From republicans to democrats and political action committees to lobbyists, many Americans are determined to instigate political change. As college students newly-endowed with the power to vote, we have the opportunity to have our opinions heard and to understand the impact we can have on our government.
Members of the Geneseo chapter of Democracy Matters recognize this responsibility and have teamed up with other students throughout the nation on a mission to reform American elections.
According to senior Kate Harlin, the campus coordinator of Democracy Matters, the organization is a “national, non-partisan political organization that works to promote publicly owned elections.”
Democracy Matters has chapters across the United States that strive to “make sure candidates are more beholden to their constituents” and less influenced by the corporations and special interest groups that throw funds at their campaigns. Democracy Matters aims to ensure that all citizens have an equal say in who is elected to office.
Members accomplish their goals by petitioning and holding drives, such as a Labor Day Ice Cream Social, to encourage voter registration among Geneseo students. So far this semester, they have registered about 35 new voters and will be actively recruiting more until the registration deadline on Oct.14. Later in the semester, the executive director of the national Democracy Matters organization, Joan Mandel, will be visiting Geneseo. In the spring, members will take two trips to Albany to meet with other Democracy Matters students and lobby New York politicians for their cause.
Harlin, a political science major herself, recommended that “anybody who is interested in politics or feels that there is a specific issue that isn’t getting enough political attention” should consider joining.
“It was a cool way to get involved with a cause that I believed in,” Harlin said. She said that she was interested in becoming an activist and understanding the specifics of grassroots organizing.
“I’ve learned a lot about how the government works, how to lobby and how to rally people around a cause,” she said.
Harlin proudly stated that her favorite part of participating in the organization was “meeting people both in [Geneseo] and outside of [Geneseo] who are passionate about political change, people who are excited and feel like they can do something.” For those who wish to foster change, Harlin said that Democracy Matters is a great opportunity.
The organization meets on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. in College Union Room 322.