Political science major Ryan Nuckles wants you to put him out of a job — by registering to vote in the upcoming election.
“I’ve kind of adopted the motto of, I’m trying to put myself out of a job,” Nuckles, who is part of the Shockers Vote! Coalition, said. “If I do my job so well, I won’t actually have a job.”
As part of Shockers Vote! Coalition’s plan to get rid of the need for reminders, the organization held a National Voter Registration Day fair, giving out popcorn and snow cones alongside advice on how to check if you are registered to vote and how to plan for election day.
National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday to celebrate democracy and encourage voter registration. Since its inception in 2012, it has helped more than 5 million Americans register to vote.
National Voter Registration Day has been a staple at WSU since 2019, with events hosted by both the Student Government Association and The Shockers Vote! Coalition.
The Shockers Vote! Coalition focuses on empowering students to vote and to use their voice in a nonpartisan manner. The student organization does this through campus events, such as the National Voter Registration Day fair. There are currently 20 future events to be hosted by the coalition.
The organization will also host a meet and greet fair with Sedgwick County candidates on Oct. 7.
Nuckles and political science major Amelia Locke plan events together and said they want students to know where and how they can vote.
Loren Belew — civic engagement coordinator for Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership — helps student leaders plan events and works to get students the information they need about civic engagement
“I feel really lucky to get to work with student leaders that plan these events,” Belew said “These Deliberative Dialogues, events, just things to get students interested.”
In addition to getting people registered, the coalition can show students where mail-in boxes are and drive students to voting centers if needed on election day.
“(Voting) is a habit,” Nuckles said. “If you start, and start early, you can make it a habit throughout the rest of your life.”
People can check their voter registration in Kansas at myvoteinfo.voteks.org. To register to vote nationwide, visit vote.gov.
