In the latest episode of the WGLT/Vidette podcast Democracy’s Future, you’ll hear from two students who are involved in Illinois State University's Center for Civic Engagement.
The center offers many volunteer and service opportunities. One of those is directly tied to democracy. The group hosts voter information events and publishes an online voter guide. It helps students learn how to register to vote, learn about the candidates and even the learn basics about how elections work.
Vidette reporter Mia Saraz talks with two students heavily involved with the center.
Allie High is a senior political science major from Bloomington. She's an elections intern with the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). High said it’s important for groups like the CCE to use social media to keep younger voters informed and engaged.
“This is going to be an ongoing issue that even the highest levels of government will have to address, but it will play a role in this election no doubt and will continue to be important regarding elections and political engagement,” High said.
High said a common concern she hears from college students is about residency and getting registered either on campus or in their hometown, and how to move their registration.
Karem Tasdan is a political science and economics double major from Macomb in Western Illinois. He's part of the student support staff for the center.
He said his top concern from students is knowing how they can make a difference regarding issues they feel passionate about. He said voting is one of the main ways to direct that passion.
“We want to try our best to make sure that that is a feasible, very clear avenue that students who are eligible to vote can take, but also at the same time emphasizing there’s so much more you can do alongside voting,” Tasdan said.
Coming up in the next two episodes of Democracy's Future, you'll hear from students who are getting a lesson in democracy by serving in student government. Also, you'll hear where students get their news and how that can shape their views about democracy and politics.
Please give us your feedback on this series and let us know if there are certain issues you'd like us to explore. Email us at news@wglt.org.
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