On the morning of Election Day, students everywhere — from the Quad all the way to Regents — could hear voices echo, “Have you voted today?” These voices came from St. Olaf’s Election Coordinators and Election Ambassadors, who could be seen driving a golf cart decked out in red, white, and blue streamers and a large sign that read, “VOTE MOBILE.”
With St. Olaf consistently boasting one of the highest voter turnout rates for college campuses nationwide, receiving the MIAC Votes Highest Voting Rate award in 2022, the Election Coordinators wanted a fun and engaging way to keep up St. Olaf’s impressive voting track record.
“The idea came to fruition as we were trying to decide how we could both bring encouragement and get students to get out the vote on Election Day,” said Election Coordinators Sophie Smith ’26 and Roxi Wessel ’26, in an email to The Olaf Messenger. “This seemed like the perfect meld of both of those [goals].”
Along with the Pledge to Vote form and other campaigns and efforts on campus to keep students civically engaged, the Vote Mobile is an active example of students’ commitment to political involvement. Students could flag down the cart and catch a ride to Buntrock Commons, where St. Olaf has an official polling location. This service was especially useful for students who live in more remote residence halls, such as in New Hall or the Townhouses on Ole Ave.
“We want to make voting as accessible as possible on campus, and that means providing reliable transportation as well as encouraging students to take advantage of small gaps in their day to go vote,” said Smith and Wessel. “It’s a busy time of year, so we want to… help students get in and out of the polls quickly. We’re students, too — we know how it goes!”
The Vote Mobile also had some fun guests riding along, such as professors and staff, to get students excited to cast their ballot. While election season can bring stress and anxiety, the Vote Mobile’s aim was to keep the energy lighthearted and enjoyable.
“We hope that students will have fun with the Vote Mobile and it will take their mind off the stress that the day often holds, at least for a little while,” said Smith and Wessel.
