Pacific’s Director of Political Outreach Speaks on the Importance of Student Voting and Political Awareness
In the days before the recent midterm election, Dr. Jim Moore spoke with The Pacific Index on the importance of elections and how the student body can get involved. Moore is the Director of Political Outreach at the McCall Center for Civic Engagement and is constantly advising students on elections and the politics around them. The MCCE can be found on the first floor of Scott Hall.
The Index: Who is making sure that students on campus are registered?
Jim Moore: The McCall Center staff focus on making sure that people are registered to vote and have the resources to do so. They work with other department members across campus to make sure that all the different pockets of students learn about registration.
The Index: Are there any resources on campus that help inform students about elections and voting?
JM: First and foremost, there’s a counter next to the UC mailroom that has all kinds of pamphlets for students to read and pick up. The State of Oregon and Washington County won’t allow them to be delivered to student boxes, but they’re there for students to learn from. Second, you can go to the McCall Center website where there is a voting section that has all sorts of information even if you’re registered in other states.
The Index: Do you think that the students of Pacific University are interested in elections?
JM: Not really. There’s a lot of attention towards presidential elections, but local elections and even the governor races have relatively low turn-out from the younger demographics. Students have trouble seeing how it really relates to or impacts them, even if local elections are some of the most important to them. Studies show that as people get older, they vote more once those policies begin directly affecting them—policies such as schooling for their children, taxes on their houses, etc. But there’s still a bunch of people who don’t vote. Part of it is that in the United States, we have elections that treat us like we’re being advertised to. The candidates sell themselves like they’re selling ketchup.
The Index: How do local policies such as those of the Mayor of Forest Grove impact Pacific University students?
JM: The second you take a step off campus, those policies begin to affect students. The infrastructure you see is impacted by the mayor: the sidewalks you walk on, the roads you drive on, local programs, and whether or not the parks have things to do. Just now, there’s construction a few blocks off campus. It’s the little things that people usually take for granted that local elected officials determine.
The Index: Is there a way for students to get others involved in elections and voting?
JM: It depends on the student, really. What we’ve found is that if someone is excited about voting and its opportunities, then other people get excited about it as well. Trying to raise awareness among their peer groups for voting is really important. One of the tricky things about elections is that they happen during midterms. There’s exams to worry about instead of focusing on the election. Trying to break through that is difficult, so just talking about elections and voting among peers can help.
The Index: Do you have any further advice for students of Pacific about voting?
JM: Firstly, it is perfectly fine to cast a ballot on something that you care about and not on other things. When you get your ballot, it will have things you don’t know or don’t care about. We want you to vote on the whole thing, but you don’t have to. Secondly, voting is a crucial part of being a citizen. Part of Pacific’s mission is for students to leave here and take part in society. Learning how to vote while in college establishes that habit of voting and taking part in society.
— Ashley Strobel
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