Georgia Southern University Honors Students Promoting Voter Registration

October 15, 2008

Georgia Southern University students in the University Honors Program created a project called Statesboro Votes 2008 this fall to register voters for the general election in November. Since September, students have registered more than 1,100 voters.

“Statesboro Votes 2008 let people know they have a voice and their opinions are important. I am certain that, without this voter registration project, many of these individuals would have decided not to vote in November,” said Statesboro Votes 2008 volunteer and honors freshman International Studies major Gustavo Rodriguez.

Emily Nybo, a graduate assistant in the University Honors Program, served as the project coordinator and worked closely with Shontay Jones of the Bulloch County Voter Registrar’s Office.

This month, political science professor Debra Sabia and her Honors Introduction to American Government class are hosting three National Election Forums where students will help educate their fellow students and members of the community on the platforms of the presidential candidates. An opportunity for questions, challenges and debate will be provided at the forums. Dates and times for these events are:

• Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Russell Union 2047
• Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Assembly Hall
• Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. in Kennedy Hall

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. All voters must present a government-issued form of identification, such as a driver’s license or student ID card, at their polling location. Lines may be long on Election Day, so early voting is encouraged. Advance voting is available until Friday, Oct. 31 at the Bulloch County Courthouse and can be done Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Information on poll locations, voter registration application status, the election process and other voting topics is available on the official website of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office at http://www.sos.georgia.gov/elections or by calling the Bulloch County Voter Registrar’s Office at (912) 764-6502.

The University Honors Program at Georgia Southern University is built upon four foundations which create the framework for the honors experience  one of which includes fostering the development of an ethic of civic responsibility. Honors education at Georgia Southern University involves a series of transformative experiences involving student research, scholarship and student development focused on cultivating scholars both inside and outside of the classroom.