Student Leadership in Civic Engagement
The Voting Ambassadors are part of the UMW Votes program. The Voting Ambassadors are interns at the Center for Community Engagement who support members of our UMW community as they develop the skills, habits, and knowledge needed for a life of engaged citizenship. The internships are a great way to develop leadership skills in civic engagement, and can provide up to three academic credits. The program accepts applications at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Join the UMW Votes portal on MyUMW to be notified when the application process opens.
Voting Ambassador Responsibilities
1. Voter registration:
a. Interns will learn how to register new and existing UMW students for both local and absentee voting.
b. Interns will meet with Fredericksburg Registrar to receive training and make sure they are aware of local and other voter registration requirements.
c. Interns will table throughout student orientation and the months of September and October to increase voter registration among UMW students.
d. Interns will serve as resources for any students that are interested in registering to vote.
2. Voter education:
a. Interns will produce educational materials related to both local and absentee voting (directions to polling places, maps, deadlines related to absentee and local voting, etc.)
b. Interns will table and provide educational materials throughout student orientation and the months of September and October to educate voters regarding voting options and the value of registering to vote.
c. Interns will build relationships among campus student groups regarding civic engagement.
3. Voter mobilization
a. Interns will implement a communications campaign using campus media/communications platforms the month leading up to Election Day reminding students about the importance of civic engagement and voting.
b. Interns will provide rides to polls on Election Day.