Taking part in an NYU-wide effort, a team of NYU Law students, faculty, and staff are working to increase votership for the November 3 election throughout the University community and beyond. Under the NYU Votes initiative, various members of NYU—known as NYU Votes Ambassadors—have gathered and disseminated information on voter registration and the voting process, with the primary goal of encouraging more eligible students to vote.
Originally formed in 2018 in advance of the midterm elections of that year, NYU Votes 2020 got underway in August. The Law School’s ambassadors—three students, two administrators, and one faculty member—have helped establish a web page listing voting-related events and important deadlines. The site also highlights ways to become engaged in the election process, through the NYU Law student groups coordinating volunteer efforts for phone banking, texting, and serving as poll workers and poll watchers.
Ambassador Safeena Mecklai ’21, who is also president of the Student Bar Association, says that as an immigrant to the United States, she is passionate about voting, and about ensuring that eligible voters have the information they need and can exercise their rights. “I was so excited to join the NYU Votes team and encourage students at NYU to register, to vote, to work the polls, and to volunteer in their communities on Election Day because unless we make our voices heard, the future will not reflect the more just government we hope to see,” says Mecklai.
“We’ve focused on building the Law School’s awareness of election volunteer opportunities, and on distributing digital materials for NYU Votes to students and colleagues across the University,” says ambassador Amy Wilson, associate director of NYU Law Abroad and Global Programs. “No effort is too small, so we encourage everyone to be informed, get involved and make your voice heard!”
Posted October 23, 2020