Students are one of the largest and most diverse demographics in the country, but also have the lowest voter turnout. That’s true in a typical election year, and with a pandemic occurring, student voting rates could be abysmal this year. In order for democracy to function, we must ensure as many people vote in order for our elected officials to truly represent the people. Students face more challenges today than ever before: high student debt, climate change, a mental health crisis and now an economic recession.

Suffolk University has an impressive record of student voter turnout, but with this upcoming school year being a mixture of online and in-person classes, we may not have the desired turnout. I’m working with StudentPIRGs on the New Voters Project to ensure students turn out to vote this year, and on our campus, SuffolkVotes has an established coalition to achieve that exact goal.

Whether you’ve been involved in politics for a while, have become recently active with the Black Lives Matter protests, or feel like you don’t have the capacity to create change, I urge each and every one of you to vote. It’s such a small but powerful ability that is central to our democracy, and it will make a positive change. Check out Suffolk Votes on Suffolk University’s website and make sure you are registered to vote, learn how to request an absentee ballot and register to vote online if you’re not already.