Registration event produces new voters

150 UConn students celebrated National Voter Registration day on Tuesday by registering to vote outside of the Homer Babbidge library.

UConn’s English Graduate Students Association, EGSA, hosted the voter registration drive entitled “Huskies Vote!” in an effort to give students the opportunity to register and ask questions.

“Students are a pretty important voice in the election, and we just want to make sure that they have a chance to get involved,” said Michelle Maloney-Mangold of UConn’s English department, who headed the event.

Voter registration was not limited to Connecticut residents. Interested students were able to register for their respected home states and have their registration forms mailed in by those volunteering at the drive.

“This is a good time to get registered,” said volunteer Patrick Lawrence. “If you register young you’re registered throughout your life,” he said.

Lawrence said that the action did not stop in the hour he was volunteering. He projected that nearly 50 students had registered in that hour alone.

“This election’s very important, especially with the economy. College students are worried about graduating and getting jobs,” said UConn student Kristin Corsi.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” Corsi said.

6 million Americans missed the voter registration deadline in 2008, according to the National Voter Registration Day’s website, nationalvoterregistrationday.org. Their goal is to make sure that the same does not happen for the 2012 presidential race.

National Voter Registration Day’s network of 1,000 organizations reaches out to eligible voters in person and through social networking in order to reach and “register more voters than ever before,” according to nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

According to their website, “National Voter Registration Day will be an opportunity to put our differences aside and celebrate the rights that unite us as Americans.”