Secretary of the State Visits SHU to Encourage Voting

Stephanie Thomas discusses early voting and the importance of getting involved in government

Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas visited Sacred Heart University April 9 to speak to students and faculty about early voting and the importance of young people getting involved in government.

Early voting is offered in 46 states and is new to Connecticut this year, allowing individuals to cast their ballot in person before Election Day. Government officials hope the additional voting opportunity increases turnout and encourages individuals to participate in democracy.

“Just because you are not happy with the end result of an election does not mean that democracy did not work,” Thomas said when discussing the importance of voting. “Allow your voice to be heard.”

Thomas also suggested individuals make their voices heard by reaching out to local politicians and actively participating in democracy all year long. “We must help elected individuals do their jobs,” she said. “Policies are not written in one day: many take years to be written and adopted. It is important that individuals keep up with policies and provide their input.”

She said there are plenty of ways to get involved in government without becoming a politician. One way is to become a poll worker. Students can enroll in the Next Gen Elections program, which trains college students to become poll workers, she said.

Thomas further suggested anyone interested in running for office look to the state’s Citizens’ Election Program, which provides clean election financing to qualified candidates for statewide offices and the General Assembly. It ensures that individuals only need to raise a small amount of money to receive a campaign grant.

“The Citizens’ Election Program gives everyone a level playing field, because everyone is using the same amount of money to run their campaign,” said Thomas. “This is a great way to run for office without knowing the [politicians] in town.”

In the future, Thomas hopes to see more young people getting involved in government, whether working at the polls, showing up to vote or running for office. “Young people have the numbers and so much power,” she said.

“I think the Secretary of the State’s visit was so insightful and inspiring to hear as a student,” said Angelica Sampson, president of PioneerVote. “I felt that Secretary Thomas had an amazing way of connecting with the audience and keeping us engaged. I learned so much from her presentation including more about early voting and that you can be a poll worker at the age of 16 with certain restrictions. Overall, Secretary Thomas stressed the importance that every voice needs to be heard and that every vote counts. As the president of PioneerVote, I hope my peers see the significance of being involved in civic engagement and become eager to learn about the voting processes and elections. I want our student population to feel empowered when voting and participate fully in shaping our future.”

To learn more about voting in Connecticut, visit myvote.ct.gov.

Photo (inset): from left are PioneerVote President Angelica Sampson, CT Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, State Representative Sarah Keitt and Vice President of University Advancement Paul Sutera.