Political groups at the University of Mississippi have ramped up efforts ahead of Election Day. The UM Democrats, UM College Republicans and University of Mississippi GOP organizations each prepared a lineup of events to boost voter turnout.
UM College Republicans
UM College Republicans have hosted events to boost voter turnout. President Cass Rutledge, a senior public policy major, echoed the importance of voting.
“Even though Mississippi is by no means a swing state, it’s still important to vote because we have a lot of local candidates running for different offices,” Rutledge said.
The UM College Republicans met with state Sen. Nicole Boyd and Rep. Clay Deweese on Oct. 22 to talk about the importance of voting. Rutledge emphasized that state legislators are crucial to representing students’ interests.
“Being a state legislator isn’t the most glamorous job, but they’re also the people that represent us very closely,” Rutledge said. “So it’s super important to know your state legislators so they can bring your values back to Jackson when they’re voting and writing legislation.”
Rutledge believes that this close relationship between voters and their representatives is vital for effective governance and civic engagement.
“College gives us a unique opportunity to help people out of state also vote,” Rutledge said. “We’re going to try to get Mississippians to vote but also encourage out-of-state people to request mail-in ballots and hopefully vote early.”
UM College Republicans have also campaigned for Mississippi Supreme Court candidates, such as Jenifer Branning for District 1 Position 3. This district includes 22 counties in central Mississippi ranging as far north as Bolivar and as far south as Jefferson counties.
“We’re paying very close attention to the central districts in the Mississippi Supreme Court race,” Rutledge said. “Jenifer Branning is Republican-endorsed, and a lot of Ole Miss students are from Jackson, Madison and Rankin County.”
Looking at the national race, Rutledge is optimistic about former President Donald Trump’s chances in the presidential election.
“President Trump is polling better than he ever has in almost 10 years of running for political office. He’s leading in swing states, and I think Kamala Harris is being exposed as a radical phony, a continuation of the Biden administration’s policies,” Rutledge said.
Despite the state’s conservative leaning, Rutledge worries that some Republican students may be hesitant to vote due to concerns about mail-in voting.
“A lot of times, Republicans are afraid to vote by mail or vote early because they’ve heard their vote might not get there safely, or they’re afraid that their vote won’t be counted on Election Day,” Rutledge said.“Voting by mail is better than not voting at all.”
UM GOP
The University of Mississippi GOP is also getting involved, hosting Peggy Grande, Ronald Reagan’s former executive assistant, on Oct. 22.
“We’ve just wanted to make sure that everybody felt welcome in this organization from any type of state. A lot
of times, with local elections, not everybody is interested (in voting) around here,” Colton Jones, president of UM GOP, said. “We’ve just been trying to get national type of figures … and (Grande) actually worked in the Trump administration.”
Jones hopes to inspire students to vote, especially Republicans.
“We’re definitely going to be involved in pushing for the Republicans and pushing for everyone to get out and vote.”
Jones hopes that through these events he can create a space for thoughtful political discourse.
“I respect that that’s the beauty of our nation. … We can all have an opinion, and we should voice our opinion when necessary, but it always needs to be in a respectful manner.”
UM Democrats
UM Democrats kicked off their efforts with a visit from U.S. Senate candidate Ty Pinkins on Oct. 28, where he discussed his campaign and talked about the importance of voting.
UM Democrats President Elizabeth Wildman, a junior public policy major, expressed her support for Pinkins.
“He’s a great guy, and he has made an effort with university students and with young voters,” Wildman said. “He has been on campus for a lot of different events, so he cares a lot about young voters and his constituents.”
The UM Democrats will table with the UM Voter Coalition and College Republicans on campus on Nov. 4 to encourage students to vote.
“I know in a red state it’s frustrating and disheartening sometimes,” Wildman said. “Seeing a big group of Democrats on campus pushing for that can bring hope that your vote counts and that you should get out there and cast your vote.”
On election day, UM Democrats will host a phone banking event in the student union, where members will call voters and encourage them to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. The list includes Mississippi voters, more specifically those that did not vote in the last election. On election night, UM Democrats plan to host a watch party at the Lyric.
UM Democrats treasurer William Bittner, a sophomore public policy and Arabic major, hopes the events will reduce some political tension on campus.
“There’s definitely a lot of shared anxiety among everyone who’s interested in politics right now,” Bittner said. “That ability to have a space where we can come and be with like-minded people can be valuable, so I’m hoping that will generate encouragement.”
Wildman expressed her support for Kamala Harris.
“I love her efforts to reach the Gen-Z population and young voters,” Wildman said. “I also think her experience as vice president and working as a prosecutor has given her a lot of experience with the law and with politics.”
Bittner agreed, emphasizing Harris’ experience, but felt frustrated over a lack of clear policy platforms.
“She has tons of government experience at the local and federal level in legal and legislative roles, but she is also young enough that she brings a new perspective and can energize many younger voters,” Bittner said. “She hasn’t said very much about what policies she favors, which is politically understandable but frustrating for a public policy leadership major.”
