A record number of people under 30 voted in the 2022 midterm elections. Student leaders on Kent Campus mobilized young people by registering voters and increasing enthusiasm ahead of election day.

The recent election saw the second-highest voter turnout among voters under 30 in the past three decades, only below turnout in the 2018 midterms, according to estimates from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

Isobel Day, vice chair of governmental affairs for Undergraduate Student Government and this year’s Newman Civic Fellow, spearheaded a campaign to register voters at the Kent State library.

USG held four registration events in partnership with University Libraries where they spread information about voting and helped students make a voting plan.

As an immigrant, Day is a first-time voter herself. Going through the process of becoming a U.S. citizen helped her recognize the importance of voting.

“I just recently became a US citizen, so … going through that process … taking the citizenship test and just being more acquainted with the process of citizenship in the U.S., I think has really opened my eyes to the importance of voting, and it’s something that’s new to me,” Day said.

Historically, when young voters vote in large numbers it has a substantial impact on the results of elections. News outlets have speculated that young voters helped Democrats in the recent election, particularly in key races.

The Kent State College Democrats also got an early start in preparing for the midterm elections. The group first began publicizing the midterms at KSU blastoff, before fall semester began.

Meghan Franks, a board member of Kent State College Democrats, spoke about why young people need to get involved in the democratic process.

“We’re the upcoming generation,” she said. “If we are not taking that responsibility and (instead) allowing the older generations to go ahead and make the decisions for us, then we are never going to take a step into democracy ourselves.”

The college democrats also held a “Drag out the Vote” event on Nov. 3 featuring local drag performers to increase the energy surrounding the midterms.

Both students said they felt the impact of their efforts and were encouraged by the large number of voters they were able to register.

Day concluded by reflecting on how the right to vote is not guaranteed in other parts of the world.

“I think a lot of people take it for granted to be able to vote,” she said. “In a lot of countries that’s not a right and so I think it’s really important to get that word out, especially to young people.”