From the minute the Democracy Day celebration started at 11 a.m. the tent was crowded with students lining up to interact with the various candidates.
The event ran from 11 a.m. to around 1 p.m. and had a steady flow of students the entire time.
To entice students to participate in the event Student Democracy Coalition created a passport for candidates to sign after talking to the student. SDC handed out free swag for anyone who had a competed passport at the end. This stuff included mugs, t-shirts, sweat bands, stickers, waters, and lunches.
Nearly 200 students participated in the event according to the Executive Director of Community Engagement and Service Learning, Lane Perry.
“We were very happy with the turnout of candidates and students and very excited about the engagement! SDC will certainly be doing something like this in the fall,” said Perry in an email.
There were 20 candidates from the local ballot including those running for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and many local positions like sheriff or school board.
Even though many students are not registered for this area the candidates said they feel it is important to interact with students to help them feel more comfortable talking to politicians and to encourage voting no matter where they live.
The primary election in North Carolina will be on May 17 and the early voting started on April 28. The voting place at the WCU University Center is open until May 13, click here for the hours. You must be registered in Jackson County to vote on campus.
Click here for more information about North Carolina voting, registration, and early voting locations.
