Upcoming elections jump-start voter registration efforts on campus

Illustration by Zoe Arntsen, Illustrator

Voting? Why should we care? College students around the country talk about changing the future, yet research shows some aren’t taking the first step in that journey by registering to vote.

16% of the nation's college students are not registered to vote according to a 2024 report from IGNITE. With approximately 19 million college students currently enrolled nationwide, that’s 3 million votes missing. Student voices become even more powerful when you consider the gap in the popular vote in the 2024 Presidential election — which was only 2 million. 

Chapman’s Students Demand Action (SDA) organization has stepped up to end the trend of unregistered students on campus. The program, while originally created to end gun violence on college campuses, now also focuses on student voting.

“It's just important to give students a platform in order to use their voice in politics,” said SDA President Grace Nordini, a senior political science and integrated educational studies double major. “It's a very powerful tool that we all have. And I think it's important to make sure students know how they can use it.”

SDA’s efforts have not been alone. Chapman itself has previously hosted university-wide voter registration events to help students.

“Chapman does a good job at trying to encourage (voting) internally… It’s just getting people opportunities they maybe didn’t have growing up,” said SDA Vice President Madeline Southern, a senior political science and peace studies double major.

The club's presence on campus has been generally welcomed by students.

“A lot of people get annoyed when things around the country happen — (registering to vote) gives us a way to voice that,” freshman biological sciences major Lizzie Yong said. “It’s nice to have help doing that.”

While the club’s current goals are seen in a positive light by many, getting here hasn’t been without struggle. Because the club’s founding ideals are considered political, the university has pushed back, according to Southern.

The club's founding principle of gun violence falls along party lines, raising concerns from the student organizations team. Despite these concerns, the club proudly declares they are nonpartisan.

“So though nationally we are a nonpartisan organization, (student organization leaders) argued that we had an inherent partisan intent and that there might be some bias in registering students,” Southern said.

Despite these concerns, the club continues to assert that it does not intend to influence student voting.

“Our goal isn’t ever to influence students on how to vote; it’s just to get them registered,” Southern said.

At Chapman, the shift to civic involvement is becoming increasingly visible. Whether it’s voter registration support or a student-led protest, people are making their voices heard.