Young Democrats bring political awareness to campus with voter registration drive

By Kelly L. Griffith
News Editor

The Young Democrats of UNCP finalized plans on March 24 to host a voter registration drive around campus and the town of Pembroke in the next two weeks.

President David Griffin said the group voiced an interest in spreading political awareness at the first meeting in mid February.

The10-member organization has been in existence since the SGA meeting on Feb. 25. The vote was unanimous after constitution changes were made.

Despite the affiliated political party, in an email sent to the organizations on campus Griffin said the drive was not to sway votes.

“This is not a political opportunity for our group to push our party’s agenda but a
drive to give all our local American citizens the opportunity to express their rights as pertained in the Constitution of the United States,” Griffin said.

Griffin said it is important for other organizations on campus to participate because the election in November will affect all UNCP students in the future.

“Everything that happens in November, as far as the elections, will greatly affect students in the long run. Voting is your natural right, given by the Constitution and if you don’t take advantage of that, then your voice is not heard,” Griffin said.

Young Democrats Vice President Thomas Mann said college students will be most affected by the elections.

“The college-age demographic is the most politically inactive demographic when in fact we stand to gain or lose the most,” Mann said.

The College Republicans as well as NAACP and HOME have expressed interest in helping with the drive. Griffin said he has not had much response, but hopes to get more students involved with the cause.

A council would be set up with a representative from each organization to help in the planning of the registration drive.

“We don’t plan on having just one drive. We really just want to inundate the campus with possibilities to register,” Mann said.

Griffin said he hopes to make students more aware of political concerns.

“I want to bring the issues before the students of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke that greatly affect their future and aspirations, like education, tuition increases, jobs, Iraq and many others,” Griffin said.