By Sophie Lange, Staff Writer
On Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., students were offered an opportunity to register to vote in Pennsylvania. The event, which was held on Stine Lake, was originally supposed to take place on Oct. 4 but was postponed due to weather. This event, which was hosted by the College’s Center for Public Service in collaboration with the Eisenhower Institute and the Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society, encouraged students to exercise their right to vote.
One of the event coordinators, Anthony Choi ’23, commented “we are at a critical time of the year when our vote matters.”
Choi recommended that students register to vote as soon as possible if they have not already. Free donuts from Ziggy’s Donutz were also available for any student, regardless of whether they registered to vote. Based on the long line for the truck, it was clear that many students took advantage of this opportunity.
The upcoming Pennsylvania election has been in the news frequently, as the current gubernatorial race is intensely competitive. Because Pennsylvania is considered a swing state, election results are highly unpredictable.
Many students at Gettysburg from states around the country feel strongly about voting and the election.
Charlie Henry ’26 spoke on the importance of democracy, saying, “The continuation of the great American experiment with free government relies on its renewal with each and every generation. Casting a ballot on election day is, of course, not the only way we do this, but it plays a hugely important part in instilling these necessary civil values. Democracies are built on the legitimate consent of the people, and participating in free and fair elections is the single most important way we the people ensure [the] government represents our values.”
Henry continued, “Everyone should register to vote in Pennsylvania. I guarantee that your safe blue state is going to stay blue and that your safe red state is going to stay red this election. The outcome is never certain in Pennsylvania, so your ballot will go a lot farther here.”
This contest is part of a larger initiative for student organizations, athletic teams, and Greek organizations to compete to register the most people in their groups to vote.
The deadline to register in Pennsylvania for the 2022 election is Oct. 24, and the elections will be held on Nov. 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those registered with their school addresses who want to vote in person should do so in the College Union Building ballroom.
