TrinVotes! Encourages Students to Register and Vote in Upcoming Election

A nonpartisan initiative on campus led by students and staff is helping members of the Trinity community take an active role in this fall’s municipal elections.

The mission of TrinVotes! is to make the voting process more accessible and to promote civic engagement among students. The TrinVotes! website offers resources for students interested in registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot, and going to the polls on Election Day, which this year is November 4. TrinVotes! also provides resources for learning about the issues and candidates, along with information about how to get more involved in the political process.

TrinVotes! partnered with the State of Connecticut on National Voter Registration Day to encourage eligible students on campus to register to vote. Students passing through the Gates Quad around lunchtime on September 16 registered to vote and engaged with representatives from TrinVotes! and some special guests.

Connecticut Deputy Secretary of the State, Jennifer D. Barahona, who joined the event on campus, said, “We’re eager to engage with young people and encourage people of all ages to vote.”

Barahona also emphasized the importance of continuous civic engagement. “Voting is the foundation of our country, which is a democracy. But it’s not just about voting. It starts with registering to vote, but civics is 365 days a year. Policy isn’t developed on Election Day; that’s just the start,” she said.

Chenille Jake ’24, the Summit Fellow for Indigenous Community Initiatives and Civic Engagement at Trinity, leads TrinVotes! as an initiative of the President’s Office, and sees it as a way to increase student participation and build a stronger community around voting and civic engagement.

“I think voting is important overall, but so is making an informed and educated vote,” Jake said.

Last year, Trinity received a bronze award from the nonprofit ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its student voter participation rate in the 2022 midterms. Read more about this award.

Juan Rayo ’27, the student leader for TrinVotes!, works closely with Jake to create programming throughout the academic year and helps to circulate news about upcoming events throughout the Trinity community.

“I believe voting is the most sacred right in our democracy, and that all other rights in the United States are derived from the right to vote,” Rayo said. “Every policy issue we care about—including the economy, education, healthcare, foreign relations, and the environment—is affected by the people chosen to represent us.”

Rayo helped fellow students register to vote—either in Hartford or their hometowns, via absentee ballot—as part of National Voter Registration Day. “It has been truly rewarding to inform students during tabling,” said Rayo. “It is great to register people to vote on location and see how the information you are sharing can influence their decision regarding showing up to the polls.”

Jake added, “As a student, being civically engaged provides much more of an outlet to stay connected in the community, whether that’s learning about the community or giving back.”

The event also included an informational table the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in democracy.

TrinVotes! plans to hold more voter education and registration events leading up to the November 4 election, with some programs being offered as part of National Voter Education Week, observed October 6 through 10.

Visit the TrinVotes! website for more information about upcoming events and how to get involved.

In addition to upcoming events held by TrinVotes!, IGNITE—a student organization of Trinity’s Women and Gender Resource Action Center that aims to promote women’s political leadership—will host Connecticut State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest (D-West Hartford) on October 29 at 6:00 p.m. in Dangremond Family Commons. Gilchrest will speak to members of the Trinity community about topics for which she advocates as a leader in Connecticut.