This week, the new CougarVotes club at the College of Charleston held its first meeting! The meeting was led by co-founders Lucas Moyon and Grace Kern, two freshmen in the Honors College at CofC. For a new club, there was a great turnout—around twenty people were in attendance, and even more had expressed interest! After listening to Lucas and Grace talk about the club’s mission, I have no doubt it will rapidly grow in membership. Here’s what the two founders had to say about the club’s purpose and their plans for its future!
What is CougarVotes?
“CougarVotes is a nonpartisan student group committed to registering as many College of Charleston students to vote as possible. We hope to increase voter registration and voter turnout rates among young potential voters by providing the following services: voter registration drives, help with filing absentee ballot requests, information regarding upcoming elections, and information regarding political candidates and issues on the ballot. Our vision for the club extends far beyond the impending 2020 Presidential election; we hope to see CofC students participating heavily in local, state, and federal elections for years to come (yes, even on ‘off’Â years! There are always ways to participate!).”
How and why was CougarVotes founded?
“We believe that as a liberal arts college in an early primary state (South Carolina), the College of Charleston holds the potential to be a model institution for civic engagement and voter participation in the state of South Carolina and the country as a whole. We founded CougarVotes to serve as an instrument of change, with the hopes of making that goal a reality. The voice of young voters matters now more than ever before, and we want to help register and motivate a record number of new voters. We hope to eliminate any stress or fear that comes with the voter registration process and to inspire a more politically engaged campus!”
What will members of Cougar Votes do?
“Members of CougarVotes serve as Voting Ambassadors. Tabling at events around campus in order to register new voters and bringing the democratic process into daily dialogue are just some of the ways to get involved. Members are expected to attend bi-weekly meetings and help out with tabling hours and other commitments, but we are flexible.”
How can I get involved?
“If you are interested in joining the CougarVotes team, please reach out to Lucas Moyon (moyonls@g.cofc.edu) or Grace Kern (kerngs@g.cofc.edu); we are looking for more enthusiastic and motivated Voting Ambassadors!”
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*This interview has been compressed by the author and edited. All original content remains.
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Be sure to follow CougarVotes on Instagram at @cougarvotescofc!
To register to vote, go online at https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/.