Gettysburg College students have been active this fall semester teaching the importance of voting in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election.
Upcoming events on campus include an Oct. 30 visit from U.S. Congressional candidate Beth Farnham, who will discuss her position as a candidate, and a “Get the Vote Out” tabling event that will occur a week before the election, fostering conversations about the election.
Alisha Levine, president of the Gettysburg College Democrats, spoke with a passion about voter registration initiatives on campus and the importance of young voices being heard. “I’ve always cared about it a lot,” she said. “I knew the power of student organizing and I always wanted to make sure younger people made their voices heard.”
Levine said she had worked on political campaigns before coming to Gettysburg College in 2021 and has served in other positions in the club before becoming president.
Levine said students in the state of Pennsylvania are legally allowed to vote at the location they are currently living as long as they register to vote in Pennsylvania.
The College Democrats have been hosting voter registration tables across campus, where students learn how they can register to vote either in person or by mail. Students are not pushed to vote one way or another at these events, but rather simply encouraged to vote.
The main objective is to ensure students understand the importance of voting, even while they are young. Most college students will have turned 18 by the time of the election, and many first-years are getting the opportunity to vote in their first election.
Levine said that if a student tells her they feel their vote doesn’t matter, she replies that “your voice has never mattered more,” explaining that Pennsylvania is a swing state and that ensuring that everyone votes is of utmost importance.
Students at registration tables are asked what issues they believe are important for the nation ad encouraged to research the policies of the candidates that align with what they believe matters most.
Levine said that making the registration process as easy as it can be and explaining the importance of voting are the top priorities for the voter registration tables.
College students have also participated in debate watch parties between the presidential candidates and vice-presidential candidates and current news events catch-up meetings where students learn about domestic and international issues.
Levine said some students had also participated in political speed dating and political bingo events.
Levine described the energy around the election on campus as “excited.” “There has been a newfound, refreshing interest in politics,” she said.
Levine said she had not seen any overt political tensions on campus. “Whatever outcome it is, we have clear policy goals for what we want out of this nation and we’re never going to stop fighting for those,” she said.
Abigail Hallagan, intern, is a senior at Gettysburg College from Plainville, Massachusetts. She is a Psychology major with a writing minor. Outside of school, she is the Program Coordinator for Psi Chi (the Psychology National Honor Society), a Global Leader at Gettysburg College, and has written articles for Gettysburg College’s Newspaper, "The Gettysburgian."