Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) is assisting eligible individuals with voter registration ahead of the Oct. 11 deadline.
OCCC’s Political Science Department, with support from the Political Science Club, hosted a mobile voter registration drive on campus Sept. 17, National Voter Registration Day.
During the event, 34 people registered to vote and many enjoyed pizza from Pizza to the Polls, a national nonprofit that provides food to citizens engaging in civic duties like registering and voting.
The event was just one of many initiatives OCCC has undertaken to help eligible individuals register to vote. OCCC’s Student Life office has been promoting voter registration to the campus community through its weekly newsletter and has paper registration forms readily available at its information desk.
“OCCC making it convenient and easy for students to register is a great step in increasing Oklahoma’s young voter turnout,” said Dr. Emily Stacey, professor of state and local government at OCCC. “The first step is to register, and the first step is always the hardest. Then you are more likely to participate.”
In Oklahoma, there are more than 2 million registered voters. The Oklahoma Election Board routinely updates voter registration records. So far this year, the board has removed the registrations of 34,808 people who moved out of their jurisdiction, 17,734 who died and 2,721 for various other reasons.
“It is always great to see civic and political engagement at the college level,” Stacey said. “This is the time in your life where you should be exploring your role in democracy and how you can best advocate for yourself and the things you believe in.”
National Voter Education Week, Sept. 7-11, is the last week eligible individuals can register to vote. The week is dedicated to educating voters on where, when and how to vote. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 21. Early voting takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 2. Polling places are open Nov. 5, Election Day, for in-person voting.
“We want to create opportunities for students to have open dialogues within a safe space. Our goal is to teach students to think critically and make informed voting decisions based on their values,” said Dr. Shanna Padgham, OCCC Political Science Department chair. “Empowering students to engage in civic activity from volunteering to voting is an important component of the college experience.”
