On Tuesdays, we wear voting stickers.
JV Jocks, Asian Nerds, Art Freaks and Plastics were split among their respective tables Thursday night at the Howard H. Baker Center for the “Let’s Make Voting Popular” event. All of these cliques had one thing in common — their ability to vote on Nov. 4.
Morgan Chance and Diana Howell, both sophomores in political science and Baker Center Ambassadors, relied on the cult classic “Mean Girls” as a platform to inform attendees on the midterm amendments present on the 2014 ballot.
Thursday’s discussion, led by Chance and Howell, allowed students to text in responses to a series of multiple-choice questions that polled their knowledge about each amendment.
Student organizations represented at the event included SGA’s Government Affairs, the Black Cultural Center, SEAT and Sex Week at UT. But, there were no cat claws in sight when each “clique” discussed the pros and cons surrounding each amendment.
“It’s sort of my personal philosophy that using humor is a good way to approach things that are uncomfortable to talk about,” said Alexandra Chiasson, a senior in English. “(Mean Girls) is one of the most important movies in the last decade, and it’s created this sort of discourse. We all speak that language.”
Chiasson assisted Morgan and Chance in Thursday night’s discussion, clarifying participants in deciphering the complex language surrounding each amendment.
“I think immediately our peers aren’t going to see as many intrinsic rewards from going out and voting,” Chiasson said. “But I think that will quickly become an obsolete mentality once our peers are in office, and soon we’ll see more of a millennial takeover in the next decade, when our whole cohort will be more interested in voting for the sake of voting and not just because their friends are voting.”
By making voting a social outing, Chance said the “positive peer pressure” creates an atmosphere where students can become more comfortable with the idea of voting and investigating the changes their government proposes.
While Chiasson said the event occurred later than expected, there is still a need for clarity about the registration process and absentee ballots, an issue keenly observed by Cliff Rodgers, administrator of elections for Knox County. Rodgers stated that incompetent forms often prevent students from participating in elections.
“If some of the students didn’t fill out the forms correctly, we send them letters that they may have left out information that had to be in there,” Rodgers said.
To avoid these issues, here are a few tips for voters on Election Day:
1. Don’t be in a rush: Long lines can be unavoidable on Nov. 4, but printing out a sample ballot for markup will help you be better prepared once you step behind the curtain. Visit (LINK: knoxcounty.org/election) for up-to-date information about each amendment, poll locations and voter registration for those who missed the Oct. 6 deadline. A sample ballot is also available for download and print. However, Rodgers warns students about some of the dangers of misusing sample ballots for influencing voters on election day.
“We have it marked off at the 100 foot line for the campaigning that is not permissible,” Rodgers said of voting locations. “Then when they get through, (we ask them) not to leave that sample ballot so marked in the polling location, so that it would offend somebody else who shows up.”
2. Bring a proper ID: All voters are required to bring a current photo ID issued by the state of Tennessee or their federal government. This ID can be current or expired. If a students shows up without a proper ID, they may only vote via paper ballot. This voter, Rodgers said, will have two business days to bring a legal photo ID to the Election Commission Office at the Old Knox County Courthouse to make their vote count.
“Timely letters” are also sent out for students and other voters whose paper ballot did or did not count toward the final vote.
3. In-state versus out-of-state? – No problem!: To dispel any confusion, Rodgers said that if a student chooses Knoxville as their place of residence, it will not matter whether they are an in-state or out-of-state student. As stated before, the most essential item needed for voter registration is a valid state ID.
“We don’t try to find ways to keep them from voting, we want them to vote here,” he said. “But it’s up to them really where they are a resident this point.”
For more details and to register as a Knox County voter, visit (LINK: knoxcounty.org/election).
