Sept. 17 was National Voter Registration Day.
That day and for two more that followed, Engage Florida and Pizza to the Polls visited Miami Dade College and Broward College.
Its members distributed free pizza and soda to students who had registered or were interested in registering to vote. Many college students don’t understand the voter registration process or don’t know where to start.
“When students turn 18, they are thrown out there and told, ‘Okay, you can vote,’ but in reality, you don’t know what you’re even voting for,” said Sadreena Colonel, the Student Life coordinator at Broward College North Campus. “The goal is to educate our youth so that way the generation that comes after them is educated as well.”
Engage Florida, also known as Engage Miami, teaches civic education to young minority group voters ages 16-35 and encourages them to make changes in their communities through voting. Each year, they organize community events, advocate for important issues and turn the younger generations to the polls. Their 7-point platform, “Young People’s Priorities,” tackles issues such as housing affordability, public education and community safety, all concerns that South Florida residents are all too familiar with.
“I can talk with students,” said Jamie Alhalabi, a canvasser for Engage Florida. “I can make conversations with them, educate them on something they don’t understand about law. I offer to explain it to them.”
For over six years, the organization has focused on getting young people registered and engaged in their community, particularly in local elections. They have been successful across South Florida, especially in college campuses such as Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Central Florida.
“I have been doing this for a decade and what got me involved was learning about the things I cared about like voting rights, but for other people, it is climate, reproductive justice, or whatever it may be,” said Dr. Monica Bustinza, Engage Miami’s democracy programs director and former FIU student. “There are so many organizations that are champions for those specific issues and that is always a great starting point.”
Since 2022, Engage Florida and Pizza to the Polls have partnered up to inform young people about the benefits of voting in every election. Pizza to the Polls is a nonprofit that combines delicious food with democracy by providing free meals to those waiting in polling lines. Their distinct white and blue food truck displays the message, “Free Food for All.”
At last year’s National Voters Registration Day’s food truck event, both organizations registered 850 young voters. But the stakes are higher this year. Young people aged 18-34 are seen as a powerful force on critical issues like gun violence, racial justice and climate change.
“I believe that colleges should want their students to be more involved with the government, politics and our community simply because students are adults,” Colonel commented. “These are the adults of the future and the more that we educate them now, the better the future looks like.”
Find Engage Florida events here.
