Lt. governor calls on students to vote
Utah Lt. Gov. Olene Walker addressed fewer than 10 Utah State University students at a school-wide meeting Tuesday on the importance of voting.
As part of Civic Awareness Week, Walker represented one of many people involved in getting students to register to vote and become involved with elections.
“We’ve tried to get people to realize how important it is to get involved with the political process,” she said. “Voting does matter and each vote does count.”
People ages 18 to 24 are the ones who speak out and vote the least, Walker said.
A national poll was conducted before the last presidential elections to find out why this age group does not vote. Most of them were too busy, disinterested or thought their vote didn’t matter, she said.
Working for a candidate or reading the voter pamphlets that come out in almost every newspaper before elections are suggestions for becoming more informed of and involved in elections, Walker said.
The pamphlets tell about the candidates, the judges, the six constitutional amendments to be voted on and the initiative.
“There are many issues that you need to become informed on before you vote,” Walker said. “We have a democracy that is worth protecting, and if people don’t care enough to vote, I think we may lose that opportunity.”
In countries like South Africa and Haiti, each vote does not matter, because the government takes control in the end, she said.
Along with voting, students can become involved with such issues as HB 331, budgets, health care and poverty, Walker said.
Specifically, students can have a say in the extent taxes go toward education and what goes into student health care packages, she said.
“These things should concern all of us,” Walker said. “There are many young people that can make a difference.”
Some students and professors feel the same way about getting involved.
David Lewis, professor of history, said, “The only way we are going to get attention as a university is taking part of our civic duty and voting for those elected officials.”
Mike Waggoner, executive vice president of the Associated Students of USU, said, “We urge all students to get out and register to vote. [Civic Awareness Week] is a great opportunity for students to not only register to vote, but also become informed about the elections and make their vote count.”
Walker said students can register to vote by mail until Oct. 16 and in person until Oct. 28.
Registration can be done on campus throughout the week in the Taggart Student Center, the Eccles Business Building and Old Main.
Other activities during Civic Awareness Week include “Meet the Candidates” on the TSC patio Wednesday at noon and MTV’s “Rock the Vote” on Friday.
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu