Photo Courtesy of Hannah Walls
By Amber Louis
TAMPA, Fla. — Oct. 5 is the deadline to register to vote in Hillsborough County, and the University of Tampa’s Student Government and UTampa Votes are preparing students from all states. Early voting takes place from Oct. 19 to Nov. 2. Election Day is on Nov. 3.
According to The Civics Center, “In 2024, only 44% of 18-year-olds were registered. This means more than 2 million 18-year-olds are left out of both presidential elections and midterms in every cycle simply because they aren’t registered. That’s compared to ~75% for Americans ages 45 and above.”
Ellie Arthur, senior coordinator for civic engagement intern and community engagement, gives her stance urging the simple yet influential action that comes from voting.
Hillsborough County Voting Representative Ryan Bashore and Ellie Arthur, ‘27, speak to students about the process of being registered to vote as an out-of-state student.
“Voting is something I feel like we all take for granted, and in a democracy the people have the power, and voting is an easy expression of that power,” Arthur said. “As a generation, decisions that are being made now are going to be affecting us for the rest of our lives, and we should care… The state and local elections that happen more often are directly impacting our everyday lives.”
The first step is registering. You can visit votehillsborough.gov to register at least 29 days before an election. Students can register under their collegiate address on that same web page.
Representatives from Hillsborough County participated in the school event for Constitution Day, alongside UTSG and UTampa Votes. They gave out informational flyers, stickers, and various UTampa accessories. County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer expressed how important it is to help students through the voting process.
“We are always happy to be on campus at UTampa, because we know that for many of you, this will be your very first election,” Latimer said. “We want you to participate and keep participating in elections throughout your life. And we want to take the mystery out of voting. It’s quick and easy, and you can find information about when, where, and how to vote on my website, VoteHillsborough.gov.”
UTampa could be directly affected by decisions made by its local government. Latimer speaks to students in this upcoming election.
“Our elected officials make decisions about taxes, about law and order, about what gets funded, and more,” Latimer said. “So every election, you should be looking at which candidates have ideas and priorities that make sense to you, and have values that align with yours.”
Photo Courtesy of Hannah Walls
Arthur leads the UTampa Votes event alongside Hillsborough County and UTSG.
Voting by mail is also open to UTampa students. Vote-by-mail ballots must be in a Hillsborough County voting office by 7 p.m. in order to be honored.
Regardless of party affiliation, UTampa students can vote based on what they believe they want for their university and city. Arthur elaborates on this.
“I realize that politics is very tumultuous, and that may turn people off from it, but at the end of the day local, state, and federal politics affect every part of our lives, and the people should have their voices heard the most,” Arthur said.
Latimer puts emphasis on the importance of a single vote, even at a young age.
“Everyone’s vote is important. If you skip the election, you’re letting other people make decisions for you, and why would you want to do that?” Latimer said. “Elections have been won — or lost — by a single vote, so your vote definitely matters.”