THE CHARGE: VoteRiders helps UCF students get involved this election cycle
BY ERNEST COOK, THE CHARGE — NOVEMBER 12, 2024
As UCF students rode into this election season, nonprofit organization VoteRiders helped students and the community stay informed.
VoteRiders, as listed on its website, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on voter information. The organization operates in eight states and assists voters with gathering information and ID recovery assistance.
Taylor Ashlyn, regional director for VoteRiders in Florida, said that during this election cycle, the organization has been working with UCF students to help promote students’ civic duties and the surrounding communities in Orange and Seminole County.
One such event held Sept. 29 was Writing Wednesday, hosted by VoteRiders in the Live Oak Ballroom at UCF. Aimed toward helping spread awareness about what voting information people needed, the event allowed participants to write messages to help inform voters about what they need to make their vote count, which was discussed during a presentation during the event.
Each letter contained an area for a personalized message and information about voting and what is associated with it.
“It is really important to remind people of deadlines,” Ashlyn said. “Dates such as Oct. 7 for voter information and Oct. 24 for mail-in ballots are important.”
Ashlyn said that the event emphasized the fundamentals of voting. This focus was intended not only for those receiving the letters but also for attendees, including Justine Miller, freshman business major.
“I came to this event for a class requirement, but when I found it on KnightConnect, it piqued my interest,” Miller said. “I just recently turned 18, and just being able to vote, help others to get into voting and gather information for myself brought me to this event.”
