This Friday, April 1, is an extremely important date. After that date, if you are not registered to vote inside the Starkville city limits, you will not be allowed to participate in the May 3 mayoral and alderman elections. As an MSU student, voting in Starkville is one of the most important actions you can take. Together we can make a positive impact on elections certain to shape our community’s future.
Throughout history, MSU students have been without a voice in decisions made in Starkville. Even this year, candidates have stated that students have no right to influence Starkville’s future. Four years ago, MSU students banded together for the first time in Starkville’s history and took a large step towards squelching that attitude by simply casting their votes for candidates they felt represented student interests.
Not only was a student elected to the Starkville Board of Aldermen for the first time, but students immediately saw weekend hours extended to 1 o’clock a.m. and events like Bulldog Bash, Old Main Music Festival, and Down in the District become a reality. This fall, students will begin receiving about $200,000 per year from the city’s food and beverage tax. The money, which is generated when you go out to eat in Starkville, will be spent on student events like speakers, concerts, and performing arts and student projects like the Night Route.
These changes all resulted from student participation and stand as evidence of the power of the ballot box. Without a continued voting presence in Starkville, we will be ignored by Starkville’s decision makers.
The MSU and Starkville communities need you. Please spend one minute this week to register to vote. If you registered while living in a campus residence hall and now live in Starkville, you will not be able to vote. You must change your registration to your new address inside the city limits. If you are registered to vote in your hometown, you can change your registration to Starkville temporarily.
You can pick up a voter registration form at the Student Association office located behind the State Fountain Bakery. A printable version can be downloaded from www.sa.msstate.edu.
As the weeks go by, you will begin hearing more and more from candidates for city office. The SA will be publishing candidate profiles and hosting debates.
Again, if you are not registered to vote in Starkville by this Friday, it will not matter how much you want to vote on May 3. Do not let your fellow students down. Register to vote.
Adam Telle is the SA president. He can be reached at [email protected].