Centralia College Designated As ‘Voter-Friendly’ Campus

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Two national organizations have designated Centralia College as a “voter-friendly” campus, which is valid through December 2020. 

“Students have been the driver this year in making the efforts at Centralia College a success,” said Jaima Kortlever, president of the Associated Students of Centralia College in a press release from Centralia College. “But, we are a two-year college and the students involved this year won’t be here next year. We’re talking now about how to keep the momentum going on campus. We will be training the next student government and we’re working extra hard to get more staff and faculty involved in voter engagement.”

The Campus Vote Project and the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education — both of which are national nonpartisan organizations that are leading an initiative to reduce barriers to student voting — gave Centralia College the designation.

According to the press release, Washington State University was the only other college in Washington state to receive the designation.

“Initial reports indicate CC’s student leaders registered or updated the registrations of 109 people during this time,” the press release reads. “A full report is expected this spring.”

The Associated Students of Centralia College hosted events that encouraged students to vote, leading up to the 2018 election. Efforts included the following:

• Hosting voter registration events on Sept. 17 and 25, and Oct. 2



• Participating in and being named one of the winners of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Student Voter Challenge (students will be having lunch with the governor and Secretary of State on March 28)

• Hosting voter education programs on campus, including a presentation on how evolution and brain chemistry affect voting practices and a presentation about the women’s suffrage movement

• Hosting a Candidate Town Hall

• Providing refreshments and stickers to voters using the ballot dropbox on campus on Nov. 6