The Grand Valley State University Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) looks for student volunteers every election term, but this election seems to resonate with every one as a very important one.

In the satellite Clerk’s office at GVSU, students can register to vote, re-register under a different address, request an absentee ballot and drop off absentee ballots. When it comes to the volunteering, students can also sign up through the CSLC to help orchestrate the affair.

“This is a great learning opportunity and an important way to serve your community for young people, especially during the current pandemic, as the majority of poll workers are traditionally older people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19,” said Melissa Baker-Boosamra, Associate Director of Student Life for Civic Engagement & Assessment at GVSU.

Students who sign up to volunteer at the satellite Clerk office in Allendale, located in the Kirkhof Center in room 0072, will assist with many jobs and tasks. Some of the tasks include assisting with line management during voting periods, assisting voters by providing the required paperwork they need, cleaning, and, most importantly, spreading the world to other students on campus about voting.

Students will table by the Cook Carillon Tower and walk around campus informing students about the voting process, as well as answering any questions they may have.

This election is important for students to participate in because so many more young people are taking part in election processes. Already in the 2020 election, 54 million people have already cast their vote via absentee voting.

“Young people (Millennials, Gen Z) now make up more of the population of eligible voters than the older generations (Gen X, Baby Boomers), and this is the world that young people will inherit as they become the leaders of tomorrow,”Baker-Boosamra said. “Students have the right and responsibility to pay attention and to participate in making this world a place the best that it can be, for all of us.”

If interested, students can also sign up to be poll workers. This is a paid position and a great way for them to learn more about the voting process and the electoral system. They can sign up through the Michigan Department of State’s Democracy MVP program. Students that have additional comments or questions about volunteering to help out with voting can contact Baker-Boosamra.