Campus Organizations Encourage Student Voter Engagement at Trinity

With the November 5 presidential election quickly approaching, voter engagement initiatives on the Trinity College campus are encouraging students to register to vote and make their voices heard.

Trinity’s chapter of IGNITE—a national organization of young women who are ready to become the next generation of political leaders—held a Gen Z Votes Walk-a-Thon event on September 13 as part of its “IGNITE THE VOTE” programming this fall.

“The initiative of ‘IGNITE THE VOTE’ is to raise awareness and spread information for the upcoming election in November,” said Katherine Meslow ’25, the president of Trinity’s chapter of IGNITE, who is majoring in public policy and law and minoring in urban studies.

Apart from this event, the IGNITE chapter at Trinity hopes to encourage students to be involved in the issues surrounding this election and learn about the candidates’ policies. By encouraging bipartisanship, the organization works to tell students that everyone who is eligible should vote.

IGNITE is a student organization of Trinity’s Women and Gender Resource Action Center (WGRAC) whose mission is to empower students and foster leadership development, with a focus on those who identify as women. The national IGNITE organization sponsors speakers, programs, and projects that empower and inspire students to take on leadership roles on campus, while preparing them to achieve their leadership goals post-graduation. While IGNITE has been an active organization at Trinity for five years, “IGNITE THE VOTE” is new this fall.

“This is the first presidential election that I’m going to be able to vote in,” Meslow said, “and I’m excited to be on a college campus during this time.”

Laura Lockwood M’95, director of WGRAC, said, “I’m aware that some students don’t feel this election will affect them or don’t think their vote matters… but because it’s a civil right that people fight for every day in this country, it should not be taken for granted.”

Lockwood added that she sees the need for all women to be heard in this election. “Issues of reproductive justice, identity-based violence, LGBTQIA+ rights, sexual and domestic violence, maternal death rates, femicide, critical race theory, gender-skewed wages, rights of undocumented persons, and more must be part of the dialogue leading up to any election, but especially this one,” she said. “We all need to honor, trust and respect all women’s voices, power, and agency, while centering marginalized communities.”

IGNITE at Trinity is planning more events before the November election, including a postcard-writing event in which students can send messages to voters in swing states. Another event in the works will give students the chance to learn about the presidential candidates’ stances on domestic violence. IGNITE is planning to hold a post-election discussion on campus, as well.

Trinity was recognized earlier this semester with a bronze award from the nonprofit ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for achieving high levels of student voter participation in the 2022 midterm elections, and is aiming to increase participation in 2024.

In addition to the “IGNITE THE VOTE” initiative, Trinity students volunteered at a National Voter Registration Day event on the Gates Quad on September 17 to provide information on voter registration and absentee ballots. The event was organized by TrinVotes!, a nonpartisan initiative to make the voting process more accessible and to promote civic engagement among Trinity students.

Jacqueline Kozin, Connecticut’s deputy secretary of the state, was in attendance, helping to inform students about the voting process. Kozin said, “Our votes are our voices, and we really need to have everybody at the table helping to influence policy making decisions.”

With his unique perspective as an elected lawmaker, Jason Rojas M’12—associate vice president for external affairs and chief of staff to the president at Trinity, a member of the TrinVotes! initiative, and majority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives—spoke to students about the impact that voting has on the way the country is run.

“Whether you vote here in Connecticut or at home doesn’t matter to us; what we want to do is help to provide resources for you to achieve that goal,” said Rojas. “There are a lot of people making decisions on your behalf, and you should have a say in who those people are.”

Juan Rayo ’27, Caitlin Doherty ’26, and Maliah Ryan ’25 were volunteering as student members of TrinVotes! to help their classmates get registered.

“We wanted to make the voting process clearer for students,” said Ryan, who added that there can be some confusion about voting by mail and absentee ballots.

Rayo said, “Voting, for me, is the most sacred right in our democracy, and I believe that all other rights in the United States are derived from the right to vote.”

Doherty added, “A lot of my friends from different states and even here in Connecticut don’t know the steps they need to take to be able to vote.”

Some students in attendance also expressed their opinions on what voting means to them. “Change only happens from the bottom up,” said Ellie Gordon ’26. “I think there is a lot on the line in this election, not just for me but for my future children and grandchildren.”

The president for the Class of 2027, Jimmy Balboni ’27, said, “The biggest thing that anyone can do is make your voice known.”

Efforts to encourage student voter registration and student voting in general have been abundant on Trinity’s campus this fall. Even Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney addressed faculty and students regarding the value of voting. “Remember, voting is more than just a civic duty—it’s a chance to make a real impact on the world around you,” she said in a letter to the campus community on National Voter Registration Day. “Your participation matters, and together, we can drive positive change.”

To register to vote or to check your voter registration status, click here.