As the presidential election nears, student political activity continues to ramp up. Vote For Equality is one example of the growing student efforts to mobilize peers to participate in the election process.
A political action committee of the non-profit organization Feminist Majority Foundation, Vote For Equality was founded in 1987 and works to spread political information and resources to students on a number of social issues. The foundation has initiatives that span 45 different campuses in the U.S., with Vote For Equality specifically working to register students for voting and promoting civic engagement.
“My aim is to make the winning difference in the upcoming election,” said Vote For Equality Campus Organizer Zula Stenger, ’25. “I think we’re in a really historic moment, or maybe I hope one of the most historic elections in our lifetime. I want to really feel that, on Nov. 6th, I did everything I could to protect my freedoms and my children’s future freedoms.”
Stenger, Chloe Snyder, ’27, and Tilly Earwood, ’25, all work as campus organizers for FMF. Given that Pennsylvania is a swing state in the upcoming presidential election, Stenger said Vote For Equality’s primary goal on Allegheny’s campus is to encourage students to register to vote within Meadville, since Pennsylvania law allows college students to register to vote if they attend school in the state. Through tabling, visiting classes and hosting events, Vote For Equality works to spread awareness on the importance of voting.
One particular initiative that the organizers are working on is the Democracy Coalition, which invites clubs and campus organizations to coordinate their efforts to promote voter registration and civic education among students.
With recent landmark Supreme Court decisions being overturned — such as Roe vs. Wade, which ensured the national right to abortion— Stenger, Earwood and Snyder feel as though this is as important a time as ever to make sure students are well-informed on their voting rights. Education on the specificity of these important issues are what Vote For Equality is working towards on college campuses. For individuals who are voting for the first time this election season, there’s a new opportunity for them to make their voices heard.
“It’s really important to us that students understand — especially students who are fresh voters or have never registered to vote before —how important their voice is,” Earwood said. “Our generation, a lot of the time, feels as though our voice wasn’t heard or isn’t heard through their vote, so we want to make sure that people are going out and getting their ballot cast.” There are several existing organizations on campus that work to educate individuals about voting,
including the Center for Political Participation and the Andrew Goodman Foundation, both of which are nonpartisan organizations. Additionally, Stenger said the College Democrats work in tandem with Vote For Equality to ensure students stay connected to political issues that concern them. Stenger encourages students to connect with Meadville and the Crawford County area to further their knowledge and engagement with politics.
“Living in Pennsylvania this election year is a real opportunity in general to get involved,” Stenger said.
Stenger said that for some students, Allegheny may feel removed from the broader Meadville community. It might be intimidating to engage with the world off-campus, especially when it comes to politics. However, Vote For Equality wants to assure students that there’s nothing to be afraid of.
“There’s diversity of opinions and that’s welcomed,” Stenger said. “I’ve never met someone downtown that’s unkind to me. I know that’s not the experience for everyone, but I would encourage that there’s space in the local community to get involved. Even though we live in a red area, the last election in 2020, some political analysts say that the decision in PA came down to Erie County, so it’s an incredibly important area.”
Stenger said it can be hard to encourage people to vote because of pre-existing beliefs that a single vote cannot make the difference in such a large election. But every vote does count, Stenger said, even when it feels like you’re just one person.
Additionally, it is important to remember that there are a vast number of important offices other than the presidency. Elections do decide who the nation’s mayors, senators and congress members are, but they also decide school board members, local government officials, county commissioners and other positions that affect daily life, Stenger said.
“Every time the little voice goes through that’s like, ‘Well, I’m just one person,’ there’s someone with an opposing view who truly believes they are making the difference,” Earwood added. “It’s important to understand that that could be you, too.”