Registration RV draws students

On Indiana’s last day of voter registration, the Rock the Vote Roadtrip RV rolled onto campus.

Armed with clipboards and conviction, workers spent the afternoon registering as many potential voters as possible around Showalter Fountain.

Sophomores Kathleen Ray and Megan McCullough came to volunteer together. Ray signed up to volunteer online and pulled McCullough in Tuesday. Despite the short notice, she said she was happy to help out.

“The biggest way you can have your voice heard is voting,” McCullough said. “It’s definitely a big deal to me.”

The pair lingered on the sidewalk, trying to draw in passing students. They told students it would only take a few moments. They told them it was easy. They told them today would be their last chance.

Some responded, taking the clipboards and submitting forms that would be sent to voter registration offices in their state. Others said they hadn’t registered yet and kept walking.

McCullough said she didn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to register.  
The timing of the RV’s arrival was partly coincidental, Tour Manager Michelle Clark said. They knew they would be stopping at an Indiana campus but did not know the specific school.

“We definitely wanted to make sure we got here before the deadline,” Clark said.

The group coordinated with Union Board, whose Debates and Issues Committee invited them to campus. Debates and Issues Director Eric Farr said planning came down to choosing one of two dates in October.

“It was either the 8th or the 9th, and we figured with the sense of urgency more people would register to vote on the 9th,” Farr said. “I think it was a really good turnout.”

Rock the Vote’s Roadtrip RV focuses on registering voters but encourages them to make it to the polls as well.

DJ Tyler Goulet played music until noise complaints led the IU Police Department to temporarily silence him. He queued the music back up, but at a lower volume to avoid disturbing surrounding classrooms, after speaking with officers, Clark said.

Inside the RV, which was emblazoned with an American Flag, was a “confessional” where new registrants could answer questions for a Rock the Vote video.

Sophomore Taylor Moe approached Ray and McCullough first. She hadn’t planned to register until she saw the Rock the Vote setup but said she knew from a friend’s Facebook post that today was the last day to do so.

She had a few seconds to spare and filled out the form.

“I feel like a U.S. citizen,” Moe said.