Salem State Ramps Up 'Your Voice, Your Vote' Efforts
SALEM, MA — Salem State wants its students to make their voices heard in November.
The Center for Civic Engagement and the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics and Civic Engagement have launched their "Your Voice, Your Vote" campaign for 2020 with a series of discussions held virtually that are aimed at educating students and convincing them to vote on Nov. 3.
"We want to give our students the tools to be as informed as possible before they cast their ballots," said Cynthia Lynch, executive director of the Center for Civic Engagement. "These discussions are designed with our students in mind, and we are hopeful that holding them online will allow more members of the general public to benefit from hearing these talks."
The school received the Carnegie Classification for community engagement earlier this year. The Center for Civic Engagement will be holding voter drivers and have programming on how to vote. The school will also provide voter information on the students' "student success" app.
"Our campus is working to ensure that all students who are eligible to vote will make their voices heard in November by exercising this right," Salem State University President John Keenan said. "Our Center for Civic engagement has done a phenomenal job of navigating the challenges to voting brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are determined not to let this pandemic suppress our nationally ranked student voter participation rate."
This year's events are open to all public and the media with Zoom links distributed through emailing CCE@salemstate.edu.
Your Voice, Your Vote 2020 Events
Conquering Crisis: Defending and Expanding Voting Rights Amid COVID-19
Sept. 17 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Featuring Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, Executive Director, MassVOTE and First Vice President, NAACP-Boston Branch.
Topics on the Campaign Trail: Public Health and Health Disparities
Oct. 1 | 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Featuring Lara Cartwright-Smith, George Washington University and Sara Moore, Professor, Sociology, Salem State
Ranked Choice Voting: Impacts for Democracy and Representation
Oct. 6 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Featuring Cynthia Terrell, Founder and Executive Director of RepresentWomen and Co-Founder of Fair Vote.
An Insider’s View of Congress: COVID-19 and the Future of Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment Compensation
Oct. 8 | 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Featuring Michael Evans, SSU Alum and Chief Counsel of US Senate Finance Committee
Discerning Fact from Fiction
Oct. 21 | 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Featuring Professor Kristin Pangallo, Chemistry and Physics and Professor Cindy Vincent, Media and Communication
Myths and Realities: Vote by Mail and Voter Interference
Oct. 23 | 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Featuring Federal Election Commissioner, Ellen Weintraub
Post-Election Wrap-up
Nov. 5 | 1:30-2:30 pm
Featuring Professor Dan Mulcare, Political Science
This article originally appeared on the Salem Patch
