MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Tuesday certainly felt like a holiday at Miami Dade College’s North Campus.
There was swag, music, dancing, free food and even mechanical bull rides — all in an effort to entice potential voters to come out and register on National Voter Registration Day.
“There are organizations and clubs throughout the nation that are doing what we’re doing here today, which is encouraging potential voters to go ahead and register to vote,” Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Christina White said.
White’s office, along with other organizations, set up booths at the campus to sign up eligible voters on the spot or, with a snap of a QR code, direct them to the online voter registration site.
“The deadline is Oct. 7, but this election is too important. Nobody should be waiting until the last minute for anything and so today is the day to either register to vote, make sure that you’re on the rolls, or if you know you’ve already registered,” White said. “It’s a good day to stop and go onto the website and check your status and make sure that we have your name or your updated address and your party affiliation, those types of things.”
Monica Bustinza, with Engage Florida, said hundreds of young people visited their MDC booth.
“Honestly, students were coming towards us even before the event started, and they’re like, ‘Hey, I see your sign. Register to vote here,’” she said.
White added, “The youth voting bloc is a very powerful one and they vote in very small numbers. So one of the reasons we’re here is to remind them how powerful they are and to get out and vote in this election, it is a very important election.”
Jordan Wells, who turned 18 earlier this year, said he is excited to cast his first ballot this November.
“It’s really gonna be a game changer for the future generations and myself included,” the MDC freshman said.
Ezechius Jean, who was was born in Haiti, raised in Canada, and has lived in the U.S. for 5 years said for him, voting is a matter of duty.
“During the month of June, I became a citizen, so I think it’s important to take part because it’s our duty to ensure the way we’re governed is led by us, the people,” Jean, an aspiring dentist and new citizen, said.