MSU Athletics Co-Hosts Voter Registration Virtual Rally

EAST LANSING, Mich. – As part of a partnership with the Department of State, local election officials, and part of the Big Ten Voter Initiative, the Michigan State Department of Athletics and MSUVote will co-host a Virtual Voter Registration Rally on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 22 is National Voter Registration Day, and the rally coincides with this day to help those who have yet to register do so for the upcoming election as well as help attendees check their registration status if needed. The virtual rally will be open to all Michigan State University students, faculty and staff, and members of the community and will feature speakers Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Jennifer Shuster, East Lansing City Clerk. University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., MSU men's basketball coach Tom Izzo and MSU football coach Mel Tucker and will also provide a message to the community on the importance of voting during the program. Moderating the evening's rally will be Suchitra Webster, MSU's Community Liaison.

The event will be kicked-off by Coach Izzo and then Secretary of State Benson will walk through registration/voting basics. A Q&A with Secretary Benson and City Clerk Schuster will follow. Topics covered include:

How to check if you are registered to vote
Is your information accurate
How to register to vote
How to get an absentee ballot
How to vote in EL instead of back home if you wish

Attendees can pull up their information and get registered/update info/request an absentee ballot during the rally.

The link for the virtual rally is https://msu.zoom.us/j/93574832697. In addition to the informational presentation on both the process by which to register or check your registration status, participants will be able to ask questions of the local officials.

On Sept. 9, MSU announced a partnership with the Michigan Department of State and local election officials in Ingham County and the East Lansing City Clerk's office to encourage civic engagement and nonpartisan voter participation among students, student-athletes, alumni, fans, and employees. In addition, the Athletic Department is also involved in the Big Ten voter initiative.

The goals of the partnership include:
• MSU Athletics will engage in the following activities in preparation for the November 2020 statewide election, with the goal to increase voter participation among students and fans on a nonpartisan basis.

• Early voting town halls (virtual): In September and October 2020, MSU Athletics and other campus organizations, including MSUvote, the university's nonpartisan voting initiative, will host "early voting" town halls online to provide voter registration information and answers to other voting questions.

• Support and promote the clerk's office/satellite voting location. East Lansing City Clerk Jennifer Shuster will host a satellite voting location at the Hannah Community Center (819 Abbot Road in East Lansing) beginning Oct. 5, where any eligible East Lansing voter will be able to register and vote on site through election day on Nov. 3.

▪ Encourage members of the MSU community to serve as election workers. Students and MSU employees can serve as election workers on Nov. 3.

• PSAs and social media infographics: MSU Athletics teams, coaches and student-athletes will be featured in a series of PSA videos and infographics aimed at voter education.

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