Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant speaks to the College Republicans Wednesday night. Bryant declared February Voter Registration Month. Photo: Clara Turnage, The Daily Mississippian.
Student organizations are working together to encourage students to register to vote as part of Voter Registration Month.
Gov. Phil Bryant and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann declared February to be Voter Registration Month on Feb. 5.
Freshman Council member and Associated Student Body Senator John Brahan organized a voter registration week to help students register as Mississippi voters. The ASB Senate, College Democrats, College Republicans and Lambda Sigma Honor Society have also been working with Brahan and Freshman Council.
“Seeing College Democrats, College Republicans, Lambda Sigma, Freshman Council and ASB come together in support of registering students to vote has been fantastic,” Brahan said. “In honor of Phil Bryant’s declaration of February as Voter Registration Month, we hope to do our part by making sure Ole Miss students have a chance to register.”
ASB Senator Pearce Crosland and Vice President Morgan Gregory wrote a resolution in support of Voter Registration Month, and it passed unanimously on Feb. 12.
Crosland has been instrumental in the student-led registration efforts this month.
“Mississippi lands near the bottom of the pack for the number of registered citizens who actually turn out to vote,” Crosland said. “We also have about 360,000 eligible citizens not registered, so Morgan and I thought that this will be an easy, simple way for Ole Miss to make a contribution to the cause.”
Lambda Sigma member Maggie Hall, a sophomore international studies and German double major, said working to promote registration is an important project.
“I believe that five groups joining together over something means what they are promoting is a big deal,” Hall said. “Mississippi doesn’t have the lowest voter turnouts, but it definitely doesn’t have one of the highest either.”
Brahan and other organization leaders set up a registration table in front of the Union this week. Students can register to vote in Oxford or their counties in Mississippi. Brahan said they have helped register over 100 students so far.
“Voting gives an American citizen a voice in choosing how our nation is run, and registering is the first step towards being heard,” he said.
Today will be the last day to register in front of the Union. Students will be working from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help any student who has not yet registered.
— Allison Slusher
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