SGA promotes civic duty with ‘Turbo Vote’

The West Virginia University Student Government Association has initiated the new program, Turbo Vote, to encourage students to head to the polls this election season.

Turbo Vote is a program designed to reach out to young people and encourage them to vote in elections.

"Turbo Vote makes it really easy to register to vote and also keep up with your voter registration," said SGA Board of Governors member Christian Guy.

Along with encouraging young adults to vote, Turbo Vote helps students register, obtains absentee ballots and even sends students reminders about upcoming elections.

Contrary to common belief, Guy said, no one can vote online in an election, so Turbo Vote makes the process much easier by directly mailing ballots to home addresses.

SGA has been working with other WVU organizations to encourage students to vote in the 2012 presidential elections, and members believe teaming with Turbo Vote is a great option for students.

"We talked to Turbo Vote representatives and decided it would be something nice to pursue," Guy said. "It’s a lot easier than registering on your own, and you can also get an absentee ballot. People who live in New York, for example, now won’t have to drive home on the weekend to vote."

The service also works with other institutions, including the University of Kentucky, Harvard University and Georgetown University. The service is free to WVU students, as long as they sign up using their MIX email.

"Signing up for Turbo Vote is free, but our SGA has to pay a small fee in order to operate the website for all WVU students," said SGA President Zach Redding.

Redding and Guy said they believe students’ participation in local, state and national elections is vital for the future.

"I feel that voting is important for students because it gives each one of us a voice in issues and matters that we care about and that affect us," Redding said.

"It’s really important for students to vote, especially in presidential elections, because though we are in college, the outcome will directly affect us," Guy said.

Students who have already registered to vote in their hometown may still sign up for Turbo Vote to receive election reminders and schedules.

For more information and to sign up for Turbo Vote services, visit www.wvu.turbovote.org/register.