On Wednesday, Sep. 7, Michigan Tech’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) held its second meeting of the semester. They discussed voter engagement, financial aid, career preparation, and a proposed change to how USG resolves tied elections.
The meeting began with a presentation on voter engagement. The guest speaker was Director of Student Leadership and Involvement, Danielle Meirow. Her presentation focused on training USG members on how to answer common questions students may have about voting. Members were encouraged to help students understand voter registration, absentee voting, and how to create a plan to vote, while keeping conversations nonpartisan.
During the presentation, Michigan Tech’s voting rates were also discussed. Out of the registered Michigan Tech voters, about 42 percent of them showed up to the polls, which is far higher than the national average of 30 percent. Students were also reminded that college students can choose to either register at their permanent addresses or at their college residence.
A large portion of the meeting centered on a proposed bylaw change concerning USG elections. Under the current system, the USG President determines the method use...