UUP has again joined forces with other advocacy organizations to “get out the vote” on SUNY campuses.

Collaborating with the New York State Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), the SUNY Student Assembly and Rock the Vote, UUP members around the state are taking part in efforts to register students to vote in next month’s general election — regardless of the party chosen.

“Activating first-time voters is the No. 1 goal of the coalition,” said UUP President Phillip Smith. “I’m proud UUP is a part of this grassroots effort.”

The highlight of the campaign is the SUNY Voter Empowerment Challenge, in which each of the state university’s 64 campuses competes to register the most voters, based on percentage of campus enrollment.

A celebratory event will be held on the winning campus.

UUP first became involved in this nonpartisan voter-registration campaign in 2004. Activities throughout SUNY included voter registration tables, mock debates, concerts, candidate forums and informational rallies. The result: More than 20,000 SUNY students registered to vote that year.

The coalition has set the bar even higher this time around.

“We want every SUNY student to register to vote, to understand that they are empowered through the voting booth,” said Glenn McNitt of SUNY New Paltz, co-chair of the union’s statewide UUP Outreach Committee. “The reason this campaign has proven so successful is how easy it is for students to participate — they only need to show up and fill out a registration form.”

— Karen L. Mattison