By Phoebe Fries, staff reporter.
Delta has created a campaign in order to boost student involvement in voting. According to Delta’s registration statistics, there was a decrease in nearly 200 participants from the 2012 election to the 2014 election. The number of students who registered to vote during the 2016 campaign exceeded expectations and provided students an easy way to make a difference.
According to the DeltaVotes website promotions, 53 percent of Delta students did not vote in the 2012 election.
DeltaVotes is a campaign created to encourage students to register to vote. The drive started on Sept. 26, and ended on the 29. The goal of the drive was not only to increase student voters for the November election, but to instill the idea of the importance of voting.
The National Election is on Nov. 8. To vote in Michigan the last day to register is Oct. 11.
Lisa Lawrason, political science instructor, says, “The first day of the drive was phenomenal. Between the main campus and the Ricker Center we had 144 registrations.”
According to Lawrason, a total of 460 Delta students participated in the drive and became registered voters. In 2012, 500 students registered, and in 2014, the number was 300.
Lawrason also states that the impact of voting directly affects Delta College students.
“Electing state representatives, who make community college money a priority, impacts students’ ability to take courses in a general sense,” says Lawrason.
Katie Gnatkowski, a Delta College student, registered to vote on Sept. 27.
“It’s important to register to vote because voting gives you the power to have your voice heard,” says Gnatkowski.
According to Gnatkowski, Delta’s voter registration drive gave her an opportunity that wasn’t presented to her elsewhere.
“Having a drive on campus is a convenience. It took less than ten minutes and I didn’t have to make a special trip. I probably wouldn’t have registered if it wasn’t offered at Delta” says Gnatkowski.
