With the 2020 presidential election less than a month away, more Americans are registering to vote every day. Sports teams across the country, at both the collegiate and professional levels, are encouraging players to register to vote, and St. Joe’s is no exception. Recently, both the St. Joe’s men’s and women’s basketball teams announced that their entire teams are registered to vote.
Having collegiate sports teams use their platforms to promote voter registration sets a good example for all students at the university. It not only shows how quick and easy the process to register is, but also the importance of voting.
Unfortunately, younger generations have the lowest turnout rate at the polls. Voting is an essential part of how our government works, and it is one of the easiest and most effective ways of having an impact on the future of our government. It takes strong leaders to encourage positive change in a community, and having student-athletes register to vote can create a ripple effect.
This year’s election could be a chance to rewrite the narrative, especially if student-athletes are taking the initiative seriously and registering in large numbers. Once a few members of a team are registered to vote, more of their teammates will follow their example, until everyone is registered.
Positive peer pressure is not limited to sports team members. Student-athletes are also leaders on campus and students can follow their example. All it takes is one person in a group or on a team to start a movement to register to vote, and others will follow.
Having the men’s and women’s basketball teams registered to vote is a good start, but as of right now, they are the only two teams at St. Joe’s who announced that the whole team is registered to vote. The example set by these two teams should motivate other coaches and players across Hawk Hill to encourage their team members to register to vote.
Ultimately, by having coaches and players push for each other to be registered to vote, we’ll have a larger portion of the student population ready to have their voices heard on Nov. 3.
