Students eager to become first-time voters flocked to campus tables on National Voter Registration Day, seizing the chance to register and make their voices heard in upcoming elections.

On Sept. 19, students had the chance to register at tables outside the Student Union and Lane Library. Volunteers facilitated the process, part of a collaborative effort between the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda.

“The primary goal of the event is to get students registered to vote,” said SGA president Blake Robinson

“A part of the SGA’s purpose is to help build students into the citizens of tomorrow by giving them training and experience in responsible political participation and community leadership.”.

Darius Dowdell, a senior majoring in interdisciplinary studies, was among those who seized this new opportunity.

“I never registered to vote before, so I’m trying to make a change and put my two cents into the community,” said Dowdell.

Dowdell noted that registering at the event tables proved to be more straightforward than previous attempts to register. “When I tried to do it, something happened in the paperwork, and it just never worked, so I couldn’t vote,” said Dowdell.

“‘I want to be able to have my own foot in the water and be able to make changes that are going to benefit the people around me, my community and my state,” said Veronica Burgos, a first-time voter and first-year criminology and criminal justice major.

“‘Having someone there to help me figure out what to sign and what to fill out was really nice,” said Felicity Frankenhoff, another first-time voter and first-year biology major.

John Petronius, a junior biology major, was already registered but felt the event was too important to pass up.

“I think it’s [voting] a duty. I think it’s something that you should do, especially if you’re going to do anything like work or pay taxes. It’s pretty necessary to know exactly where in the direction that you’re trying to head to,” said Petronius. “But yeah, I mean like it’s a personal choice to care, and be involved in politics, but I think that’s like the bare minimum.”

Early voting for the November general election kicks off on Oct. 16. The Savannah mayoral race features incumbent Van Johnson, along with challengers Kesha Gibson-Carter and Tyrisha Davis.

In the race for Post 1 Alderman At-Large, candidates include Roshida Edwards, Marc Anthony Smith, Curtis Singleton, Carolyn Bell, Clinton Young, Jason Combs and Tony Thomas. For Post 2 AldermanAt-Large, the contenders are incumbent Alicia Miller Blakely and Patrick Rossiter.

Beyond the citywide elections, five of the six districts have seats up for grabs, including District Six, which covers the Southside, including Armstrong.

The incumbent, Kurtis Purtee, also is a captain of the Georgia Southern Police Department and he is based in Armstrong. Purtee is seeking reelection and faces competition from three challengers: Michael McCann, Chase DeCarlo and Lisa Jackson Lockhart.

Robinson said that the SGA has plans to host forums focusing on local city council races in Statesboro, as well as key races in Savannah.

Eligible voters in Chatham County can cast their ballots early starting Oct. 17 at any designated location, without being restricted to their assigned precincts.

There is no reason needed for early voting.

Before Election Day, voters can verify their registration and find their polling location by contacting voter registration at 912-790-1520 or using the poll locator feature on My Voter Page, where a sample ballot is also available for review.