By Alannah Ray
Panthers Vote is the hub for UWM’s nonpartisan student voting initiatives. Our goal is to provide students with easily accessible information and resources to help them navigate the voting process and increase civic engagement across campus. With midterm elections in full swing last fall, Panthers Vote implemented several initiatives to get students prepared to vote.
Last semester we debuted a brand-new classroom presentation initiative. Students were trained to give a 10-minute presentation on voting and paired with instructors who requested a presentation in their classroom or a classroom of the student’s choosing. The presentations covered registering to vote, valid forms of voter ID, important dates, contact information for Panthers Vote, and other pertinent information. Over the course of the semester, students presented to 30 classrooms which reached approximately 1,079 students (based on course registration). This program was beneficial for both presenters and viewers, as many presenters reported learning more about voting while participating in the program.
National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is a nationwide civic holiday each September to remind folks to get registered to vote. Panthers Vote hosted an NVRD event outside of the library to walk students through the registration process. Students also had the opportunity to play games, enjoy snacks, and make their own buttons at the event!
Panthers Vote also participated in the Unstoppable Voters fellowship program hosted by the Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA). C4AA hosted a training retreat and provided ongoing support and resources to implement a creatively focused voting program. This culminated in creating voting “mystery bags” for voter education. We wanted to demystify the voting process, which can be complex and unapproachable, to make voting more fun and less confusing. The bags worked as toolkits to help walk students through civic processes such as how to register to vote, reminders about important dates, along with other information they might need, as well as fun surprises like stickers and candy. They were then handed out at different events across campus leading up to the election, such as UWM men’s soccer games and women’s volleyball games, classrooms and club meetings, as well as Panthers Vote events and Cultural and Advocacy Centers. Over 700 bags were distributed during the semester.
UWM hosted an early voting site for City of Milwaukee residents in the Student Union October 31st – November 4th. Because of this, and in keeping with the theme of making voting fun, Panthers Vote hosted a “trick or vote” inspired event. Students had the opportunity to “trick or treat” by stopping by our booth to grab some candy and ask their voting questions. We also handed out reminders for early voting and directed students to the campus polling site. Halloween is scary, elections don’t have to be!
Similarly, leading up to election day Panthers Vote hosted “Donut Forget to Vote”. To remind students about the upcoming election, we hosted tabling events with free donut holes and coffee to keep everyone energized. The Student Union was also the location of a polling site on Election Day, so we tabled to answer any last-minute questions about the process. The Panther Card office printed a whopping 179 voter ID cards on Election Day.
Our social media and email campaigns were also exciting this semester. The Student Association President Mia Heredia wrote an encouraging message that was sent out to all UWM students. Popular Wisconsinite and comedian Charlie Berens also sent UWM students a message of encouragement, which was particularly popular on Instagram with over 188,000 views.
This semester, Panthers Vote is preparing for the upcoming primary on February 21st and spring election on April 4th. Make sure you’re ready by checking your voter registration status and making a plan to vote! Keep up with Panthers Vote on UWM’s Student Voting Website.
Panthers Vote is primarily a grant funded initiative. We would like to thank the Unstoppable Voters initiative from the Center for Artistic Activism, Campus Vote Project, Andrew Goodman Foundation, Ask Every Student, and the Alliance for Youth Organizing Civic Holiday mini grant program for funding Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 Panthers Vote initiatives. Additionally, we would like to thank the Center for 21st Century Studies for their support of Panthers Vote, CCBLRR, Supermarket Legends, the volunteers who were instrumental in implementing Panthers Vote initiatives, the Panthers Vote coalition, and everyone else who has assisted and supported our mission.
