With the city and county elections underway, and the upcoming presidential election around the corner, most college students unfortunately face significant challenges when trying to register to vote. 

Part of being in college is about getting ready for adult life. Being an adult, voting is one of the biggest freedoms and privileges. 

Many college students, especially those out of state, are unaware of the available options that can help them with registering to vote. 

Although some students may be aware of how to vote, some are not, and therefore there should be an on-campus service that assists students with how to register to vote and provide overall awareness of upcoming elections. 

According to InsideHigherEd.com, “during the 2020 elections only 66% of college students who were registered to vote cast their ballots, which is a 14 percent decrease from the 2016 election.” 

The impact of voter suppression on students of color also impacts the number of college students who struggle to vote.  

“It is also far more difficult for members of minority communities to be able to locate polling places on Election Day.” “Only 5 percent of white survey respondents reported that they had trouble finding polling locations, compared to 15 percent of African American and 14 percent of Hispanic respondents”, said American Bar Association. 

VSU once provided a service that assisted students with voter registration, but that service was defunded. 

The spread of awareness about elections is very small. Even with local elections, many students are not involved due to lack of information. However, Organizations on campus have found ways to get students active in voting, but there should still be more representatives involved. 

Professors can also spread awareness to students, but there is a possibility of bias.  

Let us build a community that encourages and helps students get ready to vote. College students are a large part of the population, and we have a right to be heard. 

This editorial reflects the general opinion of The Spectator staff.