With the window on registering to vote in the Nov. 4 election about to close, TurboVote implementers at St. Petersburg College are scurrying to reach out to students who are not yet aware of the electronic platform that makes registration a matter of a few keystrokes. Through Sam Novey, TurboVote’s Director of Partnerships, they learned of a strategy employed by the University of Florida to engage more Gators in the voting process. The strategy: a letter to all students from President Bernie Machen.
Since good ideas are not patentable, they took the idea up the administrative ladder at St. Petersburg College and asked: Can we do something like this? The answer? Yes.
SPC President Bill Law readily agreed to write a letter to all students, and it was sent out on Sept. 11. Fellow Civics Initiative stakeholders, feel free to take this idea to your president. The text of Dr. Law’s letter follows:
Dear SPC Student,
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Florida voters will elect new leaders and make decisions about key issues that impact our lives and communities. As president of St. Petersburg College, I urge you to participate in a process that is integral to our democracy and to our nation as a whole. I care a great deal that students participate and educate themselves on key issues. We don’t endorse any candidates but we strongly endorse participation in the process.
If you have not yet registered to vote, I am excited to share with you that SPC is making the process easy for you. We have partnered with TurboVote, a “one-stop-shop” that enables you to quickly register online to vote or request an absentee ballot from your local election authorities.
Once registered, you will receive a completed national voter registration or absentee ballot request form by mail along with a pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope to your local election authority. TurboVote also will send out email and text reminders to help you remember the approaching election deadlines.
To register, complete the easy steps at https://spcollege.turbovote.org/.
According to the 2011 Florida Civic Health Index, fewer than half of Florida’s millennials were registered to vote in the 2010 midterm elections. Of those who were registered, only one-in-five voted. Be someone who commits to making a difference by voting this election.
For more information, contact David Klement, executive director, Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at 727-319-7087 or klement.david@spcollege.edu.
Thank you for registering and voting in the general elections on Nov. 4. I’ll look forward to seeing you at the polls!
Sincerely,
Bill Law
President, St. Petersburg College