Are you registered to vote?

Today VSU’s NAACP is hosting a voter registration drive for students, faculty and staff.

NAACP hopes to reach out to the community and encourage people to register to vote in this election.

Chris Hawkins, the political action chair of the NAACP and coordinator of the drive, said NAACP is inspired by the national scale of the organization.

“Our organization is nationally recognized as the top organization to register people to vote, and we just wanted to continue the tradition in such an important election year,” Hawkins said.

NAACP has had voter registration drives leading up to today’s larger drive, and members anticipate large participation.

Other organizations planning to attend the NAACP Voter Registration Drive are Black Student League, Collegiate Men of VSU and Collegiate Women of VSU, Sigma Gamma Rho, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Delta Sigma Theta, Creative Media, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Chartwells and more.

“When I reached out to other organizations to collaborate they quickly responded because of working with me on prior events,” Hawkins said. “[Other organizations] are just as eager to get people registered […] It took a lot to bring various organizations together and making sure each one could help in some form, but we got it done and we are excited about this event.”

Today’s voter registration drive will have music, food, drinks, buttons, giveaways, information on candidates and their views on big issues and instructions on updating personal registration information and what to bring to vote.

“I think what made our voter drives special is incorporating other organizations, this shows that not only a single organization cares, but all students care about getting to the polls and letting their voice be heard Nov. 6,” Airyagany Hall, president of the VSU NAACP college chapter, said. “It brought together students for a common purpose and goal.”

NAACP doesn’t want to influence students’ thinking, but inform them and encourage a conversation and atmosphere for politics that is inviting.

“College students are more eager to vote and interested in what’s happening in our country a lot more than I thought,” Hawkins said. “Since The Happening we have registered about four hundred students alone.”

The NAACP Voter Registration Drive starts at noon and ends at 3 p.m. in the courtyard between Georgia Hall and Langdale Hall.