Q&A
Council Member Dinowitz questions CUNY on voter registration coordinators and mail-in ballot assistance
0:56:52
·
3 min
Council Member Eric Dinowitz inquires about CUNY's voter registration coordinators and the sustainability of relying on volunteers for this role. He also asks about CUNY's efforts to assist students with mail-in ballot applications. CUNY representatives and NYPIRG clarify the coordinator selection process and describe their approaches to promoting various voting methods.
- Each CUNY campus has a designated voter registration coordinator, typically a full-time staff member with other responsibilities
- NYPIRG provides guides on absentee and mail-in voting as part of their get-out-the-vote efforts
- The discussion highlights the varied approaches to civic engagement across CUNY campuses
Eric Dinowitz
0:56:52
I've one quick question, and then I'll turn it over to council member Batcher.
0:56:59
The election coordinator each school, miss NASA, you said it's a labor of love.
0:57:03
I think that's wonderful.
0:57:06
Is CUNY sort of relying on that model, though?
0:57:10
Is it, I don't know, sustainable to have at every single campus this election coordinator and hoping you find someone who just, like, really cares and wants to do it out of the goodness of their heart.
Denise Maybank
0:57:24
I'm not certain how each of them gets appointed or selected or a violin told to do this.
0:57:31
But, you know, in most instances, it is someone who is willing and wanting to do that.
0:57:37
And I don't know.
Eric Dinowitz
0:57:39
And it is at every campus, alright?
Denise Maybank
0:57:41
I'm sorry?
Eric Dinowitz
0:57:41
It there is one at every campus.
Denise Maybank
0:57:43
Has a coordinator.
0:57:45
Yes.
Staci Emanuel
0:57:46
Am I right?
0:57:47
Yes.
0:57:48
The voter registration coordinator comes through the campus.
0:57:52
So whether it's through the president's office or the VP of student affairs, they select who that person would be to serve as the voter registration coordinator on campus.
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:01
I think that's a full time faculty member?
Staci Emanuel
0:58:03
No.
0:58:03
It's it's someone in the office of student affairs.
0:58:06
So Let
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:06
me rephrase it.
0:58:06
It is assigned to a full time faculty member.
Staci Emanuel
0:58:09
Right.
0:58:09
Full full time staff.
0:58:10
Yes.
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:10
Exactly.
Staci Emanuel
0:58:11
And it's usually part of their other responsibilities that they may have in their portfolio.
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:16
Right.
Staci Emanuel
0:58:17
As well.
0:58:17
So it's not a stand alone.
0:58:19
You know, you're just a voter registration coordinator, and that's it.
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:22
Thank you.
0:58:23
I'm sorry.
0:58:24
Counsel Marvash, just one other thing.
0:58:25
In terms of the you mentioned a lot about early voting, maybe making the colleges a poll site.
0:58:34
They could vote anywhere all wonderful ideas.
0:58:37
Do you also assist students in applying for mail in ballots?
0:58:40
Is that part of part of your effort?
Helen-Margaret Nasser
0:58:44
Yes.
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:45
Okay.
0:58:45
And that's across campuses.
Staci Emanuel
0:58:49
That's the students and
Eric Dinowitz
0:58:52
Well, one of the ways to increase voter participation is to have students mail in their ballots rather than go to a poll site.
0:59:02
So I'm just asking if it is part of the structure of this system that across all campuses, you are assisting voters or encouraging them to apply for a mail in ballot.
Staci Emanuel
0:59:12
I we wouldn't be able to it might vary by campus, but we wouldn't
Megan Ahearn
0:59:17
So at the campuses, I have my forecasters, we produce a guide on absentee mail in voting, and when done the deadlines are, and then it's part of our get out the vote, regular outreach.
0:59:31
So we're reserving tables in high traffic areas of campus to stop students and say, hey, if you made your voter plan, when are you gonna go vote, pick a date, pick a time, Where's your poll site?
0:59:43
And, you know, as they're making their voter plan, if they're like, I'm I'm I'm not gonna make it to the polls, then we bring out the mail in voting.
Eric Dinowitz
0:59:52
K.
0:59:52
Thank you.
0:59:52
I'm gonna turn over to council member, Batcher.