From trivia about the Constitution to a rock concert celebrating democracy, Stetson Votes Week, Sept. 14-17, brought fun and vibrancy to campus while promoting voter engagement and civic education within the Hatter community.

Organized by Stetson Votes, a nonpartisan student group with the goal of getting every eligible Stetson student to register to vote and cast their ballot, the week kicked off on Monday, Sept. 14, with tabling in front of the CUB. A “Why Do You Vote?” wall engaged passing students to write down their motivation for voting on red, white and blue sticky notes.

With the midterm elections in November coming up, part of the programming for the week focused on giving students the opportunity to get to know local candidates. The Rock for Democracy concert celebrating National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 15, featured not just lively music by 407 Groove, a Central Florida-based brass band, but also local candidates, civic organizations and political parties tabling in a fair-like atmosphere.

“This is not a well-known fact, but college students actually get to choose whether they vote at their permanent address at home or at their campus address,” said Rev. Caitlin Swann, associate director for the Center for Dialogue & Civic Action, who also serves as adviser for Stetson Votes. “And we, of course, really recommend voting at your campus address because nine months out of the year, you’re here, and you’re impacted by the policies here in Volusia County.”

A crowd of more than 150 people — from Stetson students to faculty, staff and DeLand community members — showed up for the Rock for Democracy concert to enjoy live music, food and the opportunity to directly interact with players in the local political landscape.

The week also gave students a chance to brush up on their knowledge of Latino civic leaders and their contributions in American history. On Wednesday, Sept. 16, Stetson Votes tabled with Lambda Theta Alpha, the Latina sorority on campus, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, observed Sept. 15-Oct. 15 annually, with trivia questions such as “Who was the first Hispanic/Latino U.S. Supreme Court Justice?” (The answer: Sonia Sotomayor.)

While Stetson Votes Week is the organization’s flagship event, the group’s work of getting campus voters ready for the upcoming midterms began last spring with Democracy Days and Democracy Discovery Day, which included informational tabling and chances to meet candidates running in local races.

More voter and civic engagement opportunities to get students to actively participate in the democratic process are forthcoming from Stetson Votes. On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the group is hosting a phone banking and door-to-door canvassing event in Lee’s Garage, where students can gain hands-on experience in community organizing.

–Siyon Kim