Some have called 2024 the most consequential election in modern history. And Buena Vista University has initiated a way to ensure students have the opportunity to participate. On October 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. a satellite voting space will be open for students in the Mack, Mack, and Mack room in the Ballou library building, near the president’s office.
As part of a civic engagement project, there was an opportunity for signatures to be gathered for Buena Vista University to become a satellite voting space. As of September 20, there were enough signatures collected.
“Distance shouldn’t be a reason for not voting and sharing your opinion. A lot of times the college student demographic can be missed a lot in the vote because it can be seen as too difficult to vote or people don’t realize that they can do absentee voting in the process for it,” said, Mandi Mollring, Assistant Dean of Student Success and Campus Engagement.
An absentee vote is described as the ability to vote and gives a person the opportunity to vote while not in their hometown, or county. This action could be completed through the mail, online, or at a satellite voting space.
What does this mean? 
Because many students attending Buena Vista University are from outside of the county or even out of state, some may feel because they are away from home, they don’t have the ability to vote and have their voices heard. BVU has established a satellite voting space, giving students who are not from Storm Lake as well as those who are a chance for early voting. This will then add a better connection with the community.
Sami Kay, Director of Community and Student Engagement, said, “I think it’s just a cool way of, finding another way to engage in the community that isn’t just like our service and our giving back to the community is very important, but I want to continue to grow that and see how many ways that we can interact with the community. This is just another way to kind of bridge the relationship and continue to grow that relationship between Storm Lake and BVU.”
According to Kay, civic engagement is especially significant for college students, in the case of not just being involved but having their voices heard and listened to. Voting provides young people with a way to express issues that are important to them, as well as their opinions on what might be going on locally, in the state, or on a national scale.
Mollring agreed. “It’s really important because we want you all to have your voice heard and your opinions heard because it really can shape our future as far as our politics and our government,” she said. “And knowing that you all are the kind of a voice for the future and for now, it’s important to be able to have your vote counted.”
