Voter registration open to students

With the presidential election just a few short days away, several students have yet to register to vote.

However, there are ways that everyone can still register in time. Students can either register to vote in their hometown, or right here on campus.

Student Senate President Bobbi O’Brien can provide the necessary information needed for students to register to vote, even though it is after the Oct. 17 open voter registration deadline. Students can register now through Election Day, which is on Nov. 6.

If students choose to register in their hometown or on campus they are required to provide proof of residency. Students who plan on voting in their hometown must go to their hometown’s city hall with their driver’s license in order to prove their residency.

Students living on campus who plan on voting in River Falls must have a form from the Registrar’s Office. This will be their proof of residency. The form is in place to show that a student has lived in River Falls for at least 28 days.

For those who choose to vote on campus, there will be two different places where students can vote. Students who live on the east side of campus, which includes South Fork Suites, Ames Suites, Grimm Hall, McMillan Hall, Parker Hall, Crabtree Hall and Hathorn Hall, will be able to vote at the University Center.

The west side of campus, which includes Prucha Hall, Stratton Hall and May Hall, will be able to vote at the River Falls High School. O’Brien said that students will be receiving an email with more information as to where they will be able to vote.

Student Colin Janilla said that he has registered to vote in his home state of Minnesota, but he has registered to vote on campus in the past. This means that he has the knowledge of how to register in River Falls if he so chooses.

Though this does not necessarily mean that he plans to vote in the election. However, this is not true in Janilla’s case. He says that he plans on voting come Nov. 6.

The same goes for student Nicole Beyer. She also has registered to vote in Minnesota, though she said that she does not have the information necessary to register here. When asked if she plans on voting, Beyer said that she most likely will not vote on Election Day because of school.

As for how many students have already registered to vote specifically on campus, O’Brien says that she estimates that about 20 students a day have registered. This gives them a total of a little over 200 students.

However, she said that she is optimistic about more students voting in this election. The presidential election is a bigger election and, “people don’t typically vote in other elections,” said O’Brien.