The Panther

A voter registration drive began last Wednesday during Hump Day and will last until the voting registration period ends.

The purpose of the drive is to get Prairie View students involved in the community. Last year, Prairie View A&M University had over 800 registered voters and less than half of that number actually turned out to vote.

"The drive is for students to get involved in the political process at Prairie View," said registration head Charli Cooksey. "If Prairie View students voted we could run Waller County."

In an effort to get more students on campus to vote, a friendly competition is also being held between campus organizations. Those organizations include all members of the PAN and the Student Government Association.

The goal of the competition for each organization is to get as many eligible students to register as they can. The organization with the most registered voters at the end of the competition wins.

"I think that with other organizations getting involved it will increase the number of voters we get on the yard," said Cooksey. "Students and organizations have stepped up and that's all it takes."

Some students seem to feel the same way Cooksey feels and believe it will be successful.

"I think that getting a lot of different organizations involved is a great idea," said freshman agriculture major Kedrick Hayes. "Making it a competition between organizations is the best part of the registration drive because everyone likes to win a little friendly competition."

It's clear that collectively the student body can impact conditions in Prairie View and Waller County. Some university students are concerned with making sure the votes count. Cooksey wants students to know that shouldn't be a concern.

"We're here to make sure our votes count," added Cooksey. "If we want things to change around the community, it has to start with us."

Eligible students can register at Hump Day, Wednesdays until voter registration ends.

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