BY TANNER PASI, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As the 2022 mid-term and state elections approach, American citizens everywhere have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
“Voting is the most important thing you can do as an American. That’s the only way your voice can truly be heard. You are deciding who is going to be representing you,” said Thomas Buttafarro, the director of government and community relations at St. Bonaventure University.
The Voter Registration Drive is an event held each year on campus, which Buttafarro currently leads. In order to keep elections as fair as possible, all voters are required to register within their state of residency. This year, The Voter Registration Drive took place in the lobby of Plassmann Hall from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21.
National Voter Registration Day was on Sept. 20. As St. Bonaventure is a member of the National Voter Registration Day organization, the drive acts as a way to get more people registered to vote. The important step of registering to vote is one people may overlook or be entirely unaware of. Buttafarro uses the drive to give students another method to get registered to vote.
“We have a physical booth as a way to interact with students and get them to ask questions…A lot of students may not understand the process so it gives them more one-on-one,” said Buttafarro.
However, some may approach voting with feelings of apathy.
For students, Buttafarro said, “[At St. Bonaventure,] you’re getting a good education. You can use that knowledge to get a better understanding of what your beliefs are, what is important to you, and that [voting] allows you to be able to share that.”
In an election, each vote contributes to the outcome, no matter how many voters participate.
“Every year you will see instances around the country via local elections or even federal elections that will come down to just a handful of votes… so you want to do it because you never know what impact your vote will do,” said Buttafarro.
Even though this year’s Voter Registration Drive has passed, there is still time to be heard in the upcoming elections. For students, there is a voter registration booth at the library, which is available to use at any time, regardless of whether it is election season or not. Future voters can also register via mail, at a nearby election office, or online by visiting https://www.usvotefoundation.org, clicking on the arrow at the top of the page next to “VOTER SERVICES” and then selecting “Voter Registration.”
