'If you're not participating, what's the point?' UA urges incoming students to vote

Students who attend orientation at the University of Akron this summer can learn about esports, bands, housing, and now, registering to vote .

The university – for the first time – has a voter registration table at its new student orientation programs that are held from May through mid-August. The move is part of an effort to get more students to register and then follow through with voting.

“We need students to participate,” said Corie Steinke, UA’s assistant director of civic engagement and leadership programs.

At a recent orientation, Steinke asked students who stopped at her table if they were registered and, if they weren’t, told them it would take less than five minutes to fill out a form. Many students took advantage of the opportunity.

“I feel amazing!” Zyoniah Crenshaw, who is about to turn 18, said after completing her registration form. “I just feel like it’s amazing to be able to vote at this age. It makes me feel like I’m closer to being an adult.”

UA participates in national student voting study

UA is taking a closer look at its registration efforts after recently receiving results from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement . The survey — conducted every two years by Tufts University — looks at student voting rates.

This was the first time UA participated in the study. The latest results, which focused on the 2022 gubernatorial election, showed:

• 74.3% of UA students who were eligible to vote were registered, which was on par with the national average of students at other colleges surveyed by Tufts.
• 47.4% of UA students who were registered cast ballots, which was above the national average.
• 35.3% of UA students who were eligible to vote cast ballots, which was also higher than the national average.

About 1,200 colleges and universities participated in the voluntary voting survey. Tufts hasn’t yet released its national average report.

UA officials, who weren’t sure what to expect, were pleased with the university’s showing.

“We’re doing well,” Steinke said. “It gives us a great landing spot for how to continue to grow and get students engaged.”

Steinke, who has been in her position for two years, said she would like to see the university increase its voting rate.

“I always have the philosophy that it’s great to get registered, but if you’re not participating, what’s the point?” she said.

UA will share more detailed results from the Tufts voting survey with staff and the public in early August.

What UA has planned before November election

UA officials plan to use the information from the national survey, along with the results of a recent internal survey, to guide their efforts to encourage student voting before the Nov. 5 election.

The university has learned many students prefer to vote early in person, which starts Oct. 8 this year.

Most students register to vote in their hometowns, with many hailing from counties surrounding Summit, like Portage and Cuyahoga.

Steinke said her office plans to work with the elections boards in neighboring counties to provide students with the same information on things like early voting as it does for Summit County.

UA’s other plans include holding a monthly democracy clinic in which students can ask questions about voting, providing updates on voting deadlines through social media and email, and hosting a “Stroll to the Polls” with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is a consortium of minority fraternities and sororities.

Steinke said the university also will participate in National Voter Education Week, which is the first full week of October, and make sure students have a plan for voting. She said the university is working with the elections board on having students serve as poll workers and hopes to train students to help get their peers registered.

Steinke said a few students have told her they don’t want to vote because they’re not interested, are concerned about giving the government their information, think the process is too difficult, or have parents who are opposed to voting.

“That is their right, if that’s how they want to express themselves,” Steinke said.

Still, she added, “that’s hard to hear when there’s so much at stake.”

UA students register, ask questions at registration drive

At a recent orientation, Steinke greeted students at a table with “Zips Votes” on the front and a sign that said, “Voter Registration Here.”

“Are you interested in registering to vote?” Steinke asked a student who stopped at her table.

“Yeah,” said Zak Jockel, who wore a yellow UA T-shirt.

Steinke walked Jockel through filling out a registration card.

“You’ll get your card in a couple weeks with your voting location,” she told him when he was done.

Jockel, 18, who is from Grafton and plans to major in civil engineering at UA, said his history teacher encouraged students to register. He said he hadn’t had the chance before this.

Asked if he knew who he'll support for president, Jockel said, “I’m not sure yet.”

Several students asked Steinke questions, including how to register to vote if you’re from another state and what the ID requirements are for voting in Ohio.

Steinke gave a student who was already registered a card with an "action plan" for voting and important dates, including the registration deadline of Oct. 7.

Some of the students were by themselves at the orientation, while others were accompanied by a parent or other family members.

Zyoniah Crenshaw had her mother and two sisters with her.

Crenshaw, who is from Campbell near Youngstown and plans to study criminal justice at UA, said she’s been paying attention to the presidential election here and there.

Asked if she knows who’ll get her vote for president, Crenshaw said, “I don’t know yet.”

“Yes, you do!” Yolonda Green, Crenshaw’s mother, responded.

“I know who I’m not voting for,” Crenshaw said.

Green said she and her daughter were talking on the ride to UA about how she needed to register to vote. She said she was excited to be able to see her daughter complete the process.

“She is turning 18, and she can make a change,” Green said. “Every vote counts.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com , 330-996-3705 and on X (formerly Twitter): @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'If you're not participating, what's the point?' UA urges incoming students to vote