The Associated Students of the University of Arizona, Wildcat Events Board and ZonaZoo hosted a “Wildcats Take Action Lunch Hangout” event Friday afternoon on the Mall. The event aimed to reach student voters and provide them with answers they may have about voting in this year’s upcoming election.
WEB handed out free slices of pizza, bags of chips and “Wildcats Take Action” T-shirts while ASUA members operated a table for questions.
ASUA, WEB and ZonaZoo wanted to make the voting process more appealing and accessible to students.
“We wanted to make it fun,” ASUA Student Body President Adriana Grijalva said.
According to Grijalva, offering free food and creating a relaxed environment was part of the effort to engage students while addressing any confusion or concerns about voting in this year’s upcoming election.
Marlee Fenton was one of the students who grabbed a slice of pizza and a shirt from the booth. Fenton, a first-year student at the UA, said that this is the first year she can vote in the election.
Fenton will be voting by mail in Nevada and said she recognized the importance of Arizona and Nevada both being swing states in this election.
“For me, women’s rights is a huge thing. I just feel like it’s a very blatant stand on who is for our generation and our future and who is not,” Fenton said.
When Fenton turned 16, she was able to pre-register to vote in Nevada. Several states, including Arizona, allow young people under 18 to pre-register, ensuring that once they reach voting age, they’ll already be on the voter rolls and ready to participate in the election.
“When you get your driver’s license you’re allowed to pre-register so that’s what I did. It’s pretty easy,” Fenton said.
According to Grijalva there will be several events coming up for voter education week that ASUA will be hosting including:
- ASUA Voting Workshops:
- Monday, Oct. 14 at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Union suite 325
- Wednesday, Oct. 30 at noon in the Student Union suite 325
- Monday, Nov. 4 at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Union suite 325
- Wildcat Town Hall:
- Thursday, Oct. 17 from 2-5 p.m. at the UA SouthRec in the Mac Gym.
“Something we hear a lot is that one vote won’t count and what I’ve seen in my own life and what I’ve realized is that every vote does matter, especially in this state,” Grijalva said.
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