MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Thursday, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson met with students and NMU, community members, and local government officials to discuss strategies to increase voting among young people.
“We’ve noticed in Michigan that there are a million eligible 18 to 29-year-olds who aren’t voting in even presidential elections,” said Benson. “So we’re here today in Marquette to talk to young people up here about what we can do better to reach out, to meet people where they are, and ensure they know the whole vast array of options they have to participate in this year’s election.”
Topics discussed included familiarizing people on early voting, educating poll workers, providing better transportation to poll locations, and encouraging people to vote in local elections, which Anne McIlhagga, an NMU student and president of Northern Voters Club, a student organization, said may be the most important part. “Smaller local elections, those are the things that are going to directly impact what you care about,” she said. “When it’s by 50 votes a millage is passed, or by 70 votes a commissioner is elected, your vote matters in that election.”
McIlhagga also said one of the biggest problems is a lock of knowledge about the voting process among young adults. “There’s not a lot of understanding about non-partisan elections, about local elections, about where you’re registered to vote, how to vote,” she said. “There’s just a big gap in understanding what voting really is and how you can participate in it.”
Both students and government officials said they left ready for what comes next. “I’m looking forward to also working with local officials up here at the university, and at the city, to develop more programming over the next 80 days to help engage citizens in voting,” said Benson.
“We need to be having these conversations,” said McIlhagga. “I’m optimistic that this was a start to having those conversations with young people directly about what they need to help them and their peers be able to vote.”
Click here to see WZMQ’s full exclusive interview with Secretary Benson.
