This election season, Kent State Today will feature a series of stories about voting on campus, sharing information about how and where to vote, first-time student voters, important event dates and deadlines.
Trevor Martin is member of Kent State’s Class of 2004 and is currently the campaign coordinator for the League of Women Voters of Ohio.
Martin has been driving an Ohio-made Airstream trailer around the state on a tour of more than 20 Ohio colleges to register students to vote, provide nonpartisan info about what will be on Ohio’s ballot, and to give students the information they need to be confident and informed this election year.
He will be returning to Kent as the League of Women Voters of Ohio’s Your Voice, Your Vote, Your Power Tour arrives at Kent State on Oct. 7 – the final day of voter registration.
The trailer is scheduled to arrive at about 9:30 a.m. on the Esplanade near the DI Hub on Monday and will offer opportunities for students to find out more about the candidates, ballot issues and, if they are not yet registered to vote, fill out voter registration forms and have them submitted before the deadline of 9 p.m. on Oct. 7.
‘Young People Care Deeply’
“We’ve engaged with thousands of students about this election – how to be a voter, what’s on the ballot, and what’s at stake for their futures,” Martin said.
“There’s a misconception that young folks are disinterested or don't care about elections, but what we've found couldn't be any further from the truth,” he said. “Young people care deeply. They have issues that are of immense concern to them, and they want to be involved in the policy decisions that are shaping their future. Our future.”
Martin said, “We’ve been so impressed with the interest students have shown us. I couldn’t be happier with how things have been going and I am so thrilled to top it off, on Oct. 7, the final day of voter registration, at my alma mater, Kent State University!”
His Passion for Activism Began at Kent State
Counting himself as a “proud alumnus of Kent State University,” Martin said that he loved the time he spent at Kent State and that he made sure to take advantage of every opportunity the university had to offer.
He graduated, summa cum laude, with university honors, in 2004 with a bachelor’s in psychology, a minor in religion studies and a minor in political science. Martin credits his participation in Kent State’s Columbus Program in State Issues as inspiring his interest and eventual career in governmental policy and community organizing.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the campus, spending time talking with students, and giving back to my community of Flashes,” he said. “As a former student. I know that Kent State has a history, a tradition, and prides itself on students being very involved with the policies of the day. I am eager to hear about those, to talk to students about any concerns, and to answer any questions they have about voter registration.
‘I Have Never Felt So Optimistic’
Martin’s tour of Ohio colleges and universities has left him with a good feeling about how engaged and interested students are about voting and the election process. “As we wrap up our tour, I have never felt so optimistic about young people and their passion for civic participation,” he said. “I want to thank all the local leagues who’ve made these events the successes that they have been, to the colleges, universities, and community stakeholders that have helped us coordinate this, and especially to the students for inspiring us!”
“Golden Flashes, get registered, make a plan, and get out to vote!”
