Wright State launches TurboVote to make voting easy

Kelsey Bowling, a graduate student in the student affairs in higher education program, helps fellow students register to vote. (Photo by Erin Pence)

Wright State University has launched TurboVote to make voting easy and seamless for students, no matter where home is.

“Understanding the rules and regulations to voting is sometimes confusing,” said Kelsey Bowling, a graduate student in the student affairs in higher education program. “Voting is often more difficult due to many students living away from their registered voting address.”

TurboVote to the rescue. The online tool, which launched Sept. 9, helps students vote in every election — local, state and national — by helping them register where they want to vote, and by keeping them engaged with the elections in their local communities.

“Voting presents a unique challenge for so many college students because they find themselves living away from home,” said Wright State President David R. Hopkins. “They may want to change where they vote, on top of their transition to college. TurboVote makes all that seamless to the student.”

The user-friendly service, provided by the nonprofit organization Democracy Works, Inc., allows students, employees and others to request voter registration materials and absentee ballots online and even receive reminders of election dates and poll closing times via text messages and email.

For many Wright State students, the Nov. 8 general election will be the first in which they are old enough to vote, so registering to vote is a timely issue.

Through her position as a graduate assistant in Student Support Services, Bowling has been helping her fellow Wright State students register to vote at information tables every Wednesday during lunchtime in the Student Union. She helps them fill out voter registration forms, which are then delivered to the county boards of elections. TurboVote is a new tool she can use to promote voting, as part of the university’s Wright Vote Project.

“With many large populations being given easier access to the information they need to vote, they will be able to better impact and help mold the communities in which they live,” Bowling said.

Voter outreach is just one of the ways Wright State encourages civic engagement.

“At Wright State, we believe that an educated, informed, engaged and enthusiastic society truly does transform the communities we serve,” said Hopkins.

To access TurboVote, visit wright.turbovote.org.