Dores to the Polls brings voter education, civic engagement to Vanderbilt ahead of midterm elections – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Vanderbilt students and community organizations gathered at Rand Terrace Oct. 14 for Dores to the Polls, an event encouraging civic engagement ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The event featured speakers, voter education activities and a planned group walk to the Scarritt Bennett Center, a new early voting location near campus. 
Andrea Pemberton, a third-year Ph.D. student in Peabody College’s Community Research and Action program and one of the event’s organizers, explained that Dores to the Polls was inspired by Souls to the Polls, a tradition rooted in Black churches in which congregations gather for worship before heading to vote together. 
“We are wanting to basically infuse community back into voting,” Pemberton said. “We know that folks are more likely to vote if they are encouraged by friends, and what’s even more encouraging than that than actually going and voting with your friends?” 
Campus collaborators included Dialogue Vanderbilt, Vandy Votes, Indivisible Vanderbilt and the Graduate Student Council, alongside community partners such as the Scarritt Bennett Center. 
Rev. Kelli X, director of Racial Justice Ministries at the Scarritt Bennett Center, discussed transportation barriers and the importance of making polling locations accessible to voters. 
“One of the biggest barriers to voting is actually being able to get to the poll,” X said. 
Jess Williams, executive director of Forward Tennessee and Tennessee Progress, discussed voting rights and political representation in Tennessee. She addressed the division of the congressional representation in Nashville, Tennessee, following redistricting in 2022 and discussed more recent changes affecting Memphis.  
To explain gerrymandering, Williams asked attendees to imagine Vanderbilt’s student body being divided into three separate congressional districts, with boundaries determined by those drawing the lines. 
“That’s why redistricting matters,” Williams said. “That’s because the lines on the map help to determine who is going to represent you in Congress, and those maps, those lines are drawn for political advantage.” 
Williams also highlighted Tennessee’s voter identification requirements, comparing the treatment of student IDs with handgun carry permits. 
“Did you know that in Tennessee, you can’t use your Vanderbilt student ID to go and vote as an ID to go and vote, but you can use a gun license to go and vote in Tennessee?” Williams said. 
Following the speakers’ remarks, Pemberton led a voter education discussion in which attendees answered questions about registration requirements, absentee ballots and the challenges of voting while attending college outside their home states. 
Pemberton also cited Tennessee’s low voter turnout, telling attendees that about 38% of registered Tennesseans voted in the 2022 midterm elections. She described Tennessee’s turnout as among the lowest nationally. 
“So, for friends who are wondering why we care about voting here in Tennessee, that’s it,” Pemberton said. “Because we’re not showing up to vote, which also means that our vote as youth has so much more power.” 
Sophomore Ella Bokser told The Hustler that the discussion prompted her to reconsider where she is registered to vote. 
“I really enjoyed this event. I feel much more informed about politics and the opportunities we have here in Nashville to participate at the local, state and federal levels,” Bokser said. “I’m currently registered to vote in California, but after hearing Andrea discuss Tennessee’s low voter turnout, I’m considering registering here instead.” 
Sophomore Lila Duke, the treasurer of Vandy Votes, acknowledged that balancing academic responsibilities and extracurricular commitments can make voting feel less urgent. However, she said elected officials’ decisions are already affecting students’ lives. 
“We do not have to wait until graduation to participate in conversations about our future,” Duke said. “Our voices matter now, and this November, we’ll be given an opportunity to put that into practice.” 
Throughout the event, attendees could visit voter information tables, participate in poster-making activities and enter raffles and giveaways. Food was also available, including pizza and ice cream. Pemberton encouraged attendees to use VOTE411, a voter information resource from the League of Women Voters Education Fund, to research candidates and ballot measures. 
Early voting in Tennessee runs from Oct. 14–29 ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Organizers concluded Dores to the Polls by leading attendees on a group walk to the Scarritt Bennett Center, where eligible voters could cast their ballots. 
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