ROAR the Vote

Student tabling for Roar the Vote
 

ROAR the Vote

ROAR the Vote supports students' involvement in electoral politics by helping to ensure that students understand the voting process — including voter registration and absentee ballots, as well as the importance of voting in local, state, and national elections.

The ROAR the Vote initiative is led by the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement and the Office of Government and Community Relations.

At RIT, we recognize that our students are not only the future of our democracy but also vital contributors to its present. For the 2024 Elections, our campus is gearing up to help students harness their significant influence - especially on the local level. In doing so we can help students see their power in action, in their communities, and around the change they care about most.

Resilience Through the Election Cycle

The election cycle can bring up a variety of emotional reactions – e.g. fear, sadness, anger, disappointment, grief, powerlessness. If you are experiencing heightened emotions throughout this election season, know that you are not alone. We encourage you to proactively take steps to maintain resilience during this time. 

Helpful tips to promote resilience throughout this election cycle:

  1. Notice feelings: Acknowledge thoughts and feelings. Notice with nonjudgmental curiosity and give yourself permission to feel the way you do.
  2. Unplug: Set time limits on exposure to media content related to the election. Be mindful of the time of day you are taking in information. For example, browsing just before bed is not recommended.
  3. Stay in the here and now: Focus on the present. Avoid engaging with prediction of the future and/or catastrophizing. Notice feelings with nonjudgmental curiosity.
  4. Connect: Connect with friends, family, and community. Talk about your feelings if needed. Practice communicating your boundaries when needed as well. It is OK to end a conversation when needed.
  5. Engage in self-care: Prioritize time for yourself. Spend time outside, practice mindful breathing, go for a walk, engage creativity, read for fun, or play a board game or cards.
  6. Recharge: Maintain basic needs including eating regular healthy meals, regularly activity/movement, and getting enough sleep. 7-9 hours of sleep daily is recommended.
  7. Do something: Channel feelings into positive and meaningful activity. Vote. Find ways to engage with your community through volunteering and advocacy.
  8. Reach out for help when needed: Connect with a resource that can provide a safe space to process feelings if you are struggling to maintain resilience. Counseling and Psychological Services and Spirituality and Religious Life can be useful confidential resources to help you process your thoughts and feelings.

Resources and Support Spaces

Counseling and Psychological Services will provide election-focused support through the ongoing Let’s Chat program, which offers weekly confidential drop-in consultations with professional counselors. Here, students can get help building resilience and maintaining well-being throughout the election cycle. Learn more about Let's Chat

Community Care Spaces can also be a great drop-in resource for students to explore personal and community impacts of the election. By connecting and exploring with other students who have had shared experiences and hold shared identities, students can expect to gain a sense of belonging and support to bolster resilience through the election season. 

Additionally, a drop-in election support space co-hosted by Counseling and Psychological Services and the College of Science will be available on Thursday, Nov. 7. Learn more

Chaplains will offer guidance and support during drop-in hours the weeks before and after the election.

RIT students care deeply about one another. The students involved in the Peer-to-Peer Support group have volunteered to receive training to support other students who are experiencing anxiety or just general concern about the election. In the days after the election, peer advisors will host dialogue groups for students who want to process with other students.

Program Dates: 

  • Wednesday, Nov. 6
  • Thursday, Nov. 7 
  • Friday, Nov. 8
A student holds up a Roar the Vote T-Shirt

Register to Vote

Learn more about how to register to vote
A button with the text "I registered to vote"

Resources and Policies

Learn more about resources and policies
Students listen during Horizons dialogue

FAQs

Learn more by viewing frequently asked questions

ALL IN Most Engaged Campus Seal​

RIT is proud to be recognized as one of ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting. In addition to developing a 2024 democratic engagement action plan, RIT also participated in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, shared 2020 campus voting data with ALL IN, and is a signatory on ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.

ALL IN Distinction Ribbons

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7%

increase in voting rates among RIT students from 2012 (32%) to 2016 (39%)

A 10% increase (45% to 55%) in the voting rate among registered students during that same time period.

18%

increase in voting rates among RIT students from 2014 (8%) to 2018 (26%)

A 23% increase (15% to 38%) in the voting rate among registered students during that same time period.

34%

A 34% increase in the number of students registered to vote between 2014 (n=7555) and 2018 (n=10,076).

Congress to Campus

Congress to Campus provides RIT students with a unique civic education by engaging our community in honest dialogue with bipartisan teams of Former Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and American diplomats. These dialogues bring today’s issues to the forefront and display the benefits of healthy partisanship and civility within disagreement.

Horizons

Horizons is rooted in the National Issues Forums model for deliberative dialogues, the goal of the program is to promote active listening and dialogue rather than debate on difficult topics. In a space where students, faculty, and staff can approach what may seem like a difficult conversation in a respectful, educational, and constructive manner, attendees will come away with a greater understanding of others who hold diverse views and be able to form an educated opinion on challenging and complex issues our society faces today. Example topics could include national debt, immigration, universal healthcare, etc.