This election season, ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State Today will feature a series of stories about voting on campus, sharing information about how and where to vote, first-time student voters, important event dates and deadlines.
Trevor Martin is member of ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Stateβs Class of 2004 and is currently the campaign coordinator for the League of Women Voters of Ohio.
Martin has been driving an Ohio-made Airstream trailer around the state on a tour of more than 20 Ohio colleges to register students to vote, provide nonpartisan info about what will be on Ohioβs ballot, and to give students the information they need to be confident and informed this election year.
He will be returning to ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ as the League of Women Voters of Ohioβs Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power Tour arrives at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State on Oct. 7 β the final day of voter registration.
The trailer is scheduled to arrive at about 9:30 a.m. on the Esplanade near the DI Hub on Monday and will offer opportunities for students to find out more about the candidates, ballot issues and, if they are not yet registered to vote, fill out voter registration forms and have them submitted before the deadline of 9 p.m. on Oct. 7.
βYoung People Care Deeplyβ
βWeβve engaged with thousands of students about this election β how to be a voter, whatβs on the ballot, and whatβs at stake for their futures,β Martin said.
βThereβs a misconception that young folks are disinterested or don't care about elections, but what we've found couldn't be any further from the truth,β he said. βYoung people care deeply. They have issues that are of immense concern to them, and they want to be involved in the policy decisions that are shaping their future. Our future.β
Martin said, βWeβve been so impressed with the interest students have shown us. I couldnβt be happier with how things have been going and I am so thrilled to top it off, on Oct. 7, the final day of voter registration, at my alma mater, ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ!β
His Passion for Activism Began at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State
Counting himself as a βproud alumnus of ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ,β Martin said that he loved the time he spent at ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State and that he made sure to take advantage of every opportunity the university had to offer.
He graduated, summa cum laude, with university honors, in 2004 with a bachelorβs in psychology, a minor in religion studies and a minor in political science. Martin credits his participation in ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Stateβs Columbus Program in State Issues as inspiring his interest and eventual career in governmental policy and community organizing.
βIβm really looking forward to coming back to the campus, spending time talking with students, and giving back to my community of Flashes,β he said. βAs a former student. I know that ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State has a history, a tradition, and prides itself on students being very involved with the policies of the day. I am eager to hear about those, to talk to students about any concerns, and to answer any questions they have about voter registration.
βI Have Never Felt So Optimisticβ
Martinβs tour of Ohio colleges and universities has left him with a good feeling about how engaged and interested students are about voting and the election process. βAs we wrap up our tour, I have never felt so optimistic about young people and their passion for civic participation,β he said. βI want to thank all the local leagues whoβve made these events the successes that they have been, to the colleges, universities, and community stakeholders that have helped us coordinate this, and especially to the students for inspiring us!β
βGolden Flashes, get registered, make a plan, and get out to vote!β