TU athletics announces Athletes Vote group

July 21, 2020

In partnership with the Towson University Office of Civic Engagement, and the TU Votes Coalition, the Towson athletic department has announced the beginning of TU Athletes Vote.

The nonpartisan group, composed of athletic department administrators, coaches, staff members and student-athletes, is tasked with helping student-athletes at Towson understand the voting process, registration, deadlines and community outreach.

"Cross-campus partnerships are crucial to the success and long-term impact of voter engagement efforts in college campuses across the nation, and the TU Votes Initiative is no exception," said Luis Sierra, Assistant Director for Civic Engagement at Towson. "In 2018, we were able to double our student voter turnout compared to the 2014 Midterm Elections, so we look forward to the strides we will make in this year's Presidential Election, compared to the turnout in 2016. It has truly been a pleasure to work alongside student-athletes and staff in these efforts, to not only ensure that our students will be able to get their voices heard through their votes, but that they will empower their peers and their communities to be able to do the same. I couldn't be more excited for the launch of TU Athletes Vote, and to keep this very important work going."

TU Athletes Vote's primary purposes are to gain 100 percent voter registration and election participation among eligible student-athletes, voter education, with a focus on the mail-in voting process, and community outreach, both on and off campus, along with voting efforts in the community at large, including a potential focus on red-lined districts.

Key components for TU Athletes Vote include first-year student-athlete voter engagement, simplified access to voter registration, mail-in voting, voting deadlines and education information on candidates and issues. Additional duties will include volunteering at the South Campus Pavilion, the on-campus voting location at Towson University.

"I am proud of the way our student-athletes and staff are taking the initiative to bring real voice and change to the greater Baltimore community," said Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. "Nonpartisan organizations like TU Athletes Vote will help our student-athletes further their global education and learn the process for various types of voting and options."

With the formal launch of TU Athletes Vote, the group has organized social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram, both @TUAthletesVote. The accounts will provide information about upcoming voting events, access to information and more.