As the voter registration deadline approaches on Oct. 14, Narissa Hampton, junior in political science pre-law, is prioritizing spreading the word of the deadline, highlighting the impact students in Manhattan have on local voting and the process that goes into meeting the deadline. 

“Obviously, it’s important for everybody in the community [to vote], but especially for students,” she said. “I feel like a lot of students don’t register to vote locally because they are registered to vote in their hometowns.”

Hampton partners with Loud Light, a non-profit organization focused on increasing youth civic participation and building a community for people who feel underrepresented in elections, to help educate students about the upcoming local election.

Hampton said taxes are a reason to pay attention to local voting. Considering that students live in their college town for most of the year, she discussed what students should be aware of regarding how their tax dollars are spent. 

“You pay your taxes here, even if you’re just going to school and not a permanent resident,” Hampton said. “The taxes you pay go to the school district, wherever you shop and buy groceries, rent and other housing costs, so you might as well advocate that those dollars be used to positively impact your community through voting.”  

As a handful of students, especially freshmen, will be first-time voters in the Nov. 4 local election, Hampton shared some advice on preparation before registering, beginning with requesting an advance ballot in the mail. 

“This ensures that, especially with school in session, you don’t have to worry about going and making the time to go in person. … If you get the ballot at home, you can do your own research.”

The next step, Hampton said, is to set aside time to research the candidates and discover their positions on specific topics.

 “Spend one night with your friends and look up candidates; you can even call local candidates if your town is small,” Hampton said. 

Loud Light serves as a valuable resource for unbiased voting, Hampton said. 

“We are not trying to get anyone to vote a certain way … we can give people a little peace of mind that the information they’re seeing is as accurate as we can get it,” Hampton stated. 

Along with researching which candidates to vote for, Hampton recommends considering when to arrive at the polling station to cast your vote. 

“Making a voting plan and getting there early during your day can help ease some nerves because you’re not worried about being behind a huge line or a rush,” she said. “When you’re doing your research, make sure you have details of the hours polling stations are open.” 

Hampton shared that not many out-of-state students are aware of their ability to register to vote in Kansas while also keeping their home state registration.

Lastly, Hampton urges students to encourage their friends to take the same steps to vote this November and acknowledge their impact on their community. 

“After you vote or you send in the mail-in ballot, I always recommend that people take a photo with their ‘I Voted’ sticker and their friends to celebrate that they voted,” Hampton said. “I think that’s something that is worth celebrating, especially because a lot of young people don’t vote anymore. It’s good to ask your peers to do the same.”