The upcoming presidential election has been widely referred to as a critical one, with special attention to college-aged voters. Most undergraduate students across the country will be eligible to cast their votes in a presidential election for the first time on Nov. 5. Although the process of registering as a college student can feel confusing, Jennifer Collins, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, encourages students to help each other in navigating this process.
Collins is the advisor of Pointers Vote Coalition (PVC), an organization focused on providing students with non-partisan voter education and assistance with voter registration. The student-lead project started with two interns working with the national Campus Elections Engagement Project (CEEP) in 2021.
“I first got involved as a faculty liaison between these interns and CEEP,” Collins said. “In order to give this partnership some more permanency, Pointers Vote Coalition was founded as a student organization on campus. We now work with the Andrew Goodman Foundation and Campus Vote Project to continue this mission.”
Since then, PVC has blossomed into a team of five paid student interns who regularly coordinate information tables and host events to promote and encourage voter registration.
With Collins’ help and commitment to bipartisanship, PVC has become a trusted resource for student voters at UW-Stevens Point. The group has worked to charter initiatives that simplify the registration process, including compliant student I.D.s, physical and digital registration guides and an optional canvas course through the Dean of Students office called “Vote 101.”
Collins notes that the organization’s success lies in the hands of PVC’s student interns. From hosting information tables in the Dreyfus University Center to trivia events and organizing candidate forums, the work the students have done is impressive, she said.
PVC President Katelynn Gauger helps coordinate activities and information tables to get students excited about voting.
“It’s constant work that takes persistence,” Collins said. “I think new voters can easily get intimidated, but these students are great at getting their peers excited about voting and participating in the democratic process.”
Whether it’s not knowing how to register or where you intend to vote, there are a variety of intimidating factors that contribute to student voter turnout. Katelynn Gauger, second-year political science major and PVC president, has seen these anxieties from her peers firsthand.
“A lot of college students are voting for the first time and have to face the decision of whether to vote at home or in their college town,” Gauger said. “That can feel like a tough barrier to overcome, but I always like to ask where they want to have their voices heard. Maybe there is a specific candidate or referendum they want a say in, that usually helps start the registration process.”
In addition to coordinating student outreach, PVC collaborates with the Student Government Association, Residential Living representatives and Legislative Liaison Rob Manzke to promote voter awareness. Gauger has enjoyed working with these stakeholders to share her passion for democracy with her peers.
“Voting and voter education is important to me because it is the way that we can see our opinions influence our government,” Gauger said. “Especially for young people, it is important to see our opinions reflected in our leadership.”
For Collins, her passion for encouraging young voters stems from her career in teaching and research.
“I believe that a strong democracy requires citizens to be engaged, and one of the most basic ways that we can engage is to vote,” she said. “Students and young people tend to vote at lower levels than older generations, and the research on voting reveals that the earlier people start, the more likely they are to become lifetime voters.”
Gauger is grateful to work with an advisor who shares her passion for civic engagement, and helps this organization thrive. Beyond her work as an advisor and faculty member, Gauger feels that Collins has a deep care for her students and their personal success.
“I could not ask for a better faculty advisor,” Gauger said. “She has been there to support me personally in addition to advocating for our organization to campus partners.”
Gauger and Collins want students to understand that voting and voter registration does not have to be confusing. Whether you are voting absentee, or at a physical polling site PVC has resources to help navigate this process and make a voting plan. For more information on PVC and student voting resources, visit https://uwsp.motivote.us/on-boarding/overview/.
