It’s not too late for HutchCC students to register to vote for November’s election

By Leslie Grajeda / Staff Writer

If younger college students want their voices heard in their government, it is not too late for them to register to vote.

Kansas State Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson and Hutchinson Community College alumnus, said if students want their voices heard, they can tip the scale through voting.

“We don’t get the policies we want because we don’t vote,” Probst said, noting that if Generations Y and Z turn out, they would make up a larger voting block than Baby Boomers.

HutchCC political science instructor Jason Knapp also encouraged younger students to vote, because they have the ability to create political change.

“The youth do have an impact on society, you need to make that change,” Knapp said. “There’s nothing more American than dissent.”

Knapp said that those who are afraid of voting, or registering to vote because of potential backlash, should know that the only person who knows how they vote is the voter themselves.

The presidential election, which is Nov. 3, isn’t the only important election that is happening this cycle. Oftentimes, races at the local level are close.

Students should vote in these local elections because “things done in Topeka affect you more than the presidential election,” Probst said.

Students can register to vote in less than five minutes at KSVotes.org by Oct. 13, the cut-off date for Kansas. Early voting begins Oct. 15, and registered voters can request absentee ballots from the same site, if they choose to do so.

If students are worried about the postal service not delivering their vote, Probst said that they can drop it off at their county clerk’s office. That way, they can ensure their vote is counted.

More information about elections can be found on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website at VoteKS.org.

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