A voter registration drive was held at MATC West Campus from late September until October 13, 2010 in an effort to register previously unregistered students. The registration drive, implemented by MATC Instructor Mary Ackerman, was comprised of students and faculty who volunteered their time to register students.During the time period this event was held, the volunteers responsible for registering students were located near the West Campus Library in the hallway at a table set up specifically for them during the school days.

According to Ackerman, the purpose was not only to register students but to encourage them to vote in the upcoming elections on November 2, 2010 as well. Ackerman stated “it is important to get the vote out and there are a lot of new voters [to register].”

She estimated that 400-500 students were consulted and encouraged to vote in the upcoming elections by the volunteers during the drive, and of those, over 100 students were registered and the necessary forms that each registrant filled out were delivered to 18 corresponding municipalities.

Ackerman strongly encouraged students to do their own research on the candidates running in the upcoming elections.

Her motivation to encourage students to register and vote is her belief that “it is the teacher’s civic duty to encourage students to vote and be informed voters.