‘I want to vote’: The League of Women Voters stop at Miami during its month-long trek across Ohio

The League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) brought its first voter registration roadshow to Miami University on Saturday, Sept. 21 during Oxford’s Oxtoberfest.

Trevor Martin, the campaign coordinator for the LWVO, said Miami is the league’s 11th stop out of the 20 universities on their tour across Ohio to register more students to vote.

The trip with the 19-foot Caravel Airstream trailer started on Sept. 3 at Ohio Wesleyan University and will end on Oct. 7 at Kent State University.

Martin said that so far, more than 1,000 students have registered to vote and they have talked to 1,000 more about mail-in ballots, where to go to vote, ID restrictions and more.

“The voting participation rate of youngsters between 18 and 24 is the lowest of any age range,” Martin said. “Only 59% of folks between 18 and 24 are registered and only 52% of those participated in the last presidential election. So we’re trying to raise that number dramatically, and just trying to get everyone, of all political ideologies, all genders, registered to vote [and] participating, because the young folks are the ones that are actually in charge of the direction of our future.”

Martin said that the timing of the LWVO’s stop in Oxford was a “happy accident,” and added that the local chapters organized the stops and coordinated dates and times with the local universities. When the Airstream arrives at its next location, the local LWV volunteers also work the trailer.

The volunteers assist in registering voters, educating students on the significance of civic engagement, explaining recent changes to voter ID laws, highlighting important election dates and offering information on becoming a poll worker, according to the LWVO press advisory.

“We left it up to our local leagues to make those connections, establish those relationships and work this out for us,” Martin said, “and it’s been fantastic.”

Photo by Taylor Stumbaugh | The Miami Student
Isabella Call, a first-year at Miami, registers to vote Saturday afternoon during Oxtoberfest.

Elizabeth Wardle, the co-president of voter services for the League of Women Voters of Oxford, said the whole experience has been encouraging, especially with the younger voters.

“Our students, especially our first voters, who just turned 18 and can vote for the first time, are really, really excited,” Wardle said. “So when they’re walking by and I ask them, ‘Are you registered to vote?’ and they’re not ignoring me, [instead] they’re saying, ‘Yes, I’m so excited. I’m definitely gonna vote.’ That’s very, very encouraging.”

Martin said the theme “Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power” came from a poll LWVO did asking young folks what kind of messages move them to get out there and register and get other folks involved.

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“We want voices to be heard,” Martin said. “… There are issues that really matter to folks like climate, LGBTQ rights, abortion, immigration, these things matter. And a lot of folks may not think they matter to these young kids, but they’ve been showing us that that couldn’t be further from the truth. They do care. They want to be involved, and we’re happy to get out here and go to them and get them registered and let them know that we care, we’re listening and we want them involved.”

Isabella Call, a first-year business major, stopped by the LWV’s booth Saturday afternoon to register to vote because she hadn’t done it back home in Cleveland.

“I didn’t register at home, and I was looking to register, but I didn’t know where,” Call said. “So this was a good opportunity to do it. And I want to vote, you know?”

stumbata@miamioh.edu