Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning Katy Strzepek encouraged students to register to vote.
In honor of National Voter Registration Day, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Heartland Community College are facing off against each other in a friendly competition to increase voter engagement across the three campuses.
The competition, the BloNo Campus Voter Registration Challenge, kicked off on September 22—National Voter Registration Day. The challenge aims to see which institution can get the most students to register to vote. Voter registration across the U.S. runs until October 18. National elections are November 3.
Related Article: A guide to all things voting on and off campus Step-by-step instructions to make sure students are registered properly, sifting through nonpartisan resources, and ready to make an informed decision.
“Civic engagement is a core value of Illinois State University and we truly desire to prepare our students to be engaged, global citizens who become active members in communities upon graduation,” said Illinois State’s Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning Katy Strzepek, who noted information on early voting, polling places, and candidates can be found on the Redbird Voter Guide.
Tim Mitchell of the Bloomington Election Commission spoke at the announcement of the BloNo Campus Voter Registration Challenge.
The competition kick-off event was attended by representatives from the three competitors—Illinois State University, Heartland Community College, and Illinois Wesleyan University—and local election officials.
“The County Clerk’s Office is also glad to support this day and the efforts of all of our institutions of higher education as they engage students to participate in an important duty in a democratic society,” said Kathy Michael, the McLean County Clerk.
“Some students are not in Bloomington-Normal this semester; we encourage them to register in their home community,” said Tim Mitchell of the Bloomington Election Commission. “Regardless of who wins the competition, it is great to see a new generation of voters emerge.”
Reggie Redbird and Hunter Hawk cheered on the registration competition between Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Heartland Community College.
National Voter Registration Day was first observed in 2012 as a nonpartisan civic holiday across the country.
For more information on how to register to vote, visit the Redbird Voter Guide.
Watch the announcement of the BloNo Campus Voter Registration Challenge.
