Student organizations band together to get students to vote

Five student organizations are working together to get UF students to the polls today.

Black Student Union, Asian American Student Union, Hispanic Student Association, Pride Student Union and Women’s Student Association, in collaboration with the Bob Graham Center Student Fellows, are hosting an event at Pugh Hall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Along with shuttling students to the polls from Pugh, the event will feature speakers, voter guides, free pizza and prizes.

Ronit Dastidar, the external vice president for AASU, said the voter guides will show what policies could affect several minority groups.

“We really want people to see that there are issues that affect many populations,” the 20-year-old UF microbiology and cell science junior said. “We want students to keep that in mind when they go to the polls.”

He said that the shuttles will run every 30 minutes for students who are ready to vote. He hopes to take at least 40 students to the polls.

Preston Jones, the treasurer of PSU, said the Bob Graham Center offered to host the event, so it didn’t cost the involved organizations any money.

“We felt that voting, especially in this election, is important for our community,” the 20-year-old political science junior said.

He said that while same-sex marriage has been legalized, there is still a lot of work to be done to promote equal rights.

“Going out to vote is the only way to make your voice heard,” he said.

Ryan Mockabee, a 21-year-old UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience senior, counts off people on an early-voting shuttle on Tuesday. With an hour and a half left to run, the shuttles, offered by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, had already taken 91 people.