The right to vote is one of the most sacred privileges in this nation, and Texas Lutheran University encourages members of the community to use their votes to make their voices heard. But in order to vote, you have to be registered. Tuesday, September 17, is National Voter Registration Day, and the public is invited to stop by the fireside lounge in TLU’s Alumni Student Center, where there will be free food, a non-partisan election information table, and a voter registration table.

Michaela McLean, sophomore Political Science major and Campus Organizer for the MOVE Texas Student Club—a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded to increase election participation—says there is a longstanding trend of thinking that there’s really no reason to vote, and that one vote can’t possibly make a difference. “We want to change that,” she adds. “We’re in an era of information constantly coming to us—and we can apply that information to something tangible, like the election.”

McLean goes on to say that the 18-24-year-old demographic has historically been the smallest when it comes to voter turnout. “But in 2020, that started trending upward. Now it’s one of the biggest.” She also points out that this election year will bring the most diverse group of voters to the polls in the nation’s history. “That’s what we are striving for.”

The voter registration event is free and open to the public and runs from 1-7 pm.