Election day is less than 30 days away and whether you’re politically active or an unsure first-time voter, the Career & Civic Engagement Office is available to help guide you through the voting process.
“Our students have a history of turning out on election day and we’re always excited to help them and be a part of it,” said Director of Civic Engagement Ellie Esmond, who talked about how the community can support student voting at a recent community coffee hour sponsored by the President’s Office.
For many years, Bryn Mawr has been recognized for being among the top colleges and universities in the country by the All In Campus Democracy Challenge, noted Esmond.
Bryn Mawr is one of only three colleges in the nation to receive the organization’s Diamond Seal for having a student voting rate over 60% for the 2022 midterm elections.
“That doesn’t just happen,” she said. “This is something we all do to create the culture. It’s all of us reminding each other to vote, reminding people of deadlines, and wearing your ‘I voted’ sticker. It all makes a difference,” she said.
Among the important approaching deadlines and dates are:
- Oct. 21, 2024 - Pennsylvania Voter Registration Deadline for 2024 General Election
- Oct. 29, 2024 - Deadline to Request a Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballot for the 2024 General Election
- Nov. 5, 2024 - Polls open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; completed mail-in ballots are due. (Postmarks do not count; the ballot must be delivered to Voter Services by Nov. 5 to be eligible to be counted.)
- Nov. 5, 2024 - General Election
On election day, the college will run two shuttles back and forth from the Wyndham parking lot to the polls at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church for students to cast their ballots. The shuttles begin at 9 a.m. and will run until the last student votes. There is also a secure ballot drop box located at Ludington Library at 5 S. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Bryn Mawr.
In addition to Esmond, University of Pennsylvania political scientist Lia Howard, who heads the Political Empathy Lab (PEL) spoke at the Oct. 3 coffee hour.
Howard talked about a 10-week research experience that took her and seven Penn students across Pennsylvania this summer to learn what’s on the minds of Keystone State voters while practicing the skills to actively listen.
“We weren’t polling or trying to persuade. We were just trying to connect,” said Howard.
Pennsylvania is among the few key swing states likely to decide the 2024 election and yet, as Howard points out, the current political polarization means that very few voters are engaging with those with different views.
“The practice of listening builds social trust and is a necessary precondition for deliberative democracy,” said Howard.
Learn more about the Political Empathy Lab on their website.
voting information for bryn mawr students