As the November midterm elections approach, some Columbia students living away from their home states are deciding where to register and cast their ballots.
Olivia Kohler, a junior acting major from Kentucky, voted in her home state last year but is considering registering in Illinois.
“I kind of want to do Illinois,” Kohler said. “I did Kentucky last year. I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out.”
Melissa Gamble, faculty advisor for Columbia Votes and an associate professor in the School of Fashion, said Columbia Votes is helping students register while also connecting out-of-state voters with nonpartisan information about mail-in voting and election laws in their home states.
“It’s not so much tied to an issue as it is tied to where people are getting their information,” said Gamble, adding that social media is often not a reliable source for election information.
Illinois residents can currently register online, by mail or in person, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Illinois voters will face a range of state and local races in the Nov. 3 midterm election, including contests for governor, U.S. Senate, the Illinois General Assembly and Cook County Offices. Chicago voters will also elect members of the Chicago Board of Education, including the board president, in the first election in which the entire school board is elected by the city’s voters.
Claire Bald, a senior marketing major involved with Columbia Votes, said the amount of information surrounding elections can be overwhelming.
“I think Gen Z has an expectation to know everything,” Bald said. “And I think we’re a little bit afraid of asking questions.”
Bald said Columbia Votes wants students to feel comfortable asking questions, because even a small hesitance could prevent someone from registering or voting.
Bald also said student interest has increased this semester. During a Columbia Votes event for Chicago’s local elections last year, she said there was hardly any attendance. This semester, students have approached their tables to register.
Some students said elections outside of presidential races are also especially important to them.
“There are so many things that can only be blocked or protected within the statewide elections and the statewide government,” said Anna Cameron, a senior comedy writing and performance major registered in North Carolina.
Zander Mattke, a sophomore music composition for media major registered in Wisconsin, said the competitiveness of elections in his home state motivates him to participate.
Wisconsin voters will choose a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer in the Nov. 3 general election. Voters will also elect all 99 members of the Wisconsin State Assembly, 17 state senators and representatives for all eight of the state’s congressional districts. The election will be the first since 2010 in which Wisconsin has an open race for governor, as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is not seeking reelection.
“People think that their vote doesn’t matter, but it does,” Mattke said.
Research from Unite America supports concerns that voters may feel their ballots have little influence. The organization found that in 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast what it defines as a “meaningful vote” which influenced the outcome of the U.S. House race.
Gamble said young voters can have significant influence when they participate, but students may underestimate the effect of the elections closer to home.
“A lot of people don’t realize how much actually happens at the local and state level,” Gamble said, “and how much those elections really impact our daily lives and choices that we can and can’t make.”
For more information, visit Columbia Votes.
Copy edited by Isaac Russo
