ASPLU aims to increase student voices in upcoming election

For many PLU students the upcoming election will mark the first chance they’ve been able to vote — at least in a presidential election.

In an effort to increase the number of young voters, which make up the largest demographic in this year’s election, ASPLU and several other on campus partners started a new project called Lute Drive. The five-week drive ended on Oct. 5, but it surpassed its goal of registering 300 students at the beginning of last week.

In addition to registering students to vote, the project was intended to educate students about their voting rights, which “can be a confusing thing for young adults, especially when you live away from your permanent address,” said Karter Booher ’13, who has been coordinating the project though his role as ASPLU Diversity Director.

“Common rhetoric about young people and voting is that young people are apathetic. I believe that to be false. It is access and not apathy that prevents young people from voting,” said Booher. “That’s why Lute vote is tabling, doing classroom presentations, (and) registered students at Orientation and the Homecoming concert.”