Election@Bard brings the fight to student voter apathy

By Tristan Craco '26

On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 19th, Election@Bard ran a table outside Kline Commons Dining Hall, focused on one goal: Getting students ready to vote.

As a young adult, I am well acquainted with the heavy burden that comes with the power to vote. Many Millennial and Gen Z citizens have become jaded after decades of political polarization and partisanship. Unless they live in a swing state, their vote makes no difference. You may as well save the energy you would’ve spent at the polls for something that actually matters, right? Election@Bard disagrees, and to show it, they put on quite an impressive display. 

I walked onto Kline’s front patio just past 2:00, and was immediately met by the dazzling smile of New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey. It wasn't really her, of course, but a photograph on a stand-up poster that loomed over the side of the long table. Sen. Hinchey was represented by a volunteer on her staff, a woman named Emma, while Election@Bard had a rotating cast of student volunteers working the table throughout the day.

Life-size blow up aside, the table was ripe with resources. Informational pamphlets, QR codes, and registration documents were kept in place against the breeze by VOTE! stickers and loose stones. The sheer amount of resources may have been overwhelming were it not for the dedicated volunteers.

“There’s mail-in ballots,” said one volunteer to an interested student. The student was already registered in her home state but had fallen out of touch politically since moving for school. The volunteer graciously directed her to a QR code with more detailed information about absentee voting laws, organized by state. Seriously, they were prepared. Before the student walked away, the volunteer added, “You can also register to vote here on campus.” 

The student seemed unaware of that latter option. I found myself wondering just how many other Bard students are ignorant to the fact that they can vote right here at school. This lack of information is just one of the things that Election@Bard seeks to remedy with events like this. 

Student Representative Lead Intern and sophomore Sierra Ford, explained Election@Bard’s goal very well.

“We’re here to help students register to vote,” she said, plain and simple. “But we also emphasize youth participation, even if you aren’t eligible to vote.”

Emma, Sen. Hinchey’s representative, echoed this sentiment. To Emma, it isn’t enough to get people to vote for a president every four years; real political change is community based.

“Every year is an election year,” she explained. “This year is local, so things like town board and city council candidates – the tiny things that people overlook but that affect them most personally … bus routes, for example.”

True to her word, the day-long registration event at Bard was only one stop in a district-wide campaign sponsored by the Senator. It covers all four counties in District 41 and is aimed specifically at high school and college students. When asked what drove her, Emma replied, “I’m here to give students a voice for what they want to see in this district.”

Although the registration event ended at 8 that evening, student voices will continue to be heard. Election@Bard is far from done with promoting political involvement on campus. All the information presented at their table can still be found on their webpage and Instagram page. 

As the months go by and the country inches further away from city council elections to the next presidential campaign, it is easy for fledgling voters to start feeling overwhelmed or useless. When those feelings take over, I think it’s best to keep Emma’s words in mind: there is no such thing as a wasted vote, because there is no election too small or too big to matter, and there is no point in the national cycle at which it is too late to get involved. In fact, the earlier you tap in, the more informed you will be down the line.

Remember – every year is an election year.

Post Date: 09-21-2023