by Molly Work

Student groups at the University of Maryland like the NAACP, Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society and the Black Student Union mobilized voters ahead of Election Day by raising awareness about issues like voter suppression. 

Student leaders understand the magnitude of this year’s election and worry that lack of information can keep students away from the polls. 

“[In] 2016, I [was] scared of voter apathy,” said Michael Mareno, a junior government and politics major. “This year, I’m just scared of misinformation and people not knowing what to do.”

With the onset of the pandemic, some students have safety concerns — worried that social distancing and mask wearing will not be enforced at the polls. Others don’t know where ballot drop-off boxes are located or where to vote in-person. And some students don’t trust the voting system. 

These issues concern Zahrah Siddiq, the NAACP president, and Rae Wakefield, the Black Student Union president. In their mind, these are issues that can hold student voters back from having their voices heard. But, they are determined to do something about it. 

“Issues like these will deter students from voting” Wakefield, a junior public health science and public policy major, said. “They’re going to be like, ‘I tried. I’ll do it again in four years.’”

Mareno explained that the election is happening against the backdrop of a tumultuous election year that has disproportionately affected marginalized communities. 

“There are a lot of communities that are really struggling right now, feeling the impact of a pandemic or the economic fallout or a nationwide kind of racial movement,” said Mareno, the social chair for PLUMAS. “There’s a lot that’s going on. There’s a lot to digest. I’m really, I’m really struggling, There’s a lot that’s at stake.” 

To build trust and motivate students to vote, student leaders have shared reliable, unbiased information on social media — trying to reach students in a variety of ways and remove as many obstacles as possible. 

“It’s already hard enough to vote as it is,” Mareno said. 

The groups have been leveraging social media to spread awareness and encourage voter registration. The posts cover everything from poll box locations and deadlines to discussing who’s on the ballot to promoting Maryland same-day registration.

Siddiq said that the NAACP has been focused on raising election awareness for over a year. In spring 2019, they collaborated with MaryPirg, a state-wide, student-directed and student-funded political advocacy organization, to run a social media campaign to promote voter registration during Student Activism Week.  

Mareno said PLUMAS also found success providing free stamps and envelopes to students across campus. He said he does not want access to a stamp to determine whether or not students vote. 

Siddiq hopes their information-sharing efforts will also help to counteract voter suppression, strategies to discourage or prevent marginalized groups from voting.

“The best way to prevent voter suppression is to understand what it is, so you can recognize it and see if it’s happening to you, your community or to someone you love,” Siddiq, a junior kinesiology major, said. “You can only address it and stop it if you know it’s happening.”

To that end, the NAACP ran social posts that shed light on a range of potential suppression tactics: voter ID laws, voter registration restrictions, felony disenfranchisement, and many others. 

“Your voice matters,” said Siddiq. “And it counts. And your voice can be part of a big movement that changes how you live, impacting how policies are implemented and laws are established.” 

Student leaders understand why some students might feel that their vote doesn’t matter or choose to abstain — excited by neither Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden nor Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. However, Mareno wants all eligible students to vote.

“We cannot afford to sit this election out,” said Mareno. “ Joe Biden is not my preferred candidate. But what we’re dealing with now is, do we want to vote to provide ourselves with space to continue doing what we’re doing as activists? And the consensus really is that four more years of the Trump administration would not be as welcoming as four years of the Biden administration.” 

Siddiq and Wakefield added that many students in the Black community see voting as a necessity in order to honor the people who fought and died for the right to vote and to speak for those who are still denied this right.

“I feel it’s my responsibility to be educated on how voting works and to use this right that’s been handed down to me due to the fight and determination of people in the past,” said Siddiq.

Wakefield echoed Siddiq’s thoughts.

“My family constantly stressed that I have to vote because my ancestors couldn’t vote and I have family members that are incarcerated and they can’t vote,” she said. “It’s not even a burden. It’s something I want to do for my community in the simplest way. It’s my civic duty, you know?” 

Featured photo: Student groups at the University of Maryland have been hard at work behind the scenes mobilizing student voters before the Nov. 3 election. Photo by Molly Work.