South Middlesex Times

Alejandra Afanador, a second-year student at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is committed to encouraging her peers to vote. The 19-year-old Honors College student has been volunteering as an RU Voting Ambassador throughout the summer and will continue these efforts leading up to the Nov. 5 general election.

The ambassador program, managed by the Center for Youth Political Participation and the Eagleton Institute of Politics, aims to boost student voter registration and mobilization for the 2024 general election. Afanador and other ambassadors have spent around 40 hours running voter registration tables on campus during new student orientation sessions over the summer. These activities will persist until the Oct. 15 registration deadline.

"We're nonpartisan, so we don't tell people how to vote, but the main thing is we just want to get people civically engaged," Afanador said. "We want to get students involved because of historically low turnout."

Afanador emphasized that voters aged 18-29 typically show the lowest turnout rates. She believes civic education is crucial in informing incoming students about their voting rights.

According to Pew Research Center data, only 10 percent of voters in 2022 were between ages 18 and 29.

Afanador is majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy, politics, and economics at Rutgers' School of Arts and Sciences. The Hasbrouck Heights resident is on a pre-law track with interests in trial and international law.

Her interest in law began during middle school when she worked on a project that involved composing an opening statement.

"I did this one project where we had the option of composing an opening statement, and it just really launched me into the legal realm," Afanador said. She added that political science aligns well with legal studies because "politics and law go hand in hand."

Afanador's passion for voting stems from a broader disillusionment with government across all political spectrums.

"There is such disillusionment in the government," she said. "No matter what stance people find themselves in, there is an all-too-normalized sentiment that politicians tend not to address actual concerns."

RU Voting Ambassadors participate in training sessions and assist with at least four voter registration or mobilization drives each fall semester. They also promote events hosted by their organizing institutions.

"RU Voting Ambassadors play a vital role in equipping Rutgers students with tools to vote," said Sophia Alexis from the Center for Youth Political Participation. Alexis noted that ambassadors attended multiple orientation sessions over the summer and were active during move-in events.

Ambassadors have helped more than 1,700 incoming students access voter registration resources so far this year.

Elizabeth C. Matto from Eagleton Institute stressed young adults' significant impact on elections: "Young adults constitute a large portion of eligible voters... campaigns need to put effort into mobilizing this highly important segment."

Afanador's civic engagement extends beyond voting initiatives; she holds various roles including secretary for the Latin American Student Organization and founding president of BridgeUSA’s Rutgers chapter—a group promoting viewpoint diversity and responsible discourse.

BridgeUSA was established out of concern for increasing polarization within American politics due to social media echo chambers.

"Your feed is so catered to you... We become very polarized when it comes down to discussing opposing views," Afanador explained about BridgeUSA’s mission for open discussions rather than debates or arguments.

As an avid reader and writer herself, Afanador emphasizes individual contributions towards collective action problems: “Your voice does matter.”

Rutgers–New Brunswick received recognition through a bronze award from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its democratic engagement efforts during midterm elections last year.

Those interested must register or update their voter information by Oct. 15 to participate in New Jersey’s Nov. 5 election.