ABOUT US

Mission:

To inculcate civic responsibility among students at Princeton so that they will become involved in their communities and the government while at Princeton and throughout their lives. Our short-term objective is to help students become more informed about and involved in the statewide election on November 6, 2007.

Purpose:

As the presidential election of 2004 approached, several student groups found an interest in working on civic engagement. Princeton Votes 2005 used the momentum from 2004 to transform into an ongoing student group and to continue empowering students to be engaged and involved in their government and to remind them that they have ongoing civic duties. By coordinating registration efforts for this fall, the efforts of student groups and volunteers can be most effective and efficient. Working together will not compromise any group’s mission and will foster a greater sense of civic community on campus.

History:

Founded during the Presidential election in 2004, Princeton Votes is a non-partisan student-led initiative to promote civic engagement at Princeton. In 2004, the presidents of the College Democrats and College Republicans partnered with other student leaders from the Undergraduate Student Government and various political organizations in hopes that a united effort to register voters could be more effective.

In its first year, Princeton Votes exceeded its own expectations! By holding voter registration drives at numerous events throughout the fall, the student volunteers registered 1,303 student voters who were members of all undergraduate classes. Additional events such as Presidential Debate-watching parties and a comprehensive get-out-the-vote campaign sustained the excitement about the election and yielded a significant increase in the number of students who voted!

Princeton Votes 2005 was initiated with the hope that this political enthusiasm could be continuously fostered on campus, especially in an off-year election. In 2005, Princeton Votes helped 326 people register in New Jersey for the first time, and an additional 95 people updated their registration, totaling 421 registrations.

We entered the the 2006 election cycle with two years of experience and a competitive Senate race! With another year of experience under our belts, we are planning on continuing the energy of the 2007 election cycle through to New Jersey's 2008 Presidential primary.

Acknowledgments

Princeton Votes would not be possible without the help and support from the following people:

PVotes 2007 would not be possible without the generous financial support of the Pace Center, the USG Projects Board, and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

Please send any comments, corrections, suggestions, or constructive criticism regarding this site to pvotes@princeton.edu Thanks!