Club urges students to register and vote

Midterm elections are coming up in early November and Pacific University’s College Democrats are encouraging students to register to vote before the Oct. 16 deadline.

“We’re electing every single house representative and one third of the senate federally,” President of College Democrats Sophia O’Neal said.

College Democrats have set up tables at the club fair and in the University Center (UC) during lunch and dinner hours to register students to vote in Oregon or in their home states. They have also hosted Washington County Commissioners Chair Candidates Bob Terry and Kathryn Harrington to discuss issues such as growth, conservation, water resources, traffic and land use in Washington County.

“Midterms don’t get a lot of attention traditionally because they’re not as glamorous as presidential races and people don’t think they’re as important,” O’Neal said. “They’re very wrong to believe that.”

This midterm election is particularly significant election for the Democratic Party because the Republican Party currently holds the majority in all three branches of government. If the democrats can win enough seats in the midterms, it can swing the vote on many issues including whether or not Brett Kavanaugh is voted in as the new supreme court justice.

There is also a big push for young people to vote this election cycle. Voters are starting to demand more from the people who represent them in both parties.

“We need to have people in there that are going to do things that will protect citizens and help communities thrive on their own,” O’Neal said.

The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last February became a catalyst for young people to register to vote and make their voices heard in the polls. Pacific University participated in the Nationwide Walkout to Gun Violence in Schools last spring. During the event, College Democrats had a table set up registering students and faculty to vote.

“They are such crucial players that often get overlooked and the midterms  are a really important opportunity for us to do something about it,” O’Neal said.