Voter Registration in McEwen organized by HamVotes | Anne Petrova '27 for The Monitor
In the wake of National Voter Registration Day, groups at Hamilton College have made sweeping efforts to increase voter registration and election awareness on campus. New York’s voter registration deadline is quickly approaching on October 26th, as are many other states’. Many students, whether registering for the first time, or already registered, face a new conflict: Do they register in their hometowns or at their new college address?
HamVotes, a non-partisan organization, is working to promote election participation among Hamilton students. “Students have the option to register at their home address or the college’s address,” a HamVotes representative said to The Monitor. “[NY-22] is a very contentious district and that may make a difference for some students. We just ask that if students choose to vote here that they register with us.”
Hamilton College is located in the town of Clinton in Oneida County. It is in New York’s 22nd Congressional District (NY-22), 53rd NYS Senate District (SD53), and 122nd NYS Assembly District. Although New York as a whole has historically elected officials from the Democratic party, this particular district tends to be a “swing district” with regular switches between republican and democratic representation in Congress and state legislature. In the 2020 congressional election there was a 109 vote margin between the winning candidate, Republican Claudia Tenney, and her opponent, Democrat Anthony Brindisi. According to the NYS Board of Elections, there are 44,534 Democrats and 53,399 Republicans in Oneida County.
This November, there are multiple major races that Oneida residents can vote in, including the Presidential, Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly elections.
The Hamilton College Democrats have been urging students to vote in Hamilton College’s district instead of their home district because of its “swing” status. However if they are from a more competitive state such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, they have stated students should maintain their votership there.
“It is incredibly important for students who come from Democratic strongholds to register to vote here,” said Liam Card, Co-President of Hamilton College Democrats.“Even though New York [State] is likely to go blue for the Presidential Election, the Congressional race holds a tremendous amount of influence. This is a race where students at Hamilton College can make a significant difference.”
Although organizations supporting the Democratic Party have been the most assertive about wanting students to register in swing districts, republicans are also vying for votes in these regions. Much of Donald Trump’s campaign efforts have been focused similarly in “swing” districts.
Ultimately, it is a student’s decision to determine where they feel they should vote. Many students from outside New York are choosing to vote at home.
“I’m from Florida, so I feel my vote matters more there than here,” said Briana Martin ‘28.“Regardless of political party, people should want their votes to make the biggest impact they can.”
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