Registering to vote in college town may help students form bonds with community

Young voters, including college students, can help share the direction of their local community, state and nation.

A James Madison University professor with expertise in the area of elections and political psychology said voting in a student’s college town can help a young person broaden their experiences beyond campus grounds.

“For students, it’s an opportunity to voice concerns about issues that directly affect them, such as housing policies, student loans and job opportunities for recent graduates,” said Ben Blankenship, a psychology professor at JMU.

Blankenship said college students typically have the choice to register to vote in their home state and city or where they attend college. If a student regards their college address as their current residence, they have the right to register and vote from that address.

Most important decisions affecting college students are often decided by residents who aren’t students.

“Some of the most important decisions that affect college students, such as housing affordability/availability, traffic/parking regulations, and public safety/policing, are decided primarily by local elected officials,” said Blakenship. “If college students do not vote locally, they are essentially allowing non-student residents to select the officials who will make these decisions that will ultimately affect them.”

Another benefit of students voting in their college towns is that it can help form bonds between students and local residents.

“There is often a very strong divide between students and the locals in many college towns, and I think this can be alleviated by college students getting more involved in things like local politics,” Blankenship said. “By having students meet with and work with locals, they can learn about each other’s struggles, goals and concerns.”