From: The Underground: Student Organization Resources Center
Date: September 26, 2025
Subject: Student Org Newsletter 9/26: Voter Engagement Special Feature


Welcome to our Voter Engagement Special Edition!

This week, we’re spotlighting civic action and the power of student org leaders to shape their communities. From hosting a voter registration drive to teaming up with the VCU Votes Student Coalition, there are countless ways to get your members ready to make their voices heard. 

Think of this as a non-partisan civic engagement toolkit: sharpen your dialogue skills, create meaningful spaces for discussion, and inspire your peers to step up as engaged citizens. Together, we can build on the powerful legacy of student organization leaders to leverage involvement for impact at VCU and beyond.

Student orgs are democracy in motion—where ideas collide, plans take shape, and communities grow stronger together. Thank you for bringing that energy to campus and showing what’s possible when people work side by side with purpose!

Connect with the Student Coalition of VCU Votes!

Looking for ways to plug your org into the upcoming election (and civic life at VCU year-round)? Connect with the VCU Votes Student Coalition! They host campus-wide events, provide voter education, and work to make VCU the most voter-friendly campus it can be!

From co-hosting a registration drive to answering your voter questions, they’ll help you turn ideas into action and get your members ready for Election Day.

For more info on how to get connected, attend their upcoming GBM on October 2nd in the Commons, or email them at ramsvote@vcu.edu.

We need to talk...

How can student org leaders turn seemingly impossible challenges into powerful opportunities for change? Explore that (and more) at upcoming Crucible Conversations programs from the Office of Student Leadership & Engaged Learning. Use the links below to learn more and register  to attend one or both sessions:

Oct. 6 from 4-6pm in West Grace North

Oct. 13 from 4-6pm in West Grace North

Contact Kelsey Jones, Assistant Director of Civic and Community Engagement, at  jonesk66@vcu.edu for more info.

Organizations that would like to host voter registration drives must be certified by the Virginia Department of Elections to do so. You can find the complete information about how to become certified on the Virginia Department of Elections website, but it's a simple process of (1) completing an online or in-person training and (2) submitting an affidavit. 

 

Once your organization is approved to host a drive, you will be listed on this document of all certified organizations. Be sure to use your official student organization name on paperwork so that we can verify your organization is certified and eligible to reserve space on campus for voter registration drives.  If you have any questions about this process, feel free to reach out to the student orgs team at studentorgs@vcu.edu.

Voice, Vote, World: A Forum on Global Civic Engagement

Voice, Vote, World: Forum on Global Civic Engagement

VCU Votes and Global Education are coming together to host a program on how our student voices are used civically across the globe! Learn more and register to attend on RamsConnect.

Designing the Future Together

Join us for “Designing the Future Together,” an inspiring fusion of civic engagement and creative innovation, presented by VCU Votes and the Activities Programming Board (APB). This dynamic event invites you to step into the world of design studios, where collaboration meets civic leadership in an immersive exploration of creativity and democracy.

TEDxVCU is looking for ideas worth sharing!

TEDxVCU is now accepting applications for speakers and performers for our live event this spring.  If you’re a VCU student, staff, faculty, or alum, consider applying and sharing your ideas on our stage.  Want to learn more about us and what we look for in a TEDx talk - visit it our website or reach out to us at tedx@vcu.edu. Priority Deadline to apply is October 15th.