“I think, even if you live in a state that has been primarily one color or the other your entire life, it’s still important to go out there and vote – just to express your opinion and give your feedback to the government, because that’s the way the system was intended to work,” sophomore mechanical engineering major CJ Jordan said.
While some students find participating in elections to be a vital civic duty, others hold an opposite opinion, which is why Mississippi State University received a brief but intentional visit from Mississippi’s secretary of state last Tuesday afternoon.
With less than two months before Americans cast their votes for the 2024 presidential election, the MSU Stennis Montgomery Association invited Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson to speak on campus and explain the importance of voting to skeptical college students.
As MSU students trickled into the John Grisham Room of the Mitchell Memorial Library before the kickoff of the 2 p.m. event, Watson started shaking hands and welcoming each student who entered the room before expressing gratitude and applause for the attendees.
“To see y’all here engaged in the process is encouraging to me,” Watson said as he noted his lack of motivation and involvement while he was in college. “You’re doing better than I did, and your ceiling is much higher than mine.”
After explaining his position and duties as Mississippi’s secretary of state, Watson immediately explained why he came to talk to Mississippi State students.
“I think it’s important for all of us, especially at the age you are now, to understand the significance of the role that you play when you go vote,” Watson said. “You are holding me accountable. You’re holding elected officials accountable, and that is the bedrock of what this country was formed from — the consent of the governed.”
But for some students, “important” is not a word they would use to describe participating in political elections.
“I just don’t really pay attention to politics, and I don’t really worry about them. I’m just going to deal with whatever happens,” said junior chemical engineering major Cohen Russell. “I’m of that mindset where it’s like, I’m one person, one vote — so, it doesn’t really matter that much if I don’t vote.”
However, Watson explained that college student voter turnout plays a huge role in local and national elections, as the younger demographic has more influence than they realize.
“The influential leaders, like y’all, are the ones who will carry the torch for us,” Watson said as he answered a student’s question about how to persuade peers to engage themselves in local and national government. “I could go talk to someone your age, and they’ll say, ‘that guy is crazy, he’s 46.’ But if you go talk to them, they’ll respond, ‘oh, that’s my buddy. That makes sense. I’ll go vote.’”
While Watson acknowledged that some people do not feel inclined to vote, others may not know how to. For college students, especially those away from home, participating in elections may seem like too much of a hassle. However, students can quickly get an absentee ballot from the County Circuit Clerk of whichever county they are registered to vote in. An absentee ballot ensures that students can cast their vote, even if they are not in their hometowns on election day.
Junior communications major Parker Acosta said that while she has not voted in any election before, she has already requested an absentee ballot and is excited to participate in the upcoming presidential election.
“I know one vote is such a small percentage, but it can make a difference,” Acosta said. “Sometimes, it really does come down to the numbers.”
After Watson discussed how and why college students should cast their ballots, he noted that the tense political climate in the United States may also deter people from getting involved.
“Politics is awful. Politics is ugly. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but it’s what it has involved into. The toxicity in this country right now is awful,” Watson said. “So, I get the sentiment of, ‘I’m not voting for either of these people.’ But going back to the ‘consent of the governed’ idea, there’s got to be at least one or two policies that make you say, ‘I don’t like this person, but their policies are just a little bit better.’”
As the discussion came to a close, Watson reminded students that National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 17, and absentee ballot request forms are now available as of Sept. 8.
