click to enlarge - Courtesy
- From left: Stephanie King, Kristie Skor, Laura McDow and Daniza Tazabekova
Middlebury College students are ready to vote. Like, the most ready.
The college ranked first in the Northeast for voter registration in the 2020 presidential election, with 98 percent of students signing up, according to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts University. Participation increased by 23 percent from the 2018 presidential election, distinguishing the college as one of the most politically engaged campuses in the nation.
The turnout is thanks in part to Campus Coalition for Democracy Initiatives, which encourages student participation in local, state and federal politics.
"We are interested in our students engaging in nonpartisan political engagement, but also in understanding our democracy and participating in it," said Kristie Skor, democracy initiatives coordinator for the college.
While the coalition puts much of its energy into registering students to vote in state and federal elections, it also focuses on local matters. On March 5, political science professor Bert Johnson will offer a brief history and overview of Town Meeting Day for Middlebury students.
Students will also be offered rides to Middlebury's Town Meeting Day on March 5 to learn about and vote on local issues. This year, that includes balloting on a $1.5 million bond to update sewer lines in parts of downtown.
Daniza Tazabekova, president of MiddVotes — which focuses on getting students out to vote, regardless of political party — said engaging in local politics has been one of the best parts of moving to Vermont from New York City. "Politics feels a lot more accessible to me here," Tazabekova said.
With Vermont's presidential primary election also held on Town Meeting Day, Tazabekova and her fellow organizers are busy encouraging students to vote. MiddVotes has been hosting monthly voter registration drives and will hold election watch parties.
"We want to make sure everyone feels informed and engaged and ready to participate," Skor said.
Correction, February 29, 2024: The college's ranking was for student voter registration; a previous version of this story contained an error.