Voting Rights
One of the simplest and most important things an American citizen can do is to vote. My generation understands this and is voting at unprecedented levels, but we still lag behind our elders for systemic reasons. During my First year as a WSU student, I researched and wrote a report about the disenfranchisement of college students, and how it relates to other disenfranchised communities. In addition, I interned with the Northwest Public Broadcasting Vote 2020 Campaign, and also with the Washington chapter of the League of Minority Voters. Both groups worked to encourage voters to educate themselves about candidates and get out to cast a ballot.

Why don’t college students vote, and what can we learn that applies to all voters?
Why should anyone other than college students care about college voters? At face value it seems like restrictions affecting college students would only affect them. What’s important about looking at these issues is that the voter suppression college students face are the same common voter suppression techniques used against all groups. Other disenfranchised groups like homeless people and Native American tribes also have similar issues around residency when voting. Low income voters face scheduling obstacles. Black people and People of Color face voter suppression from officials.