Tabled for NOW: Morgantown group promotes youth voting on campus
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MORGANTOWN- Morgantown's National Organization for Women is setting up shop on West Virginia University’s and Marshall's campuses to promote voter equality following a recent grant.
NOW is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses on women's empowerment through education, voting rights, litigation, pay equality and more, according to now.org/now-foundation/about-now-foundation/. The Morgantown branch is founded on six pillars: reproductive justice, LGBTQIA+ equality, immigration justice, childcare, fair wage and equal labor.
Adrianne Dering, President of Morgantown NOW, said the organization received a $2,500 grant from the NOW Foundation to promote voter registration on West Virginia campuses. The grant allows for five paid workers and tabling promotions, such as information booklets, snacks and gear, to be set up on Marshall and West Virginia University's campuses until the midterm election.
Dering said she has been doing similar awareness efforts with the Feminist Majorities Vote for Equality with co-coordinator, Barbara Evans Fleischauer, on Pennsylvania college campuses for the last two years, but is excited to finally bring it to West Virginia, a state with one of the nation's lowest youth voter turnout rates.
"In the 2022 election midterm, only 14% of West Virginia youth voters showed up at the polls," she said. "This is another midterm, and we have a state with 1.8 million people, and only 50% of those vote anyway. If only 14% of youth voters vote, their needs are not being represented in our government."
Dering encourages youth voters to stand firm on their beliefs, despite West Virginia traditionally voting conservatively. She said that recent legislation has specifically targeted women's rights, such as the abortion ban, cuts to SNAP benefits and child care funding reductions, and it's more important now than ever to elect legislators with women's needs at heart.
"85% of youth voters are progressive," Dering said. "We have proven time after time, when young women vote, they tend to vote progressive, and the more of them vote, the more progressive people get elected into office. ... If we don't get our two shoes out to vote, we've not going to see things change."
Dering described Generation Z as being some of the most "informed and engaged emotionally" in the nation, and it's important for them to see representation of their beliefs on their campuses.
"They think of this [West Virginia] as being a red state, but in reality, this is a state that generally votes red, but in voter registrations, there are more Independents and Democrats registered than Republicans,” she said. "From experience going out with Mon County Dems and doing campus events, it is so meaningful to students to see organizations that reflect their values show up on campus and be there for them and feel like they're not alone. They're not just one progressive in a sea of red."
Morgantown NOW first tabled at WVU's "Free Speech Zone" on Friday, Aug. 21, where 91 students signed a pledge to vote in the upcoming election, and over 20 registered.
Dering said the organization hopes to sponsor additional events closer to election season, including transportation to voting booths, "Pizza at the Polls," and a free donut event with Donuts for Democracy.
Morgantown NOW is currently recruiting volunteers to help on campus. Dering encouraged all ages to apply.
"We would love to have extra people at our tabling events," she said. "It doesn't just have to be WVU students. We think sometimes multi-generational tabling is a plus because some people love to speak to their peers, and some people feel a little bit more comfortable going to someone that looks more like their mom or grandma."
For more information or to donate, visit Morgantown NOW's Facebook page www.facebook.com/MorgantownNow/.