Georgia Tech Students Lead Voter Registration Effort

As Georgia’s voter registration deadline approaches, student organizations at Georgia Tech mobilized at the John Lewis Student Center and Tech Walkway to encourage civic engagement in the coming election.  

Hosted on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, nonpartisan student groups collaborated to host voter registration drives, all united in their mission to make student voices heard in policy decisions. 

When asked about Voters of Tomorrow at GT (VOT at GT)'s motivations for participating in the drive, Alexa Bowman Olay, a third-year public policy student and president of the group, discussed the importance of making voter registration readily available to students. 

“With the presidential election happening while we’re here, we knew it was important to have voter registration accessible to students on campus. We worked with CultiVote, SGA, and a couple of other organizations to get Fulton County out here to make it easier for out-of-state and in-state students to learn how to register to vote and to actively do so,” Bowman Olay said.  

The clubs were equipped with voter registration applications for those with a valid Georgia driver’s license or the last four digits of their social security number, enabling students to fill out the form promptly and on-site. Students with additional questions could refer to club members or the resource guide curated by VOT at GT.  

Lillian Hanson, a third-year public policy and industrial and systems engineering student and the vice president of VOT at GT, discussed how the organization planned to engage students who may be hesitant to register. “As a nonpartisan club, we tried to promote voting in general, rather than from a partisan view — like you have to vote for one candidate in particular,” she explained. 

Bowman Olay and Hanson hoped that the drives would also promote young voters’ empowerment. “Young voters are so foundational to democracy. We are the future, and we are at Georgia Tech because we know we are the future and want to be successful and continue moving forward in society,” Bowman Olay said. 

Hanson added, “I would like to see young voters make their voices heard. Eighteen- to 25-year-olds are still the lowest voter turnout group, which we are seeking to improve. I think that a higher voter turnout for young voters will increase our visibility in politics in general and encourage politicians to address the issues that matter most to us.”  

According to VOT at GT’s Instagram, they, along with CultiVote and SGA, helped 78 new voters register on Oct. 7.  

Georgia’s voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 7. To check your voter registration status or register, refer to mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.