The League of Women Voters of Chattanooga, in conjunction with the UTC Campus Recreation Department, the campus group Mocs Go Vote 2018 and the Save the Children Action Network, is holding “Exercise Your Right!” events during the early voting period in Hamilton County.
League members, along with UTC faculty members, will accompany students as they bike, walk or run along the Tennessee Riverwalk to vote at the Hamilton County Election Commission. Each day during early voting, which runs Oct.
17 through Nov. 1 (Monday through Saturday), the volunteers will meet the students and faculty at noon in front of McKenzie Arena and then proceed to the Riverwalk.
Along the way, students are welcome to ask any questions they may have about how to vote, or to just enjoy a study break walking or biking along the Tennessee River. League members will be sure the students have the proper identification to vote when they reach the Election Commission. The round-trip bike ride from campus to the Election Commission should take about one hour, including time to vote. Walking should take about two hours.
According to UTC Political Science Assistant Professor Amanda Wintersieck, only 40.6 percent of UTC students voted in the 2016 elections. She said, “As academics, we have a responsibility to foster a climate of civic engagement on our campus and in our community. Mocs Go Vote 2018 is an opportunity for us to affirm our commitment to creating an environment committed to supporting and furthering the rights and privileges of democratic citizenship.“