ASPLU Lute Vote wins grant from Washington Secretary of State

By Katie Baumann ’14

In an exciting turn of events, the Associated Students of Pacific Lutheran University (ASPLU) project titled Lute Vote has been awarded the “Laying the Foundations: 2013” grant from the Washington Secretary of State.

Part of a coalition of campuses across Washington state striving to increase civic engagement on campus, ASPLU Diversity Director Karter Booher and his team set a goal of registering 300 students to vote.

Started in the Fall of 2012, Booher and his team put on various programming and held multiple discussions to help inform student voters. Through this organized and authentic effort, Booher and his team were successful in reaching their goal.

“We were one of the first campuses to make our voter registration goal successfully,” Booher said.

In fact, with the help of Otter pops and stickers this outstanding team of volunteers was able to surpass their goal, registering 330 students to vote.

“What makes Lute Vote successful was an earnest attempt to create meaningful opportunities to reach out to students. A big part of that was to meet students where they’re at,” Booher said.

Through their presence at the Homecoming Concert, tabling in the University Commons and being available around campus, the Lute Vote team was able to make a great impact around PLU.

The “Laying the Foundations: 2013” grant is part of the College Civics program. In receiving this award, Lute Vote will be able to sustain itself through a multi-year process.

As a group, the Lute Vote team strives “to educate students on their voting rights, encourage them to register to vote and empower them to see the difference they can make.”

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman will be coming to campus on May 7 to recognize and honor the accomplishments of Lute Vote.