Jackson State: Hotbed of Voter Registration PDF Print E-mail
By Denise Black -- Black College Wire   

Approximately 1,500 students had registered to vote this semester at Jackson State University by late September.

Even those who were not yet 18 but who would be 18 years old by election day were eligible to register.

Lafayounda J. Brooks, president of the NAACP on campus, and a sophomore political science major from Macon, Miss., said his group had been doing its part to inform students on the Jackson State campus to register by this the deadline. Several activities, including door-to-door canvassing by Greek-letter organizations and a music night on the plaza, were planned to try to register additional students.

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Cierra Tabb/Blue&White Flash
Voter registration at JSU
"We have been mobilizing within all campus dorms and major buildings, stressing the importance of registering to vote. We want to leave them with a lasting impact to execute their right," he said.

Edwin Quinn, associate dean for student development at JSU, said 1,500 students had registered to vote since August. He added that students are encouraged to register for the JSU precinct, but if they wanted to register for their home address, they were able to do so.

Brooks added that he stressed to all students the importance of registering to vote on campus. "Even the students who live in the Palisades can be classified as long as they have a J-number," he stated. It will be more convenient on election day, he noted.

JSU has a voting precinct on campus. Precinct 49 is located in the TV Room on the second floor of the Student Center. According to the Hinds county election commission, there are 1,725 registered voters on campus.

Dillon Robinson, JSU Student Government Association President, said: "Our biggest focus was during Welcome Week 2008 with the incoming freshman class informing them that if they were old enough that there was a voting precinct on campus. We have been working with the Division of Student Life doing forums and lectures."

Denise Black writes for the Blue & White Flash, the Jackson State University student newspaper, which originally published this article.
Posted Oct. 26, 2008
 
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