College voters: Activism at Brandeis, students encouraged toward polls
As the presidential election drew near, Brandeis was busy with political programming as students and faculty encouraged voting and voter registration.
The Brandeis campus has been buzzing with election preparation all semester, as students have gathered to watch debates, register to vote and discuss policies. Many students are passionate about their beliefs, and the election has made its way into class offerings, club programming and more.
At the beginning of the school year, watch parties were held on Sept. 10 for the Presidential Debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump. The watch party was co-hosted by Student Union, Brandeis VoteDeis, the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and the Samuels Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation. The Dean of Students Office, the Brandeis Legal Studies Program and the Intercultural Center also took part in hosting the event. It took place on Sept. 10 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Mandel Center for the Humanities. Following the watch party, Student Union President Rani Balakrishna ’25 provided remarks. In correspondence with The Justice on Nov. 3, Balakrishna expressed her joy regarding this speaking opportunity, sharing “I really love voting, I am in a position that was voted on by the student body at Brandeis, and I take great pride in that connection.”
That same night, the Brandeis Journalism Program hosted a watch party featuring speaker Prof. Eileen McNamara (JOUR), a Pulitzer Prize winner and former Boston Globe columnist. McNamara is teaching Political Packaging in America this semester, a class that dives deep into journalism’s role in elections and the history of election coverage.
There was a watch party for the Vice Presidential Debate in the Golding Judaica Center Auditorium on Oct. 1, hosted by Student Union, COMPACT, VoteDeis, ENACT, DOSO, the Brandeis Journalism Program and the ICC. Student Union Vice President Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 provided remarks following this debate.
The Student Union and VoteDeis collaborated to hold a voter registration drive on Oct. 7 in Fellows Garden. They shared information regarding resources on campus that help with voting. These resources included envelopes, stamps and an available notary.
The VoteDeis Coalition also hosted voter registration events through the month of September, encouraging all community members to prepare for the election. On Sept. 29 the group partnered with the Department of Community Living to hold a parents weekend voter registration drive in Ridgewood Residence Hall. On Sept. 30, VoteDeis partnered with Triskelion, Brandeis’ oldest surviving LGBTQ+ student-led community, to promote voter registration in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.
On Oct. 9, COMPACT collaborated with VoteDeis to host “Finding your path in community action: A conversation with Dr. Danielle Allen.” This event consisted of a “student-focused [question and answer session] … featuring Prof. Daniel Kryden’s ‘Introduction to American Government’ class” according to Instagram. Dr. Allen is a professor at Harvard University, and the director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. She is also the founder and president of Partners in Democracy.
VoteDeis also brought some fun to this election season, hosting a sticker design contest. The winner’s stickers were printed for members of the community to enjoy, and they received a giftcard to Lizzy’s Homemade Ice Cream.
On Oct. 22, VoteDeis, ENACT, Student Union, DOSO and the Politics Department collaborated to host a “vote goat.” The goat, named Weston, brought much attention to Fellows Garden, as students and faculty alike stopped by for selfies. In addition to holding the goat, help was offered with registration, early voting and coordinating rides to polling stations.
VoteDeis Coalition member Maddie Leventhal ’26 spoke with The Justice on Nov. 2, sharing “The VoteDeis Campus Coalition has been working to grow student voter turnout by hosting election education events and by supporting students through registration and ballot requests, with a variety of social and academic events. Our most memorable moment was to bring in Brandeis’ very own VoteGoat! Weston, the VoteGoat, brought attention and energy around civic engagement while we were able to help registrations for students.”
On Oct. 23, Balakrishna was joined by former Student Union President Peyton Gillespie ’25 to speak at the “Your Vote Matters!” panel moderated by LeManuel Bitsoi, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. The panel covered the importance of voting, with the aim of directing students to the polls. In response to questions regarding the panel, Balakrishna stated “My goal by the end of that panel was to convince those who say ‘my vote doesn’t matter because I am not in a swing state’ to vote, and to encourage civic participation. I believe that there are so many issues up and down the ballot that people need to make their voice heard. I hope it encouraged Brandeis students of all ages to engage with democracy because everyone’s lives are impacted by politics.”
In addition, Balakrishna explained the importance of voting to her, sharing “Voting is incredibly important to me because as a woman of color, it is a privilege and an honor that I am excited to exercise. I voted in my first Presidential Election this year, and I saw firsthand the impact of grassroots organizations up and down the ballot this summer in local political work. I collected signatures, did phone banking and interned for the Massachusetts Democratic Party this past summer, which gave me so much insight on the power of local government.”
VoteDeis also organized buses to polls for all students registered as Waltham voters for both early and normal voting. The vote bus ran on both Sunday, Oct. 27 and Tuesday, Nov. 5, utilizing BranVans that are Americans with Disabilities Act accessible. Balakrishna, who has driven these vans, “know[s] that a barrier to voting is that people cannot get off campus after they arrive for classes or for the workday, and we want to be sure everyone gets an equal chance to vote.”
In advance of election results, the Student Union provided resources for stressed and overwhelmed students. The Union partnered with Dog B.O.N.E.S. to host therapy dogs Ollie and Ava. They also opened their office to all students all day, providing a safe space and snacks. The Brandeis Counseling Center, the ICC and the Gender and Sexuality Center have also offered support resources to overwhelmed students.
On election night, the SCC was alive with watch parties, both in the atrium and in the multipurpose room. Brandeis Dems hosted the Democratic watch party in the MPR as students gathered to show their support for Harris. In the atrium, many campus departments collaborated to host a nonpartisan watch party for all interested students. Members of the Brandeis community came out in flocks to support their respective candidates.
— The Justice Editor in Chief Anna Martin ’26 is employed by the Brandeis Legal Studies program and taking Political Packaging in America and contributed to and edited this article.
— The Justice Editor Lin Lin Hutchinson ’25 is employed by the Brandeis Journalism program and taking Political Packaging in America, and edited this article.
— The Justice Deputy Editor Lauryn Williams ’25 is employed by the Brandeis Journalism program and taking Political Packaging in America and did not contribute to or edit this article.
— The Justice Deputy Editor Tibria Brown ’25 is employed by the Brandeis Journalism program and taking Political Packaging in America and did not contribute to or edit this article.
— The Justice Managing Editor Eliza Bier ’26 is employed by the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and did not contribute to or edit this article.
— The Justice Editor Nemma Kalra ’26 is employed by the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and did not contribute to or edit this article.
— The Justice Associate Editor Julia Hardy ’26 is on the executive board for Brandeis Democrats and did not contribute to or edit this article.
— The Justice Editor Niamh Mullen ’26 is taking Political Packaging in America, and did not contribute to or edit this article.
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