University of Mary Washington students Kaiden and Noah Rojas hopped off the red trolley wearing smiles, carrying stickers and clinging to a new accolade. The brothers, who grew up in Lubbock, Texas, were now first-time voters.
Nearly 300 UMW students joined them in catching a trolley ride and casting their votes during Day on Democracy, an Election Day tradition that allows for the cancelation of most UMW classes to provide opportunities to get to the polls. A trolley circled the route between Mary Washington’s Double Drive and the City of Fredericksburg’s Dorothy Hart Community Center, carrying students to submit their ballots, many for the first time in a presidential election.
Students and staff set up near the Bell Tower to greet them with patriotic balloons, free T-shirts, buttons, stickers – and, of course, coffee and doughnuts – and to hand out sample ballots and provide voter information. The trolley rental was made possible by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant awarded earlier this year to UMW Votes, a nonpartisan program dedicated to educating the community about all aspects of the voting process.
“We appreciate the support of the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant for the trolley,” said Center for Community Engagement (CCE) Director Sarah Dewees. “Many college students, especially first-year college students, don’t have a car on campus, and it can be hard for them to find a ride to the polls on Election Day.”
Kaiden Rojas, a sophomore, and Noah, a first-year student, said their parents, both veterans, instilled in them the importance of participating in the political process. They considered it their duty as U.S. citizens, they said, to vote, especially during this year’s tight race.
The Young Democrats and College Republicans joined together for Election Day, tabling side by side in front of Farmer Hall. The Pep Band played too, set up outside of Lee Hall. BridgeUSA, a national youth movement to bridge political division, was represented with senior political science major Carlos Nunes, introducing it to campus. It’s meant to create a space, he said, “for students to engage in constructive dialogue, break down stereotypes about political parties and work to understand the other side.”
Students took that goal to heart. Sophomore Sarah Tyree-Herrmann, who’s double-majoring in political science and women’s, gender and sexuality studies, arrived early at the CCE on a daylong mission to help classmates get out the vote.
“It’s really important to get young voters out to the polls,” said Tyree-Herrmann, who felt a sense of camaraderie riding the trolley with fellow students. “Clearly, students are excited. It’s not just about voting but feeling connected and proud.”
