Macalester is proud of its identity as a politically active campus. Mac students are vocal about their ideas in class, Café Mac and online. But when it comes to voting, Mac falls drastically short of its civic duties. The NSLVE Campus Report showed that in the 2012 National Election, only 45.5 percent of eligible students voted. This was less than the average participation for all bachelor’s institutions in that election. For the 2014 Midterm Election, this value plummeted to 27.7 percent. In contrast, for both years, the registration rates were 74.8 percent and 68.6 percent respectively. Based on the data, Mac students are passionate in their speech and remember to register, but drag their feet come Election Day.

This disparity belies the community’s passion for political issues. And the high rates of voter registration suggest that students have the resources necessary to participate in elections. Whatever the cause, the data show that Mac students are not taking full advantage of the privilege of voting. And that should change.

This election cycle, vote! Help show that Macalester is political not only in language, but also in action. Activism is significant to the Mac identity, and that activism should include voting. On November 8th, we hope to see you at the polls.