Following a recent meeting with fellow student leaders from 20 Tennessee colleges and universities and led by Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Middle Tennessee State University’s Student Government Association leadership stands firmly committed to pushing voter registration on campus.

“We have a very strong commitment to increasing voter registration on our campus,” MTSU SGA President Michai Mosby said. “We have an even stronger commitment to winning the most voter registrations amongst the other four-year colleges and universities again. But to do this, we are committing to making sure that our students are well informed and that they understand the importance of their civic duty… voting.”

Mosby, along with MTSU SGA Election Commissioner Caroline Spann and Danny Kelley, assistant vice president in the Division of Student Affairs and SGA advisor, joined dozens of student government leaders for the annual College Civic Engagement Luncheon in Nashville, Tennessee, July 13.

Hargett, a Ripley, Tennessee, native now living in Hendersonville, annually invites SGA presidents from every Tennessee college and university to join their fellow student leaders to discuss the importance of civic engagement and voter registration on their respective campuses in preparation for September’s National Voter Registration Month.  

“Out of the many nuggets that were dropped, our biggest takeaway is that as SGA leaders, we are the example,” Mosby said. “That means everything we do — starting with voter registration and beyond — must set the example for the students we lead to follow.”

Mosby, a sophomore from Memphis, Tennessee, pursuing degrees in public relations and political science, said he considered the event “a very informative experience. I believe that as we work to increase voter turnout on our campuses, we must, one, be on the same page and, two, allow the opportunity to network with each other to determine what works best and discover innovative ways to increase turnout.”

Speaking for the MTSU group and 2023-24 SGA leadership team, Mosby said they were “grateful to the secretary of state for his commitment to ensure that college students across our state are civically engaged. To increase voter participation, we must remember that it is a joint effort, and I am excited to see what this cohort of Tennessee student leaders are able to accomplish this year.”

Hargett, who has visited MTSU different times through the years, said he “appreciates Mosby’s and Spann’s commitment to increasing the number of registered voters on campus.” 

Kelley spoke on “what has worked for MTSU that contributed to our high voter registration numbers in the past,” Mosby added.

A key component of MTSU’s success with student voter registration is the SGA’s partnership with the campus chapter of the American Democracy Project led by Honors College research professor Mary Evins with support from dedicated student volunteers such as graduating senior Kayla Jenkins. Both Evins and Jenkins were recognized by national organizations this year for their leadership in voter registration efforts through the ADP.

MTSU has received recognition from the secretary of state’s office sponsoring the Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition during National Voter Registration Month. Winning schools are selected based on the number of new students registered to vote relative to the size of their student body as well as their social media engagement in promoting the registration.

A rising junior from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Spann is a College of Media and Entertainment advertising major, with minors in mass communications and communications.

MTSU’s SGA leadership will be releasing its plan for the fall semester, so visit www.mtsu.edu/sga for events, including voter registration initiatives.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)