Public Service Club Encourages UWG and Community to Vote!

As midterm elections approach in Georgia, UWG’s Public Service Club is making sure all students on campus are registered and ready to vote.

This election has the potential to change Georgia’s political landscape, with positions for governor and the entire state legislature open for election. This, coupled with intense polarization over the past years, many candidates and organizations have been pushing the public to register to vote, including UWG’s Public Service Club.

“Georgia is in a pretty interesting period of history,” said Justin Jones, president of the Public Service Club. “We are considered by many to be a purple state, and we believe this is the best opportunity for everyone to register to vote and get their voices heard.”

A purple state refers to the diversity between Republican and Democratic leaders within the state’s government, a notion that became associated with Georgia when the state went blue for Biden in 2020 and elected two democrats to the state senate to join the majority republican representatives. Now, Georgia could have its first democratic governor in nearly 20 years. With everything at stake, it’s especially important that voters know how and where to vote.

“We believe your voice matters, and as a nonpartisan organization, we should promote options which often promote opinions,” said Jones. “Most importantly, we need to educate people on why voting is important.”

The Public Service club has hosted several events over the past week to get students ready to vote. A mock election was hosted by the club that educated students about Georgia’s government. A voter registration drive was held in the grassy triangle where anyone could learn about their registration status and find their voting precinct location.

 This was especially helpful to college students, who might be unfamiliar with their status as new voters and could be living far away from their usual polling place. Students who live on campus have the option to vote at West Commons, so long as they are registered to vote in Carroll County.

As the next generation comes of age, the political landscape of the United States has great potential to change. According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, 1.5 million people registered to vote in the last four years, many of them being young people and minorities. With today’s easy access to information and education, more people than ever are motivated to vote.

While it is too late to register to vote in the midterm elections, prospective voters can register at anytime online at https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcometoga.do#no-back-button. Oct. 28 is the last day to request an absentee ballot for those unable to travel to their polling location on voting day. Early voting began on Oct. 17 and goes until Nov. 4th. Election day is Nov. 8th.

Get out there and get your voice heard!