On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Grand Valley State University College Democrats cohosted a virtual phone banking event to rally student votes for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election. The event featured special guest Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and was hosted in partnership with the ONE Campaign for Michigan and the Michigan Democratic Party. 

The GVSU College Democrats gathered in Room 2242 of the Russel H. Kirkhof Center to virtually uplift young voters, and gather support for the Democratic Party. Over Zoom, Whitmer expressed the Democratic Party’s interest in the strength of young voters in this election cycle.

“Young people have more of an investment in the outcome of this election than any of us,” Whitmer said.

Whitmer said students should choose “the blue side” this November to better their futures, an outcome she doesn’t believe is compatible by electing former President Donald Trump to a second non-consecutive term. Commenting on the divisive nature of the country’s current political landscape, in her opening remarks Whitmer said she wants voters to know that Harris and Trump could not be more different in both intentions and practices.

Whitmer outlined some of Harris’ plans for the country should she be elected, including “safer” gun laws, increased reproductive freedom, bolstering small businesses with tax incentives and loans, as well as inclusivity for all people.

“Trump will make your life harder,” Whitmer said. “This election is really about you (young adults), and what kind of world you want to grow up in. Kamala has a real vision for making people’s lives better.”

Wrapping up, Whitmer gave a personal touch to motivate students ahead of the election. She said she believes Michigan’s youth is special in terms of political involvement, evident in the State’s record turnout in the 2022 midterm election.

“In 2022, we had the highest youth voter turnout in the country,” said Whitmer. “Let’s set the record again, let’s show the world that when Democrats lead, we make the world a better place to live in. You are the future, and you are the reason I do this.”

Following Whitmer’s speech, Nick Djerassi, the deputy out-of-state director for the Michigan Democratic Party, gave students a rundown on how to use the phone banking service Scale to Win.

According to Djerassi, the goal of the Scale to Win program was two-fold– to push left-leaning voters in the direction of a vote for the Democratic Party, and to raise awareness for voting avenues. Djerassi said events like these can also help voters register for absentee ballots or find their polling location.

After presentations concluded, the GVSU College Democrats discussed the program and began making calls to potential voters.

Communications Director for the GVSU College Democrats, Claire Huntley, said raising awareness for any political party is beneficial to students.

“Especially for college students that are just getting involved (in) their first primary election, the phone banking program can help with social skills,” Huntley said. “I was not a super outgoing person and now I feel like I can go up to anybody.”

Huntley said she believes the student population of Michigan is a massive potential voting block, if utilized correctly.

“I think there’s something like 400,000 college students in Michigan,” Huntley said. “The margin in the 2020 election was about 11,000. By encouraging college students to vote and get involved, we can make a huge impact.”

Similarly to Whitmer, Huntley emphasized specific policies within the Democratic Party that might appeal to young people, including reproductive rights, inclusivity and student loan debt forgiveness.

“(Democrats are) just a very welcoming party,” Huntley said. “Harris speaks a lot about joy and inclusivity, and that’s great for students who want somewhere to belong, regardless of where they’re from, background or sexuality.”

Huntley said student debt forgiveness has the most practical benefit to students interested in voting for the Democratic Party.

“Especially for college students, there’s a big focus on student debt,” Huntley said. “It really piqued my interest as someone who is paying for college and plans to attend grad school as well.”

Huntley said she worries about the difficulties young women face after having reproductive rights hindered under previous administrations, specifically during Trump’s 2016-2020 presidential term.

There are Planned Parenthood health centers near GVSU in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, as well as other alternative women’s health centers. Huntley still worries that conservative politics in the area limit the help young women can actually receive when it comes to an unwanted pregnancy or reproductive care.

“We have a crisis pregnancy center called Positive Options that seems like they want to help,” Huntley said. “But they can’t refer you for an abortion, and their hands are largely tied in terms of meaningful help.”

Huntley believes electing Harris as the forty-seventh president of the United States will make everyday necessities like groceries more affordable, which she feels resonates with young college students who often have little money of their own. 

“With price gouging and prices nowadays being too high, it is hard for college students,” Huntley said. “We are not rich, and we can’t afford a lot of stuff, so making sure that companies are not taking advantage of the consumers is important.”

Huntley emphasized that Trump’s policies do not satisfy the issues she cares most about.

“I think supporting Trump is more of a moral issue than a political one,” Huntley said. “If you’re not sure who you want to vote for, strip it down to what beliefs you think are the most important and then decide which party reflects your ideas. I’m not here to tell you to vote for.”

GVSU College Democrats allows students to find a community, and digest political events and current issues. Students involved can engage in local politics and educational events, as well as educate others on what is happening in the State and throughout the country. According to Huntley, the club aims to “make politics something that isn’t super scary to look at.”

“We do events, debate watch parties and make crafts while we talk about important issues, and it just kind of softens the blow to talk about some of these difficult topics,” Huntley said. “We want to get people exposed to actual candidates. We are involved with county commissioners and school boards. Building that bridge between politicians and constituents is important.”