I’m an international student at SU, so I can’t vote in the U.S. election, but I want to help out the best I can. How can I help?
Election Day is just around the corner, and, for many American citizens, it’s a big deal. A lot is on the line this year, and it’s natural for everyone, including non-American citizens, to be worried about the future.
First of all, I think it’s great that you’re trying to help out. This election is pivotal for the future of the U.S., and it’s important for anyone who’s interested to help. Here’s a few ways to help out as an international student who’s unable to vote in this year’s election:
- Search for political organizations on campus that interest you
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For whichever party or organization you most align with, there’s a good chance that Syracuse has an organization for you. For the main political parties in the U.S., the university has College Democrats at SU and The College Republicans at SU that you can look into. Engaging in conversations within the SU community is a great way for you to meet new people and foster discussions for our community.
- remind people to register to vote
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For college students with American citizenship, you can register to vote from anywhere around the world. Because many college students spend the majority of the year between two locations, qualifying students have the opportunity to choose their voting area. When reminding people to vote, also remind people to think about where they’d like to vote. Though New York is democratic every election year, students may want to vote in their home state if their state leans against their personal political affiliation – especially if students live in a swing state. For students studying abroad this semester, they can vote through an absentee ballot. Making sure that abroad students are well-informed about this is key!
More importantly, no one can vote without registering. For some states, online registration to vote has passed, but some states allow people to register fairly close to Election Day. Check here for official deadlines.
Spreading the word to other students about registering to vote, whether through political organizations on campus or by yourself, is a great way to remind people. We all know that things can get busy when you’re in college, so making QR codes or easy access links for people would be a great start!
- Volunteer before and/or on election day
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There are tons of ways to volunteer from now until Election Day on a wide scale. If you want to stay local, organizations like the League of Women Voters of Syracuse Metropolitan Area are always looking for volunteers. Furthermore, you can ask students and faculty on-campus, like the people at the Student Engagement office, to ask more questions about local places you can volunteer for. On a national scale, both the DNC and RNC have volunteer opportunities like phone and text banks. If none of these options pique your interest, using what you already have, like your social media accounts, are great ways to volunteer towards our society.
- educate yourself and others
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Education is an incredibly powerful resource and gift, so use your knowledge to create conversation within your community. Whether your community is the Syracuse community in itself or a smaller group of people, it’s important to generate conversation. In order for conversation to continue, however, make sure you inform yourself on current events and stay on top of local news as well.
Though it’s important to discuss current news and the upcoming election, feeling frustration or anger when talking about politics can occur. Remember that not everyone comes from the same background and to always hear other people’s discussions, even if you don’t agree with them.
Good luck, and you got this!