Centenary Excels at Voter Registration Through Ballot Bowl

Election 2024 is here! On top of the ticket is the vote for president. But here in New Jersey we will also be voting for members of Congress and one Senator.

The stakes are high as your choice for president will lead the country for the next four years which is why it is so important that everyone eligible to vote casts a vote. Eligibility to vote is one thing, but the key is registering to vote. That’s where Ballot Bowl comes in.

Ballot Bowl, in conjunction with ALL IN To Vote, is a national, non-partisan effort to encourage college and university students to register and make a pledge to vote. Colleges and universities compete to get the highest percentage of a student body to pledge to vote. Once a student pledges to vote, All IN To Vote sends them email messages and text messages reminding them to vote.

Enter NJ Ballot Bowl 2024. For the past two years, Centenary placed first in the national and the state Ballot Bowl, besting 29 competing NJ colleges and universities with voter registration from county colleges to Rutgers–the state university–to Princeton.

“Right now we are #5 in the nation, with 8.29 percent of our campus pledged to vote,” said Kathleen Greco, dean of student success.

“Nationwide, the contest has already secured over 5,000 pledges to vote at 239 campuses,” said Greco. 

The deadline to register to vote in the November elections is fast approaching: October 15, 2024.

Excitement is high here at Centenary. Fifteen students, along with the Cyclone mascot, hopped on a CU van and attended the State of New Jersey’s Ballot Bowl Kick-Off at William Paterson University on September 17.

During the kick-off pep rally, Lt. Governor Tahesha Way welcomed college students from across the state as did two New York Giants football players, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Bobby Okereke.

“Ballot Bowl is one of my favorite events annually because it’s such a great example of young voters getting enthusiastically involved in our democracy,” said Lt. Governor Way. “It’s the best kind of competition because it really makes an impact.”

Back on campus, the First Year Leaders are helping to register all first-year students to vote, according to Greco.

In addition, Future Health Professionals (HOSA) are working with Akash Shah, CU’s visiting scholar along with his Healing the Vote Organizations and our Legue of Student Voters to educate and encourage students to vote, according to Greco.

Perhaps no one student is more recognizable in the voter registration effort than Osaivbe Igiebor. A senior theater major, Igiebor and his constant clipboard companion have been registering fellow students to vote with the help of a QR code.

For his commitment and persistence, Igiebor was named to the 2024 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll, which recognizes college students across the nation for their efforts to register their peers and empowers colleges and universities to encourage nonpartisan student democratic engagement.

“I’ve decided I never want to be the reason a candidate was or was not elected because I didn’t use my vote,” said Igiebor.

“Elections can be stressful and they can be heartbreaking,” he continued.  “You have the power to change things if you use your vote.”