Suzanne Walker-Pacheco is happy to correct anyone who thinks politicians at an upcoming voting event can refrain from campaigning.
“Last year we had a panel for our area’s legislators. The idea was to bring Democrats and Republicans together to talk about how they work together in Jefferson City,” Walker-Pacheco said. “They do work together. In this area, we have that. They were able to inform students about what they care about and what they are trying to do without being partisan.”
Missouri State University’s Paws to the Polls group will host a voting fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, on the campus’ West Lawn, located between Plaster Stadium and McDonald Arena.
Springfield-area state representatives and senators will be asked to attend, as well as Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, elected members of the Springfield City Council, Springfield Board of Education and Greene County officeholders.
The event will feature elected officials in a meet-and-greet from noon to 2 p.m., where government officials will be made available to answer questions about what they do while representing taxpayers.
Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller will be on hand to demonstrate voting machines used at polling places in Greene County, and Paws to the Polls members will be available to answer questions about registering to vote, and whether students can vote while staying on campus.
Walker-Pacheco, faculty coordinator for Paws to the Polls, said that the event will put an emphasis on local elections usually held in April or August. Usually, voter registration campaigns become active during November elections.
“A lot of students don’t vote in local elections because they might be from another county,” Walker-Pacheco said. “Local elections have more of an effect on their daily lives.”
College students are subject to sales tax increases no matter where they live, Walker-Pacheco said. Commuting students can still have a say about property taxes, even if they do not own any of the types of property up for discussion.
Walker-Pacheco also said many students don’t realize they can vote in Greene County while attending MSU. Members of Paws to the Polls can help clarify those questions and direct would-be voters to Greene County officials or resources.
The student-run group started in 2020 as an effort to address low voter turnout among college students, and get them familiar with voting. The group puts an emphasis on presenting non-partisan, unbiased information unattached to a candidate or political movement.
“We had seen information about low voter turnout in the college-aged demographic, and were curious about why that was,” Walker-Pacheco said. “We talked to a number of students[…] sometimes they didn’t know where to go to get questions answered.”
Wednesday’s voter fair will be held months before students get a chance to vote. Pending any surprise actions from local governments, the next voting opportunities will be municipal elections scheduled for April 2.
The group is part of MSU’s association with the American Democracy Project.
