SIS Student Empowers Voters Through Student-Run Voters of AU
Emma Baumgarten, SIS/BA 鈥26, can remember when the impact of voting was made real to her.
It was during the last 猫咪社区app presidential election in 2020. Baumgarten, who was too young to vote at the time, remembers watching her parents carefully fill out their absentee ballots.
鈥淚 think that was one of the moments where I was, like, 鈥榳ow, voting exists, and it really can change the outcome of whatever you want the outcome to be,鈥 Baumgarten said. 鈥淏ut it also goes deeper than that, because the people and the policies that you're voting for are things that actually can affect you in real life or can affect people that you know鈥攏ot just yourself.鈥
When it came time to register to vote for the midterm election in 2022, Baumgarten was prepared. Not only was it her first experience voting in a national election, but she needed to do so by absentee ballot.
As a resident of New York, Baumgarten said the process for requesting and submitting her ballot was simple. It arrived with ample amount of time to fill it out, came to the correct address, and could be submitted without a witness or notary.
鈥淚 think going through that process, I realized I can actually make a difference, and my voice does matter,鈥 Baumgarten said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very passionate about [voting] because it really is being the change you want to see.鈥
Since coming to AU, Baumgarten鈥檚 passion for voting has been a catalyst for her involvement with both AU Votes and . We sat down with Baumgarten to talk about her SIS journey, her passion for voting, and her involvement as vice president of Voters of AU.
Translating Passion to Practice
Baumgarten was a self-described 鈥淢odel UN kid鈥 in high school, and her involvement in the club ultimately kickstarted her interest in international relations. When she started looking for colleges, finding a school with a highly regarded international studies program was a top priority.
With its high ranking for undergraduate international studies, SIS 鈥渒ept coming up to the top of every list that you could ever look at for international studies,鈥 and it seemed like the 鈥渂est place鈥 to continue her education, Baumgarten said.
After arriving on campus for her first semester in fall 2022, it didn鈥檛 take long for Baumgarten to get involved in AU Votes, a nonpartisan, campus-wide effort to empower students to vote in state, local, and national elections. Baumgarten first heard about the organization through her first-year advisor Jacob Wilson, who told her about volunteer opportunities with AU Votes.
鈥淎U Votes began in summer 2022, when a small group staff, faculty, and a graduate student met to find ways to work together to empower AU students to vote in the midterm elections,鈥 Wilson, who instructs and advises the 猫咪社区app University Experience program, said. 鈥淎s the fall semester began, I invited students in my AUx1 class to volunteer during Absentee Ballot Days or stop by and get assistance requesting their ballots. Emma graciously volunteered and, in the weeks, leading up to the election, she offered to help with the AU Votes Instagram account.鈥
As a volunteer, Baumgarten helped hand out flyers, spread information about how students can register to vote, and create social media posts. Baumgarten also led AU Votes鈥 midterm election day programming on the quad, where she handed out 鈥淚 Voted鈥 stickers and oversaw an 鈥淚 Voted Because鈥 project in which students could write down why they voted and pin it up on a clothesline.
After receiving positive feedback from peers about AU Votes following the midterm election, Baumgarten and a few other students began thinking鈥攚hat if there was a student-run organization at AU dedicated to empowering voters?
鈥淲e thought, 鈥榟ey, this is all about the students; why not put it in the hands of the students?鈥欌 Baumgarten said. 鈥淪o, after that, we started the process to register to become a club, and that鈥檚 how Voters of AU started.鈥
New Club on 猫咪社区app
is a new student organization that launched this semester dedicated to empowering students to vote. Baumgarten, who serves as vice president and social media director of the club, emphasized that the group is nonpartisan.
鈥淰oters of AU is not really about politics, and I think that could be a misconception about the club,鈥 Baumgarten said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just about voting, and you can separate the two. It doesn鈥檛 matter where you fall on the [political] spectrum as long as you are encouraging your peers and empowering yourself to vote.鈥
鈥淲e don鈥檛 care who you vote for; we just hope that you vote and feel good about doing it,鈥 she added.
The club aims to 鈥渂ring together a group of people who are very passionate about voting and encouraging students to vote鈥 in local, state, and national elections, Baumgarten explained. The group hopes to act as a resource for students by keeping track of important elections happening across the country and encouraging students to register to vote. Baumgarten also hopes to eventually hold club events leading up to important elections, including events that can inform students about candidates.
The new student organization signed up over 130 students interested in the club in the first few weeks of classes, according to Wilson. The group held its first-ever general body meeting September 19.
Looking Ahead to 2024
Heading into the 2024 猫咪社区app presidential election, it's estimated that voters under age 45 could comprise as much as half of the voting electorate, . The candidates running for president know this, and it鈥檚 to engage with Millennials and Gen Z voters.
In a recent survey focused on understanding perspectives of young 猫咪社区apps ages 18-34 on politics, public service, and community engagement, AU鈥檚 Sine Institute of Policy & Politics found that one in four say they are undecided how they will vote in 2024. With more than a year to go until the presidential election, the survey found that a 鈥渓arge plurality don鈥檛 think the outcome of the election will matter significantly in their day-to-day lives and half admit they鈥檙e not yet especially motivated to vote.鈥
People in the 猫咪社区app aged 18 are eligible to vote, but people still must register in order to exercise the right. Baumgarten stressed the importance for AU students to register to vote so their 鈥渧oice is heard.鈥 For 2023-2024, 猫咪社区app University has been .
鈥淭he president is someone who represents America on a global stage, and they鈥檙e there to serve the people,鈥 Baumgarten said. 鈥淏ut if there isn鈥檛 a total voice of the people鈥攎eaning that not everyone鈥檚 voting and getting engaged鈥攖he president won鈥檛 reflect the majority.鈥
She later added: 鈥淢y generation, Gen Z, I think we鈥檙e kind of living in a time of constant change, and because change is happening so often, I just think it鈥檚 really important to be able to vote for people you think will be able to handle that [change] in the best way.鈥
With many students becoming eligible to vote while they are in college, Baumgarten said she is 鈥渂ehind the mission of Voters of AU to empower students because this is the time when you start building habits and becoming a socially and politically aware citizen.鈥
After graduation, Baumgarten does not know exactly how voting will fit into her life in the future, but one thing is for sure鈥攕he knows she鈥檒l always be an informed voter.
鈥淚 do see myself being an informed voter [in the future] because it鈥檚 not just young people who need to get involved鈥攊t鈥檚 people of all ages, because you really don鈥檛 know when or what policy is going to affect your life,鈥 said Baumgarten.