The magazine of the North Carolina Center for Voter Education • Saturday May 19, 2012

College Students Can Make a Difference In This Year's Local Elections

By Alex Mendoza
Published: Nov. 1, 2011

CHAPEL HILL - With municipal elections underway, it is more important than ever that college students recognize their civic duties. As part of the larger community, students are affected by the policies of the town or city where they live.

Voting is not only a right but also a responsibility. A citizen has the right to complain if he or she does not agree with actions of the government, but in doing so should have first made an effort to execute change.

Taking part in change begins with participating in elections. The officials who represent the community are elected by the community and thus are a reflection of the voters who elected them.

Local elections are part of the larger political picture. In the struggling economy, local officials can serve as a means to helping citizens affected by the economic downturn. In choosing local officials, citizens are given the ability to participate in improving the country overall. While overall change may be difficult to come by on widespread issues, by taking interest in one’s community, change can be made in small yet significant ways.

Although still young, college students will one day be affected by all the changes implemented by local officials. As each student graduates and enters the workforce, he or she will become an active member of local society. The changes made by past officials will affect their everyday life. Thus, it is important that students get involved as early as possible to ensure they live in a community which meets their wants and needs.

In the 2009 Chapel Hill mayoral elections only 8,141 citizens cast votes, according to the Orange County Board of Elections. With a total population of roughly 57,000, according to the Census Bureau, this is only a small fragment of Chapel Hill citizens. All citizens are affected by local officials who set policies that impact our roads, environment and public safety.

College students are also among those affected by local government.  Students use services implemented by local officials each day. Public transportation is a significant part of services students utilize; without it, the commute to and from the university each day would be a large hassle.

By taking a stand and voting in local elections, students demonstrate their commitment to bettering their community.

In North Carolina, college students may return to their hometown to cast their votes or declare their address at school as their residence, allowing them to vote in the same town where they attend college.

Students not yet registered to vote in this year’s Chapel Hill elections can simply go to the University Square early voting site at 123 W. Franklin St. to take part in same-day registration now through Saturday, Nov. 5.

Like many voters, college students may feel they don’t know enough about the candidates to cast an informed ballot. Fortunately, there are resources such as NCVoterGuide.org that provide candidate profiles and videos of candidate forums. By taking the time to study the candidates, we can choose those that would best serve our community.

Change cannot be made unless citizens participate. College is a time to expand one’s views and attempt to make a difference in the world. Often times, that change starts not on the other side of the globe, but in our local community. This month, we can help make our community a better place by voting in our local elections.