Campus Pulse: Are Students Driving the Vote Themselves or Is Spelman Leading the Charge?

By: Ima Essien

In a political climate where polarizing platforms overshadow the importance of civic engagement, Spelman’s bipartisan platform makes for a controversial point of discussion. As election season approaches, Spelman’s allowance of student activism has become more prominent and students question whether peer-to-peer initiatives effectively encourage students to cast their ballot.

“Although Spelman as a whole cannot outright say anything, they have created a space to register our students and ensure they are educated. Spelman Democrats, our Student Government Association, Black Girls Vote, NAACP, we have a lot of different organizations,” sophomore Spelman Democrats member Autumn Gary said.

The pulse of Spelman is beating with voter initiatives aimed at educating students on how to be civically engaged in the upcoming presidential election.  The Student Government Association (SGA) held a voter education session to kick off their Civic Engagement Week to prepare students.  Junior and Secretary of Student Affairs Kyla Emory mentions that this isn’t the first time SGA has tried to inform students. 

“During the RSO fair, I helped SGA hold a voter registration drive. Many students had questions on if they lived on campus, what address they should be putting, and making sure they are filling out forms correctly,” Emory said.

However, SGA is not the only campus organization that advocates for students.  Black Girls Vote is an nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating black women on using their voice in politics by exercising their right to vote; Sophomore Alex Alsobrooks, Event Coordinator for Spelman’s Chapter of Black Girls Vote, shares her appreciation for all initiatives to become civically engaged,

 “I like organizations like Spelman United For Justice and other organizations on campus where they can host events, where they can inform students because I think they are important,” Alsobrooks said. 

Although there is an influx in initiatives, some students feel it is their job to inform themselves without the help of Spelman College. Spelman's being bipartisan leads students to use outside news sources with the help of social media like TikTok, Instagram, and X beyond the classroom to stay aware of political candidates' stance on policies. 

“I do feel informed, but I think I had to inform myself, and me and my peers continuously keep each other informed,” freshman Saniyah Scott said.

Students utilize sources such as Instagram, CNN, Daily Mail and Apple News to keep themselves informed on voting and the candidates running. Students feel it is important to educate themselves and find credible sources for information, in order to make what they feel is the right choice on election . With proper research students believe they can understand the stance of the potential presidential candidate and how their vote can elicit change.  

 “I rely on many current events like CNN, making sure I am looking at at least three sources rather than just one,” sophomore Kalysta Blomwillis said.

Without students taking the initiative to inform themselves about the voting process, some feel disconnected from the impact of the upcoming election. Many students do not know how to register to vote, the importance of voting, or how the candidates running will personally affect their lives. If students are not seeking out to educate themselves, beyond the classroom, they may not exercise their right to vote. 

“A lot of students are disconnected; they do not understand these processes. A lot of freshmen come in, and they don’t have experience voting; they don’t know how absentee ballots work, and they don’t know how to register in the state of Georgia,” Black Girls Vote President Elise Sampson said.

This lack of knowledge on registration hinders students from completing their civic duty. Spelman’s decision to be bipartisan has had positive and negative implications on students’ eagerness to vote and remain informed about the election. 

 “Recognizing the power students have. You do not have to be in a voting organization to do the work,” Sampson said.