Feature photo by Skyler Wendell
Story by Megan Goble
Central Magnet School held MTSU American Democracy Project’s Party at the Polls event today providing space for voters, food trucks and various activities.
Party at the Polls started during the interim election of 2018, and the goal has been the same since the beginning, ADP director Mary Evins said.
“Our mission as a student organization is to increase voter participation and turnout and education among students on campus,” said ADP president Dante Buttrey.
Members spent the semester encouraging MTSU students to register and make their voices heard in the 2024 election. They are trying to make change in Tennessee’s low rank in voter turnout; they ranked 45th in the country, according to World Population Review.
ADP labeled Central Magnet as one of the easiest voting spots for MTSU students because it’s close to campus, and MTSU offered green line buses to take students back and forth from the polling location.
As music played, voters exited the school and shuffled through leaves for food and community. They had the option to enjoy seafood from R&C’s Ocean Dive food truck or a lighter snack with Sweet’s Treats.
ADP’s tables had a spot that allowed students to draw on or write about why they voted. Additionally, students could write on a postcard to send to a legislator, and ADP would mail it for them.
MTSU student Avery Cavitt traveled home to Bradley County to vote but still attended the party.
“I feel like this is such a quintessential election, and I feel like just coming here and supporting students is so important, especially for this election year for everyone to have their vote counted and have everybody have their voices heard,” Cavitt said.
The event is important to ADP and students because it allows a place to connect and make voting less intimidating.
“We’re sort of trying to create a spirit that allows every student, especially our students who are mostly first time voters, to make a memory of when he or she first voted and use that as a foundation on which to build a lifetime of civic commitment,” Evins said.
Megan Goble is a reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
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