In the peak of political season, students from the MSMS Young Democrats, Young Republicans and Young Independents hosted the year’s second voter  registration drive in the lobby of Hooper Academic Building on Thursday, Dec. 5, for federal elections. In the last MSMS voter registration drive, which was for the state elections, a total of 13 students registered to vote. In this one, however, about 40 MSMS students registered to vote.

In order to register, students had to be 18 years of age by November 3, 2020 and a U.S. citizen. People normally would go to a circuit clerk office and request a form, but the students were provided with these forms at the drive. After filling out the required fields, the Young Democrats gathered the forms, sealed them and will mail them back to the voter’s home county clerk.

Senior and President of the MSMS Young Democrats Davan Reece organized the student registration. Reece gathered all of the student volunteers to work the registration table and had to contact several people to make the registration drive possible.

“We used a Microsoft form, so everyone could tell when they were free to work, and I made a schedule from that,” Reece said.

Since most students were not able to register in the last registration drive because of their age, the turnout was much larger for this drive for the November 2020 election. This means most seniors and even some juniors were able to register to vote in the federal election.

Senior Samaria Swims registered to vote because she “wants to help shape our country” and “do anything [she] can to improve Mississippi’s future in our current political state.”

“I just want to get my voice across to the [country] and Mississippi,” Swims said. “There are lot of topics in Mississippi that are a bit iffy. It was nice to be able to easily access a way to register to vote.”

Senior and MSMS Young Independents member Boatner Calhoun was one of the students who worked the registration table.

“There is a really big lack in young people voting,” Calhoun said. “It was really cool to help people get out and make it easier for them to participate in their civic duties.”

Reece was pleased with the turnout of the registration drive.

“I am really happy with how everything turned out, ” Reece said. “Obviously, when you’re doing a voter drive, literally every vote counts, especially in today’s world, and the fact that we were able to get so many from senior class and some from the junior class was completely amazing.”

The political clubs plan to keep the student body active and involved in politics throughout the rest of the school year.