Data from the Pew Research Center indicates Millennials make up more than a third of the nation’s potential electorate but their voting participation is the lowest of any group.
The College of St. Mary is hoping to change that by offering a series of programs aimed at encouraging Millennials to participate in the election process.
Kristin Mattson, professor of political science and director of CSM’s service-learning program, says the series begins Wednesday at Noon with a presentation by Ann Chalson, vice president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha.
"We will offer voter registration after the talk. So she will be talking about the process, how one registers to vote, the deadlines for registering, how one votes by mail. She’s also going to be talking about another barrier young people face. Young people are aware of the presidential election but are fairly unaware of down-ballot races and initiatives.”
A down-ballot refers to a contest for political office that appears lower on the ballot. Mattson says Chalson will help those attending to see some ways those down-ballot races might have an impact on them.
Chalson’s presentation takes place on the College of St. Mary campus Wednesday at Noon in Warde Conference Center. There is no charge to attend. For more information, the website is csm.edu.