don’t doubt that students want to be involved politically,” noted Mandle. “Candidates shouldn’t discount the power of the college-age voter.”