By Emma Myers~ Copy Editor
Photo of meeting taken by Emma Myers
November marks the beginning of a new general election season, and the University of Lynchburg is encouraging its students to vote and be civically engaged in their community.
However, many college students do not know where to start when it comes to voting.
On Oct. 17, the University of Lynchburg hosted a democratic board meeting featuring democratic delegate candidate, Jennifer Woofter.
Nikki Sanders, history professor at the university, opened up by touching on the importance of poll observers, which he explained ensures that everyone with a valid ID gets to properly cast their votes in the ballots.
However, as Sanders explained, poll observers are often scarce.
Woofter is a resident of Lynchburg who is running for Delegate in the upcoming 2023 election, and a social worker who worked very closely with children in the foster care system. She often joked that she was a mother of teenagers so she was confident in her ability to deal with tough crowds.
“Our challenges and our problems are intersectional. It is hard to do well at school if you are hungry. It is hard to put food on the table if you do not have a steady job. It is hard to get a good paying job if you are coming out with a prison record,” said Woofter
Gun violence, abortion, LGBTQIA+ rights and gun violence are just a few issues Woofter feels very strongly about fighting for during her time in office.
Citizens in Lynchburg and the nation at-large are often divided on these issues, however civic engagement is considered a duty that every American has.
Local elections are held each year to pick the members that work closely with specific communities.
During local elections, citizens vote for state senators, governors, school board members, etc. and primary elections are held to determine which candidate will be eligible to run in the future election.
Woofter explains, “Part of [my] job is being a brick in the wall that prevents the worst of the rollback from coming down from the top and prevents the worst of it from coming up from the bottom.”
Learn more about Woofter’s campaign here. To find out how to become a poll observer for the democratic party, visit https://vademocrats.org/pollobserver/.
To find out if you are registered to vote, or to register, visit this website: https://iwillvote.com/.
