TerpsVote College Voting Ambassador Application

TerpsVote College Voting Ambassador Application

Please submit your application by Sunday, September 4!

The TerpsVote Coalition is a nonpartisan group of students, staff, and faculty at the University of Maryland whose mission is to increase civic engagement at the University of Maryland by providing educational resources and institutionalizing positive voting behavior.

TerpsVote Coalition Goals:

Increase participation for students with majors in CMNS, Engineering, and Business, as well as for Graduate students in 2022 local, state, and federal elections through motivation, engagement, and education via campus events and social media.
Mitigate barriers to student voting through increased information about voter registration, voting procedures, and absentee ballots.
Maintain a non-partisan approach to voter engagement.

Time Commitment: 3-4 hours per week from September 6 - November 11, 2022

Compensation: $500 issued in a one-time stipend paid at the completion of the project.

In the 2018 Midterm Election, less than 50% of UMD students who were eligible to vote did so. In the 2020 Presidential Election, more than 71% of eligible undergraduate students cast a ballot. However, students in certain colleges and programs voted at significantly lower rates:

UMD Overall Voting Rate

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 46%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 71%

Physical Sciences

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 36%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 56%

Computer & Information Sciences

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 31%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 57%

Business, Management & Marketing

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 33%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 59%

Engineering & Engineering Tech

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 34%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 59%

Graduate Students

2018 Voting Rate - Midterm: 36%

2020 Voting Rate - Presidential: 50%

Voting Rate = # of voters who cast a ballot divided by # of eligible voters (based on age & citizenship)

TerpsVote Voting Ambassadors are UMD students who are passionate about engaging their peers in their colleges in the voting process for the Fall 2022 election. Voting Ambassadors will be knowledgeable about the voting procedures for college students and will serve as a resource to their peers to help promote voting.

Voting Ambassadors will be responsible for:

Attending training and an initial meeting during the week of September 6.
Making a commitment to non-partisan activities. Voting Ambassadors cannot promote individual candidates, parties, and issues while serving with TerpsVote, but will connect students to information from non-partisan sources.
Understanding the procedures for registration and voting in MD, as well as other states from which UMD students come from, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Massachusetts, as well as where to get information about elections in those (and other) states.
Promoting TurboVote and providing guided help for students registering
Completing weekly tasks to help inform their fellow students about important voting information, including registration deadlines, absentee/mail-in ballot information, where to find resources to get informed to vote, etc. Weekly tasks may include:
Posting/sharing TerpsVote branded content on social media
Making class announcements about voting and communicating with faculty in their college
Hosting information tables in common areas of the buildings in their college
Talking about voting with student organizations in the college
Communicating individually with students to help them through the voting process
Completing weekly reporting to collect data of the reach of their efforts, including:
Events held
Email or other communication to students
Approximate number of students reached
Social media post response (likes/shares/reposts)
Common questions they get from students or misinformation they had to address

Position & Application Requirements

Qualified candidates will demonstrate an interest in and basic knowledge of voting in the US, as well as demonstrate experience and skills in social media, communication, and/or education outreach. Additionally, Ambassadors will propose a promotional strategy for reaching other students in their college. Ambassadors MUST be enrolled at UMD College Park for the Fall 2022 semester (May or August 2022 graduates are not eligible).

Professional Expectations

Ambassadors are expected to perform responsibilities thoroughly and accurately and in a timely manner, according to schedule.

Communication and Accountability

Ambassadors will maintain regular communication with TerpVvote interns and Coalition co-chairs via email, providing updates about events, messaging, and issues. Ambassadors will attend weekly meetings with interns and co-chairs. Lastly, Ambassadors will track progress of projects and tasks.

Preferred First Name*

Last Name*

UID*

Terpmail Email Address*

TerpsVote will only communicate with applicants via their @terpmail.umd.edu email address.

Graduation Date*

Student Status*

Undergraduate

Graduate

College/School*

Select or enter value

Major*

In your school or college, what activities do you participate in outside of the classroom? What leadership roles (Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, student organization officer or participant, etc) do you hold in your major?*

Please upload your Fall 2022 class schedule (if available).

If your Fall 2022 schedule is not yet available, please email it to TerpsVote@umd.edu when it is available.

Drag and drop files here or

Short Response Questions

How did you get interested in civic engagement and voting?*

Please limit your response to 150 words.

What experiences have you had that helped you develop any of the following skills: social media management, event planning, and education outreach?*

Please limit your response to 150 words.

Share information about your college, including general number of students, some of the biggest majors, the student culture, and if/how voting and civic engagement is discussed in any courses.*

What motivates students in your college to vote in local, state, and federal elections? What issues are important to them?*

Please limit your response to 150 words.

What are the barriers or challenges to voting for students in your college?*

Please limit your response to 150 words.

Propose how you would reach and engage students in your college.*

In 500 words or fewer, include the following information:

What goals do you have for increasing participation in voting in your college?
What communication strategies would you use to reach and inform students in your college?
How many students could you engage with weekly?
What college-wide or major-wide events could you participate in to share information about voting?
What events or activities would you plan to share information about voting and motivate students to participate?

I will refrain from promoting candidates, issues, or parties and commit to provide nonpartisan information to UMD students.*

I agree

I disagree

Send me a copy of my responses

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