By Charlotte Ormond

One month away from the presidential election, the University of Maryland has increased its efforts to educate and encourage student voters with the new “VOTE (Fearlessly)!” initiative. 

VOTE (Fearlessly)! is a traveling informational booth that offers students guidance on the voting process. The booth aims to be an open platform for sharing concerns, asking questions or engaging in discussions on election-related topics.

The booth made its debut on Sept. 4 at the NEXTNow Fest and will remain available until Nov. 5. It will be stationed at various locations, including the School of Public Policy, Heritage Community Courtyard and, occasionally, SECU Stadium on game days.

According to Maryland Today, “64% of Maryland 18-year-olds are registered to vote.” This initiative plans to increase the percentage of registered voters further.

Ronit Eisenbach, a UMD professor in the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, helped create this new student voting initiative. 

“Through my teaching, I try to show my students how to use their talents to elevate, frame and lift up important questions and ideas,” Eisenbach said. 

In addition to Eisenbach, Ken Filler, an architect and assistant clinical professor, Jennifer Byrne, a College of Arts and Humanity alum and Saija Fantauzzi, a graduate architecture student, helped create the VOTE (Fearlessly)! initiative. 

A notable feature of the booth is the erasable magnets that display the message “I Vote For.” Visitors can personalize and decorate the booth’s magnetic walls by sharing their reasons for voting.

“We wanted the opportunity for people to leave a message and build up a sense of a collective conversation,” Eisenbach said. 

Eisenbach compared the booth to a lighthouse, signaling to students, “Wake up, it’s time to vote.”

VOTE (Fearlessly)! is a collaboration between several UMD programs, including the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the College of Arts and Humanities, the Maryland Democracy Initiative and the Arts for All initiative.

Eisenbach said the booth’s creation was intended to elevate TerpsVote—a nonpartisan initiative working to increase civic engagement among students. 

“As designers, we wanted to make something that would help them get their word out,” Eisenbach said.

Srinidhi Guruvayurappan, a freshman majoring in geology, is registering to vote in Maryland this week. She believes it’s important for the university to educate young voters.

“Younger people are the future, so getting them to vote will make a big difference,” Guruvayurappan stated.

Sam Novey, the chief strategist for the UMD Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, is also working to raise awareness about the importance of student voting. In his role, he focuses on engaging colleges and schools to support new voters and leads efforts to encourage student involvement in democratic processes.

The Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement is collaborating with TerpsVote to promote its initiatives while also partnering with the College Park Clerk’s Office to enhance student voter participation in next year’s municipal elections. Voter participation is an ongoing challenge faced by both the campus and the city.

To young voters, Novey recommended finding a political party to identify with and getting involved with it. He challenged the notion that being affiliated with a specific party is negative.

“Parties are how we organize political conflict,” Novey said. “Being a part of a party and working with others who share your views to govern and collaborate is not a bad thing at all.”

Featured Image: University of Maryland students interact with a VOTE (Fearlessly)! booth at Tawes Plaza. Photo by Taneen Momeni.