The University of Minnesota’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) expanded this year’s Row the Vote (RTV) campaign by introducing two new events to boost student voter registration and excitement for the midterm elections.

The campus-wide nonpartisan campaign partners with University institutions and offices, student organizations and city and state nonprofits to encourage involvement and educate students about the upcoming midterm elections, said Carter Yost, third-year University student and RTV director.

LeadMN partnered with USG for the first time this year to increase student civic engagement at the University after working with other colleges throughout the state for the past several years.

“We don’t really care who they vote for, but what we know is when students vote, politicians listen,” LeadMN Executive Director Mike Dean said.

Yost said RTV has registered more than 2,000 students and gained about 7,000 pledges to vote in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. This is one of the most successful voter drives in University history, according to Yost.

This accomplishment was possible thanks to a new initiative that brought more than 100 RTV volunteers to 700 University classrooms to register students to vote, Yost said

“I think that’s going to have the biggest impact,” Dean said. “We were so grateful to so many faculty for letting us in.”

LeadMN has implemented the classroom at community colleges for many years and wanted to bring it to the University to show that it can work at large universities too.

Like in past years, RTV also manned tables at various campus events and door-knocked University housing.

“RTV to this extent and in this way is a new thing. Our capacity and our reach, even our budget and the way we’re structuring things is way higher than it’s been before,” Yost said.

Dean said 80% of University students voted in the 2020 election, and he hopes to see that number grow. He said while presidential elections typically attract more attention, midterms are equally important.

“The fact of the matter is the work that happens at the Minnesota State Capitol probably impacts students’ daily lives more than what the federal government does,” Dean said. “That’s why it’s so critical for students to be engaged during these midterm elections.”

Yost said he is most excited for RTV’s new Party to the Polls event, which will offer students a ride to vote early Oct. 24-28.

Groups can sign up for a limousine or party bus to pick them up at Northrop and shuttle them to an early voting site. “We are trying to make this stuff free and accessible,” Yost said.

On Oct. 28, the last day of Party to the Polls, volunteers will set up tents at Northrop with a DJ, prizes and free pizza.

“Part of our goal is to make voting fun again,” Dean said.

Mina Zhang, USG communications director, said on election day the Lime electric scooter company is partnering with RTV to offer free 30-minute scooter rides to students as long as they stop at Northrop, where RTV will provide transportation to the polls.

“This is definitely the biggest voter registration push in UMN history,” Zhang said.

Dean added that many students do not know how to vote, and RTV aims to help students overcome barriers and fears around voting.

LeadMN partnered with a group called Ballot Ready to create a tool to help citizens learn who will be on their ballot. After typing in their address, people can learn if they are registered, the different platforms candidates are campaigning on and where to vote.

The website lists the candidates’ stances on different issues as an unbiased informative resource, Dean said.

“I think students are just looking for easy non-partisan information about the candidates. Unfortunately, that’s not something that is common these days,” Dean said.

The University’s voter turnout has been recognized as one of the best in the nation in past years, Jake Ricker, director of public relations for the University, said in an email to the Minnesota Daily.

“USG is a great advocate for student voting, and we recognize and honor their work to educate students about voting and encourage them to vote,” Ricker said.

More information about Row the Vote is available on USG’s website.