Bridgewater College to hold series of presidential election events for youth, public

Bridgewater College Votes (BC Votes) will hold a series of events related to the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.

All events are free, open to the public and will be held at Bridgewater College.

Dr. Bobbi Gentry, associate professor of political science at Bridgewater College, will be available to speak on youth voting behavior, especially in the context of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. An expert on youth voting behavior, Gentry is the author of “Why Youth Vote: Identity, Inspirational Leaders and Independence” (Springer, 2018).

Gentry said more youth are engaging in politics than ever before. New measures that have been instituted in the past several years, including early voting and mail-in ballots, have increased the participation of young voters.

“Young people want to engage,” she said. “They want to have the important conversations and be a part of finding the solution to problems at the local, state and national levels.”

In 2022, Gentry received a $20,000 grant to launch the Valley Votes Project to improve trust in elections in the Shenandoah Valley through voter education, voter registration and a speaker series focused on how elections work. She received a second $20,000 grant in 2023 for BC Votes, a program to engage BC students in registering voters and organizing student-directed voter engagement efforts with the goal of creating the next generation of civic leaders.

“Young people who participate in an election in early adulthood are more likely to participate after they leave college. By creating a program with peer-to-peer contact and students educating and engaging with other students about the elections within Virginia, we are implementing best practices in promoting the student vote. [These projects] allow Bridgewater College to promote democracy on our campus and in our community,” Gentry said.

BC Votes events will be:

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024
Presidential Debate Watch
Boitnott Room, Rebecca Hall, 9 to 11 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
National Voter Registration Day
Kline Campus Center Lobby, 9 to 11 a.m.
Learn about voter registration and make a plan to vote on Nov. 5, 2024.

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024
Vice Presidential Debate Watch
Boitnott Room, Rebecca Hall, 9 to 11 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 4, 2024
Election Hero Day
Kline Campus Center Lobby, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Students and volunteers will write thank you letters to election officials, poll workers and the state board of elections.

Founded in 1880, Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,450 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors and four graduate programs housed within three distinct schools.