As election day nears students, staff, and residents of Quincy prepare to vote. For some students on campus this will be their first time participating in an election and getting registered to vote would the first step they would have to take. If they aren’t a resident of Quincy or a resident in Illinois, students have to get registered to vote in the state and city they will be voting in. Although students can mail in a vote or vote in their hometown, some students find it more convenient to vote while at QU.

Susan Grant, QU’s education technology specialist, will be hosting an event to help students who haven’t registered, to get registered with an employees from the county clerk’s office.

“We are doing a voter registration event, it’s going to be in the the cafeteria,” Grant said. “We are having Ryan Niekamp come, he’s the county clerk here for Adams county so that we get the paper work done all at once and you won’t have to go back and forth from the county clerk’s office.”

In addition to in-person efforts, some students have turned to social media platforms like Instagram to register. Voter registration banners or reminders on social media have made it easier than ever for students to sign up, with links and information circulating widely among social media circles. Social media has made it easier to bring attention to voter registration and the voting process.

“I just registered I think two weeks ago to vote and I was on Instagram one day, as Gen Z as that sounds and they had a banner that said ‘Are you registered to vote’,” Madison Peck, QU sophomore, said. “I said ‘oh I don’t think so I’m going to go check and I followed all of the steps and it was really easy.”

However, not all students at QU are going to participate in the upcoming election. Many international students, while unable to vote, are using social media and resources on campus to learn more about the American voting system. These students appreciate understanding how the process works as an important part of their cultural and academic experience.

“I cannot vote because I’m foreign. I’m from South Africa,” Bella Sparrow, QU Junior, said. “I’m learning a lot about the American voting process through social media and I really like that aspect of today’s modern generation.”

QU’s efforts to promote voter education and participation extend beyond just registration. On September 17, QU held a special “Voting Rights” night, which featured a narrated presentation on the history of voting in America. The event included quotes from influential figures like Ida B. Wells and John Lewis, who fought for voting rights for women and people of color, and it highlighted the importance of civic engagement for everyone.

With resources readily available, QU is working to support students to be informed and encourage them to take part in the upcoming election. Whether through in-person registration or social media, the push for student voter registration continues as election day approaches. Students interested in any information about voter registration can visit the library and speak to Susan Grant or any librarian in Brenner Library.