University hosts voter registration even with the League of Women Voters

This story was originally published by The Auburn Plainsman

The League of Women Voters and library volunteers held voter registration informational sessions on Feb. 6 in the Ralph Brown Draughon Library. During the sessions, students learned about registering to vote and obtaining an absentee ballot. Students also had the opportunity to check their voter status.

Adjacent to the circulation desk on the bottom floor of Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Laura Hill, the online communications editor for the Encyclopedia of Alabama and a member of the League of Women Voters, helped students sort through registration and informed them of the upcoming general election. Students had access to laptops for voter registration and mail-in voter registration forms.

According to Hill, the event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., was aimed at educating students about the primary election occurring in Alabama on March 5 and to help those register before the required 15-day in-advance deadline ended.

Hill, who has been part of the League of Women Voters for 19 years, expressed the importance of voting, which she believes is an American citizen's responsibility.

"I registered to vote the day I turned 18, so I personally believe that registering to vote is an important part of being an American citizen," Hill explained. "It is one of our responsibilities, and it is one of the rights we gain when we become an adult — and I just think having a voice in the rules that control our lives is important."

Founded in 1920 by women suffragists, the League of Women Voters has helped around 20 million women understand and perform their new civil duty of voting after Congress ratified the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In 2024, the organization focuses on registering voters, advocating for voter rights and educating citizens on voting.

Both political parties and organizations have taken an interest in voter participation among young adults after youth voter turnout fell to 23% during the 2022 elections. Youth in Alabama only had a turnout of 14.7% in 2022.

With the electronic voter registration deadline for the primary election being Feb. 19, many political organizations are visiting college campuses to urge students to participate in this year's elections. Other voter registration deadlines include:

• Primary runoff election deadline: April 1
• General election deadline: Oct. 21

Hill advised those unsure of how to vote to look for a voting opportunity within local, state or federal elections and to bring a friend who is already registered to vote. Hill says a common obstacle for students registering is when they don't have all the information needed to apply. She explained that students need to know where they were born, their driver license and social security numbers.

Students can only register to vote in Alabama online if they have an Alabama driver license. However, students can register through letter if they don't have an Alabama license. For students wanting to gather more information on voting in their state and election deadlines, they can go to their Secretary of State's website. There, students can find information on absentee ballots, election deadlines and if they can vote days before the election.

Those interested in registering to vote can visit the government webpage, vote.gov.